This is a continuation piece of my intro piece on the new gTLDs set to release this Fall. This one is focused on the politics and morals surrounding the new gTLDs. I don’t normally get political on my blog but when there’s an intersection between politics and technology, it seems like an appropriate discussion.
Anytime large sums of money are involved, you get some familiar players trying to make power grabs. There are definitely some legit concerns with how the gTLDs are being distributed. Companies like Google will be able to trademark all .google domains, which makes sense, but some companies are taking things a step further by applying for the rights to gTLDs like .music, .health, and others (to the tune of $185K just for the applications!).
I do (perhaps naively) question whether companies like BMI will be able to successfully trademark gTLDs like .music, but in the day where companies like Monsanto can patent living organisms, you can never be too sure.
I’m not an expert on this topic and don’t have any clear answers, but here are some helpful articles that I found on the topic.
Want a .music domain? Prepare to play politics – RT
ICANN is Wrong – Scripting.com
ICANNs Boondoggle – Technology Review
ICANN Web Address Controversy Deepens after U.S. Warning
What are your thoughts? Sound off in the comments?
Leave a Reply