Changes in Top Level Domains May Affect Your Business

Recently, ICANN, the corporation that coordinates unique domain names across the world, approved what it refers to as “one of the biggest changes ever to the Internet’s Domain Name System.” For the first time, ICANN is giving companies an opportunity claim a unique top level domain or gTLD.  Meaning that instead of using a second level domain name under a gTLD such as “.com,” a company can use its company name as the gTLD itself, such as “.amazon.”  For example, Amazon could establish as its homepage the name “www.home.amazon” instead of “www.amazon.com,” and an e-mail address could be “name@customersupport.amazon” instead of “name@amazon.com.”  These developments can affect your company as well as the structure and use of the Internet.  RWO trademark and copyright lawyers Douglas R. Ferguson and Robert B. Bliss give more information about how top level domains may affect your business here.