Google, Amazon, Top Websites Fight Over New Domains
The Internet’s governing body reveals that domains will no longer be limited to .com, .org and .net, as it released a list of 1,930 applied-for generic top-level domain (gTLD) names.
There are 22 existing gTLDs, until the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) approved plans to allow people to apply for new ones. ICANN started accepting applications via its TLD Application System (TAS) on January after overcoming a system glitch.
Top tech firms like Google, Samsung, Amazon, Microsoft, and Apple were some of a few that submitted applications. Apple for example, applied for .apple domain, while Samsung also sought rights to .samsung and another for its name in Korean characters.
Google has applied domains under the name Charleston Road Registry including product-related domains like google, youtube, android, app, blog, book, chrome, cloud, docs, drive, earth, gmail, nexus, hangout, search, and moto, as well as generic domain names, like tech, web, buy, fyi, how, family, mom, lol, meme, and love.
Amazon made a bid for amazon, app, audible, cloud, fire, imdb, kindle, and map, while Microsoft is aiming for rights to azure, bing, docs, hotmail, live, microsoft, office, skydrive, skype, windows, and xbox.
Several tech giants have applied for some of the same domains, with bids at approximately 231 domains by more than one organization. These applications were paid at a $185,000 evaluation fee, with $5,000 upfront, though some organizations were allowed a discount. ICANN reported collections of $350 million, about $60,000 of which will be put back per applicant as a “risk contingency fund.”
ICANN reportedly received 901 applications from North America, 675 from Europe, 303 from the Asia Pacific region, 24 from Latin America and the Caribbean, and 17 from Africa.
The institution has started a seven-month objection period for the applications, simultaneous with a pre-delegation, special and technical evaluation panels, with an expected release of results by December or January.
