A milestone has been reached in the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers’ controversial and ambitious generic top-level domain program.
On February 6, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) announced that more than 500 new generic top-level domain (gTLD) registries are now operational and offering domain name registrations. This marked a significant milestone in ICANN’s controversial and ambitious new gTLD program, which ICANN has described as the “Internet’s largest expansion ever” and has seen the number of available gTLD domain name extensions skyrocket from 22 to more than 530 since October 2013. This milestone provides us with an opportunity to take stock of ICANN’s program and to consider where it is, where it is going, and the practical steps that trademark owners can take to build and protect their brands in this new online landscape.