Dotcom may fade as nearly 2,000 outfits seek special domain names
14 Jun 2012
A large number of internet companies as well as corporate houses are seeking exclusive domain names in place of the ubiquitous dotcom, a list released by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) today showed.
The non-profit ICANN, operating under a US commerce department contract, decides on domain name ownerships. It generally keeps the names of applicants for special domain names apart from .com, .edu and so on, private.
This is probably the first time it has named applicants.
The list reveals that JPMorgan Chase & Co, Wal-Mart Stores Inc, and Microsoft Corp are applying for web suffixes like .jpmorgan, .walmart, and .microsoft under a programme to expand the number of internet domain names beyond .com.
Other proposals include .apple from Apple Inc and .cialis from Eli Lilly & Co as well as generic terms such as .book and .love.
The list of 1,930 applications provides a first look at potential rivals to .com and the level of company interest in the suffixes. ICANN says the programme may result in hundreds of more extensions.
