ICANN Announces New GTLD Applications

ICANN has today published the list of new GTLD applications, in the shadow of a process that was plagued with embarrassing IT failures.

There were 1930 applications from a variety of interested parties including large corporates like Microsoft and Nike, to governments such as the Victorian and NSW Governments. Over 300 of those applications came from the Asia Pacific region. The applications were to obtain the rights to operate extensions such as .nike and .poker, which is touted as the biggest GTLD release ever.

ICANN originally opened up the application process on 12 January 2012 and closed it on 30 May 2012 – parties who have applied for new extensions such as .lawyer and .pizza will go through an auction process to determine who will ultimately be given the rights to these new extensions.

The most competitive applications for extensions include:

.team

.poker

.pizza

.restaurant

.lawyer

.soccer

.realestate

.play

.news

Australia also had its fair share of applicants in the $180,000 odd application process, including Australia Post, the AFL, Bond University and the Australian Cancer Research Foundation.

The close of applications also sees the introduction of an objection period where rights holders such as trade mark owners can object to applications.