ICANN Continues March Toward Generic Top Level Domains

In what has been an on-going saga, development, and steady march, the Board of Directors of the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers ("ICANN") recently reiterated its support for its proposed new generic Top-Level Domain ("gTLD") registration system. In related developments the ICANN Board also approved additional Internet domain names using Chinese script, and voted to allow the controversial .XXX top-level domain ("TLD"). The ICANN Board of Directors also announced it will use its September 24-25, 2010 retreat for consideration of all the outstanding issues relating to the implementation of the new gTLD program following one more public comment period on the Draft Application Guidebook. To brand owners without an Internet strategy or plan for new domain names, ICANN's actions should signify that new gTLDs are a matter of timing, i.e., not if, but when.