How New Domain Extension Processes Work

Every time ICANN gives the OK for a new domain name extension (such as .info, .us, .biz and more) to be released, there's typically a process that the extension goes through before it is fully available to the public. This process differs slightly, based on if the domain name is a country-code top level domain (ccTLD) or a generic top level domain (gTLD) in the sense that some ccTLDs require you or your business to reside within the country itself, in order to legitimately purchase and own a domain.

As you may know, a ccTLD is a domain extension that pertains to a specific country - such as .us for the United States, or .it for Italy. A gTLD is generic, and not tied to a specific country...just like good old .com, .net and .org.

When a new domain name extension has been officially approved, there are three steps involved: Sunrise, Landrush and Open Registration:

• Sunrise Period (Government & Trademark Owners) is the time period when a country's government gets "first dibs" on registering domain names. This is typically when the government will register official words (such as the name of the country, itself) and locations for governmental usage. This is also the time period when corporations and other trademark holders can elect to reserve their trademarked names.


• Landrush (Public Application & Auction) is when the general public can apply (but not purchase) for domain names. A landrush time period typically lasts about a month and a half. Once this time period ends, the post-landrush period is when all of the requested names are auctioned off amongst the people who applied for them.


• Open Registration (Free-For-All) is the final step which marks the "free for all" registration, where anyone can purchase a domain name with the new extension at any time, instantly. The Open Registration usually beings about a month after the end of the Landrush.

There's no doubt that a lot of controversy has existed with this three-tier process. Here are the main complaints, and in some cases, legal proceedings that have stemmed from it:

• It's unfair to the "little guy." Many have complained about the Sunrise Period, as it gives corporations the first selection on domain names. For instance: heavy construction equipment company Caterpillar was able to immediately register CAT.info during the .info Sunrise Period, making it impossible for a pet enthusiast to ever own that domain name.


• As usual, whoever has the most money wins. During the Landrush time period, anyone can apply for a domain they want. However, there can be thousands of applications for the one you wanted, and there's no doubt that a Fortune 500 company will be able to afford the final auction value of that name over what you'd ever be able to spend. So, if you wanted to own a name like marketing.biz or pc.info - you didn't have a chance in hell at ever matching whatever money machine was able to snag either name.


• Vague trademark disputes. Going back to the "little guy" comment... what if you were able to obtain a single word domain with a word like "Target", only to have been disputed during the Sunrise Period by the Target Corporation? You only have one real choice - to give the domain name up. Battling a major corporation is like going up the stream without a paddle. After all, it would be perfectly legal to own and operate a domain name named "Target", as long as it is not in the same business category, nor references, the Target Corporation.


• Sloppy seconds. What's left over after all of that time that has gone by, after the Sunrise and Landrush periods? Not much. If anything at all. The ability for a regular person to grab a worthy one word domain is practically non-existent after this incredibly long and drawn-out process, where equality gives weigh to sheer capital. Why should a millionaire investor deserve a major four letter domain name over a struggling, lower-middle class college kid with hopes of making it big? It should be a case of "the early bird catches the worm," as most argue.

If a new ccTLD is released that is not available to the public, only residents of that country or companies that have a contact within that country may legitimately purchase a domain name with that extension.

For instance, if you live in the USA and proceed to purchase a domain name linked to a country specific extension like .de or .cz, you'll be asked to check a disclaimer stating that you either reside or have a valid contact address in that country. Of course, you could simply ignore the disclaimer, but there's no doubt that you'll eventually be found out by the domain registrar.

Several ccTLDs had a universally 'interesting' appearance. For instance, .tv, for the nation of Tuvalu, also happened to be the abbreviation for "television" and was made to be globally registered, regardless if you are Tuvaluan or not. Western Samoa's extension, .ws, was marketed to mean "web site," and few even knew that it was a country code extension at all, as a result. In July of 2008, the extension ".me" was released for the country of Montenegro, but made available to the global market - as ".me" has marketable implications as a common word.