New gTLD Extensions: Get Ready for the Internet on Steroids

The group which essentially governs the Internet, known as the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers ("ICANN"), recently released a list of thousands of applications for new generic top-level domains ("gTLD's"). Once approved, these new extensions would add to the already growing list of domain extensions that include popular .COM, .NET and ,ORG, and somewhat less popular .BIZ, .INFO, and .US. The applications include obvious brand protection extensions like .GOOGLE and .TIFFANY, as well as thousands of generic applicants like .SHOP and .STORE. Demand Media alone submitted more than 130 applications, including .AIRFORCE, .ARMY, .NAVY and .NINJA(huh?). The primary problem from a brand protection standpoint is that the Internet domain name system is already glutted with a virtually infinite number of available combinations to promote mischief and erode brand reputation online. To demonstrate the point, here is a list of just some of the applied-for Top Level Domains in the ICANN new gTLD Program 2012:

• .adult

• .auto

• .baby

• .boats

• .book

• .car

• .cards

• .cars

• .diamonds

• .diet

• .dog

• .energy

• .equipment

• .events

• .events

• .flowers

• .furniture

• .garden

• .gift

• .glass

• .gold

• .grocery

• .guitars

• .home

• .homegoods

• .homesense

• .horse

• .house

• .jewelry

• .kids

• .kitchen

• .luxe

• .luxury

• .mail

• .media

• .memorial

• .mobile

• .motorcycles

• .pets

• .pharmacy

• .phone

• .photo

• .photography

• .pics

• .pictures

• .porn

• .sex

• .sexy

• .solar

• .tattoo

• .tickets

• .tickets

• .tires

• .tools

• .toys

• .video

• .watch

• .wedding

• .yachts

• .clothing

• .beauty

• .fashion

• .hair

• .ink

• .makeup

• .salon

• .shoes

• .skin

• .spa

• .style

• .tattoo

• .ads

• .and

• .are

• .auction

• .bargains

• .best

• .bid

• .black

• .blackfriday

• .blue

• .boo

• .buy

• .buzz

• .center

• .channel

• .cheap

• .christmas

• .city

• .click

• .codes

• .community

• .compare

• .cool

• .country

• .coupon

• .day

• .deals

• .direct

• .directory

• .discount

• .dot

• .duck

• .ecom

• .ads

• .exchange

• .exposed

• .express

• .fail

• .feedback

• .foo

• .forsale

• .free

• .frontdoor

• .glean

• .global

• .gripe

• .guru

• .hangout

• .here

• .home

• .hot

• .ing

• .jot

• .joy

• .land

• .link

• .loft

• .lol

• .market

• .markets

• .media

• .meme

• .new

• .next

• .ninja

• .now

• .online

• .page

• .parts

• .pink

• .place

• .plus

• .prod

• .promo

• .qpon

• .red

• .rocks

• .sale

• .save

• .seek

• .shop

• .shopping

• .silk

• .site

• .space

• .spot

• .star

• .store

• .sucks

• .support

• .today

• .top

• .town

• .trading

• .tube

• .web

• .website

• .world

• .wow

• .wtf

• .xyz

• .yellowpages

• .you

• .zip

• .zone

Concerned about the implications for online brand protection yet?