Conflicts regarding the new top level domains

Between January and April 2012 companies and organisations were given the opportunity to apply for their own unique top-level domain. ICANN (the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers), which is administering the process, received around 1,900 applications for new top level domains; 93 applications have since passed the initial evaluation procedure. See http://newgtlds.icann.org/en/.

For at least 700 domains, however, there is more than one applicant; there are 13 applicants for .APP, for example, and eleven for .HOME. Clearly, this situation gives rise to conflicts. As it is difficult to determine which companies should be given the right to generic domains, applicants are encouraged to resolve the disputes themselves in the first instance. Otherwise the matter will be settled by an auction.

Some commentators are also discussing the possibility that, in certain cases, multiple applicants for the same top level domain name may be able to operate the domains jointly. Meanwhile other applicants, such as those behind .HILTON, .HEINZ and .CHEVROLET, have chosen to withdraw their application.