Archive for ICANN
Additional Branding Woes in the Domain Name Game
Posted by: | CommentsCanadian companies were recently warned that the new domain name rules effective in 2012 could significantly harm their businesses. Therefore, those companies must defend their brands which will certainly cost a pretty penny. Due to the cost, the new naming rules will discourage most cybersquatters who can significantly harm a brand resulting in companies spending a large amount of money attract customers to different domains.
Deep Pockets Required
However, by catering to the new naming conventions, companies will be paying hundreds of thousands of dollars per application per domain name. Therefore, this could also become tremendously expensive.
ICANN’s Decision
In June 2011, ICANN decided that beginning in 2012, websites will no longer be limited only to the existing 22 endings like .com, .org and .net or the 250 country-specific domains like .ca and .fr. Instead, the organization will be permitting an unlimited number of extensions such as .books, .facebook, .coke and .car.
The agency claims that this decision will unleash the global human imagination, creating new opportunities for firms to greatly expand their online presence. Also, they stated that a demanding application mixed with high registration fees will filter out the abusers of the naming system.
Opposition to the Change
However, since that time, the advertising segment has opposed the move. In the United States, the Association of National Advertisers and the Interactive Advertising Bureau warned the amount of damage this change can cause on brand owners. United States advocacy groups have cooled down but the battle has shifted to Canadian companies. Reports state that only those firms with deep pockets will be able to defend their brands, take legal action and monitor new registrations.
Focusing on Generic Domain Names
While the cost and application are supposed to deter abuses, many individuals are positioning themselves to scoop up generic domain names like .beer and .chocolate. This could result in significant financial and legal battles not to mention major headaches for companies in those industries. Canadian companies could be hit hard since most are not large enough to take legal action and find protection.
Every day a new report is issued describing how unsatisfied entire industries are with the new naming conventions. Although the point of the change in extensions is a good idea, there are too many loose ends that could cause major problems for many online companies. This in turn could affect the global economy considerably.
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ICANN Defends New Domain Name Procedure
Posted by: | CommentsICANN has been strongly defending the newly approved proposal to introduce thousands of new Internet domain names. The California-based nonprofit was recently attacked by the Association of National Advertisers (ANA) in a letter expressing fervent concerns with the new policy. As a result, ICANN has publicly defended the process and policy.
Association of National Advertisers
The ANA consists of major U.S. corporations such as Apple, Home Depot and Verizon who raised many issues with the most critical being that the trademark owners are required to defend their brands as a result of the introduction of so many new domain names and extensions. They indicated that the expense to conduct such a task will be extraordinary.
Opposition of the New System
Furthermore, the association argues that many companies will be compelled to apply for the all new top-level domains related to their business at $185,000 per domain name. Additionally, the ANA claims ICANN is failing to follow its own rules by requiring that its policies are to be adopted through a bottom-up consensus process. Therefore, the organization has called on ICANN to withdraw the proposal or work in conjunction with trademark owners to revise it.
ICANN’s Response
ICANN sent a written response to the ANA that noted Internet stakeholders have had ample time to comment on the new proposal. Also, they stated that many of the suggestions proposed by the ANA were included in the final proposal, approved June 2011.
Statement from the CEO
The CEO of ICANN quantified that the declarations in the statement from ANA were problematic in several ways with the most sever mischaracterizations regarding the ICANN approval process. The domain name process has been developed over six years of implementation planning and policy. There have been a variety of significant actions taken to find equilibrium amongst all vested parties while protecting them.
He additionally stated that ICANN will vigorously defend the model while defending its duty to act in accordance with the established bottom-up process. Additionally, this covers the broad public interest of the entire global Internet community as opposed to the interests of specific parties or groups.
ICANN knew once the process was released to the public and commercial entities that they would be vigorously defending it to ensure its implementation. Although there are only several months until the registration officially opens, there will definitely be additional controversies that are publicly announced.
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Ongoing Battle over the new .Music Domain Extension
Posted by: | CommentsCritics continue to argue over the new domain name extensions that will be available in January 2012. The most recent battle is with the potential creation of the .music top-level domain name. The music industry recently announced their concerns with the new extension. However, instead of simply complaining online, the industry is bringing their concerns to the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) which is part of the Department of Commerce.
New Regulations
ICANN is the current organization that administers the domain extensions process under contract from the NTIA. Therefore, any new regulations set by the NTIA must be followed by ICANN in the U.S. market.
Newly Proposed Rules
The new rules proposed by the music industry would require ICANN to document how the proposed extension has receive support from relevant stakeholders and can safely be supported by the global public interest prior to introducing new domain names. In early 2011, music industry groups such as the RIAA, ASCAP and A2IM sent a let to ICANN listing their concerns regarding the domain name change.
Initial Concerns of the Music Industry
Their main apprehension was the lack of direct control over who could register a .music extension. The industry does not want unlawful online music services to acquire a .music extension. Since the sharing of illegal music across the Internet is a current issue, an illegal website acquiring a .music domain name extension could significantly affect revenues within the industry.
Reiterating Concerns
This same group of advocates recently reiterated their trepidations to the NTIA to support the agency’s proposal to enforce stricter measures for the purchase of any new domain extension. The group released a statement informing the public that they do not feel as if ICANN has adequately address all concerns raised by relevant parties with regards to the sale and launch of new global top-level domains.
Awarding of the Domain Extensions
Also, the organizations want to be clear that they do not have an issue with the .music domain. Instead their concern is how the extensions are being awarded. The heart of the issue relates to who owns music online. There are many music companies that allegedly operate on the Internet outside the confines of the rules.
Small battles such as that with .music domain name extension are beginning to pop up across the globe as the launch of new top-level domains approaches. Hopefully ICANN can address all issues to ensure a streamlined launch.
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Domain Name Expansion Expected to Create Major Problems
Posted by: | CommentsThe number of top-level domains is expected to become much more populated in the coming years. The landscape for this explosion will begin in the coming months so battles for branding and digital turf are expected to get ugly. This is a result of the decisions made by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers to create new domain name extensions for a more brand-able online appeal. For instance a DuPont top-level name could be .DuPont.
Current Preparations
A local Internet lawyer is already preparing to fight for one of his clients for .Philly. New York City officials have clearly indicated that .NYC is a civic asset and has already taken the necessary steps to preserve the domain name. Additionally, large companies are scooping up their domain name extensions such as .Microsoft, .Google and .Ford.
Application Process
Unfortunately, the rules enforced by ICANN will not stop at new entrants. Beginning January 2012, the application process will become official. However, ICANN is only expecting several hundred domain registrants to pay the $185,000 application fee. Unfortunately, qualified applicants will be able to create domain names based on any word.
Supporter Reaction
To supporters of the new extensions, this has been a long time coming. They are claiming that customers are looking for a way to capture their preferences. Therefore, businesses should not be restricted by the usual .com’s, .net’s and .org’s. Instead, they should be able to try .Music or .Food.
Recognition of Upcoming Challenges
Unfortunately, these same supporters recognize that the new rules will inevitably cause turf-battles and they are unsure how they will pan out. During the early years of the Internet, similar legal turf-wars were over the control of generic domain names with high value. The new laws will indefinitely change that aspect of domain names by depreciating the value of generic .com domain names as a result of the endless possibilities.
Critic’s Reaction
Critics of the new Internet law view this as creating duplication (from the past) and redundancy rather than implementing a value-added system. The only positive impact it will have on business is for those in the domain name registry industry.
It appears as if this change implemented by ICANN is going to cause more problems than its worth. At the same time this could improve company branding and increase online business. It is difficult to predict the outcome once the dust settles.
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A Comparison of Domain Registrars and Web Hosts
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When domain registration began, only one source offered this service, NSI. Despite the monopoly of selling top-level domain names, they remained in place until the late ‘90’s. Around this time there was an influx of domain registration companies that began to directly compete with NSI.
Currently, there are hundreds of domain registrars that are accredited by the International Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN). Over the years two types of domain registrars have emerged, domain registrar only services and web hosting providers.
Domain Registrar Only Services
Domain registrar only providers simply offer domain registration without any type of hosting package. There are still several available, but are seen as a dying breed. Clients want convenience so many find it a hassle to register the domain name at one site and find storage at another.
Domain registrar providers are more catered to advanced users. This method is often utilized so domain name registration and maintenance can be separated between storage space and domains. This is helpful for those that are building a large domain network.
Web Hosting Providers
On the other hand, web hosts offer the convenience of domain registration as well as hosting plans and packages in an all inclusive deal. Clients usually need both so this adds the extra ease of use function to their business model. There are many more web hosts than domain registrars.
Also, web host clients can search for available domain names directly from the hosting provider’s website. Once selected, within a day or two the domain name and hosting package are automatically setup; all in a few easy steps.
Redirection of Domains and Servers
Those that have an all inclusive plan may want to create a redirect to separate space from the domain name. This can be manually accomplished by redirecting domains to website content hosted servers. This is offered by web hosting providers so customer service can walk the client along, step-by-step.
Comparison Summary
Generally, domain registrars offer lower prices for each registered name. Also, depending on the need, separating domain name and server space can be beneficial. Those looking for an all inclusive, easy-to-use system should look toward web hosting providers. This will allow them to spend more time on developing content and creating the actual website.
As the internet expands and technology progresses, domain registrars will become a thing of the past. Web hosting providers are making the registration, creation and maintenance so easy that this is the most appealing option to most users. Due to an easy to use interface and excellent customer support, web hosting providers are at the forefront of website development technology.
The Benefits of Country-Specific Domains
Posted by: | CommentsWhen going to register a domain name, you probably look for something with a .com TLD or decide to settle on .net if your first choice is not available. This is very understandable being that both of them add more professionalism and credibility to your web presence. While neither of these extensions make a bad choice, there are several reasons why you may want to consider registering a country-specific domain instead.
SEO Benefits
There are many cases when the major search engines will provide higher search engine rankings for web pages that have country-specific TLDs. For example, if an internet user from Canada is searching for software consulting services in that specific country, the site at mysoftware.ca may rank higher than another website with a .com extension selling the same product. This type of domain can also help increase your visibility through directories commonly referenced by local web surfers. Directories make a great way to enhance search engine rankings and build qualities links that lead to more traffic to your website.
Boost Customer Confidence
Having a country-specific domain can help increase confidence in customers as many of them feel more comfortable purchasing from local merchants. For them, it makes it much easier to track their sales and follow up with any questions or concerns regarding the product. Even though business is conducted across international borders everyday, some customers would just like to know that they are dealing with someone residing in the same country rather than one operating in a foreign locality.
Better Identify Your Audience
Another benefit to country-specific domain names is that you are better to identify where your customers are actually located. This makes things more convenient for both you and the customer. You can easily display products and services targeted at shoppers in that particular region and customers do not have to worry about choosing the geographic area they are located in. Again, this gives your site that local feel and instills the confidence the customer needs to feel safer doing business with you.
Maximize Your Potential
When factoring in their distinct advantages, you may want to consider registering both a country-specific TLD and a traditional extension such as .com or .net. This is a simple but strategic move that makes your business appealing to both international and national audiences. You should never overlook the potential sales and business that can be reaped from a domain name and all it takes is another small investment for an additional name that could result in huge benefits.
Conclusion
There are many domain name extensions available and the ICANN seems to be adding new ones on a regular basis. The country-specific variation represents a very broad category and as you can see, offers a wealth of benefits. While you have a vast selection to choose from, you should always keep yourself open to such an excellent opportunity that could help you attract other markets and extend your reach online.