Domain names

While designed to serve the function of an internet address, domain names have acquired a further significance as business identifiers and, as such, have come into conflict with ‘traditional’ business identifiers, trade marks.

The Internet Corporation of Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), which has responsibility for the domain name system, is proposing to introduce an unlimited number of new top level domain names (TLD) into the domain name system. Under this new proposal potentially hundreds of new TLDs could be added to the current 22 general top level domains (gTLDs) .com, .net and .org. and the approximately 250 country codes (ccTLDs) such as .uk and .us. Additions could include .sport, .news, .London etc. ICANN believes that this expansion will benefit the web consumer in promoting much greater competitiveness in the domain name market.

Brand owners have expressed concern that this increase in gTLDs is a 'cybersquatter's charter' and they would be compelled to defensively increase their monitoring of domain name and/or registration activities. The potential expense would be considerable.

Following a roundtable meeting with interested parties hosted by the IPO in May 2010, the UK continues to engage with ICANN, through its membership of ICANN's Governmental Advisory Committee, GAC, to ensure such concerns are understood and ameliorated wherever possible. The next ICANN and GAC meetings are in Cartagena in December.