The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN)
began accepting applications for new generic top level domain names
(gTLDs) on January 12, 2012. ICANN is accepting applications
through April 12, 2012 and expects to receive approximately 4,000
applications during this three-month filing window. The application
review process may take up to 20 months, so therefore it is likely
that the new gTLDs awarded under this program will launch in
2014.
Amid sharp criticism from trade associations, non-governmental
organizations, and governments around the world, ICANN moved
forward with plans to expand the number of Internet address endings
from 22 gTLDs, such as the familiar .com and.org, to an
unprecedented and potentially unlimited number. The rollout of new
Internet address endings will permit owners to operate under
multi-lingual and non-Latin scripts, such as Cyrillic, Chinese, and
Arabic. In addition, the new plan permits the registration of
longer
