Global brands should explore how best to take advantage of
the new global internet names that Icann, the internet's top domain
registrar, is making available, says a brand protection
expert.
Irfan Salim, CEO of
MarkMonitor, said the new
so-called global top level
domains (GTLDs) allowed companies to apply for extensions with
their own brand names, such as .Coke or .eBay.
This offered them greater security over their net presence
because they would be able to control all registrations against
that TLD, Salim said.
It also allowed them to use the domain name, which is theirs
exclusively, to build a close-knit community by requiring their
affiliates to register their own domain names under their GTLD.
Salim said the companies most likely to benefit from this are
those with only an internet presence, such as Google, eBay or
Amazon. "Coca-Cola has the necessary money to change consumer
behaviour, but it needs to look closely at the benefits of running
its own domain," he said.
On 6 June Icann published
proposals for comment for a new way to handle GTLDs. This would
facilitate entry and benefit consumers by expanding output,
lowering prices and increasing innovation, Icann said.
Even if new GTLDs did not compete with .com and the other major
TLDs for existing registrants, consumers would benefit from more
competition for new registrants and more product choice, it
said.
Brand owners are worried that the introduction of GTLDs mean
they will have to undertake defensive registrations. Icann said it
was considering "several proposals" that address this while
minimising any harm to consumers from the "draconian" remedy of
restricting entry of new GTLDs.
"The ability of Icann to protect trademark holders through
dispute resolution mechanisms also implies that price caps on new
GTLDs are not necessary to protect trademark holders," it said.
MarkMonitor watches the web for 400 companies, 50 of them
Fortune 100 firms, for cybersquatters and other abusers of their
brands. Salim said about 10 had asked him to advise them on their
position with respect to GTLDs.
Acting as a GTLD registrar for his clients was a business
opportunity for MarkMonitor, he said. "It's going to be a
multi-million-dollar business, because it costs about $200,000 to
go through the Icann process," he said.
He said Icann was still finalising its registration process for
GTLDs. "We are looking at this as a 2011 event," he said.