ICANN Gears Up for Second Round of gTLD Applications Even as First Round Still Underway

The most significant development in the Internet space in recent years is the ongoing generic top-level domain (gTLD) expansion. (As a reminder, a TLD is what appears to the right of the "dot" in a domain name (i.e., .COM, .ORG, .GOV).) The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) embarked on an aggressive plan to expand the Internet from just 23 gTLDs to more than a thousand gTLDs, culminating in an application process in 2012 that allowed any organization with an interest in running a registry to apply for a new gTLD, provided it could meet the designated technical, operational and financial criteria. After this lengthy application and vetting process, ICANN now has delegated more than 400 new gTLDs, with additional gTLDs launching each week. Throughout the next couple of years ICANN expects to delegate nearly 1,400 new gTLDs from this first round of applications including .CLOTHING, .COMPANY, .EDUCATION, .GURU, .HOSPITAL, .INC, .INVESTMENTS, .LAND, .MENU, .MOVIE, .NEWS, .PHOTOS, .SCIENCE, .SPORTS and .WEBSITE.

Despite this already exponential expansion of the Internet domain name space, ICANN is gearing up already for a second round of new gTLD applications. The first step in that process is a series of reviews ICANN and the community will undertake throughout the next two years or so to study the new gTLD program as implemented so far. In conjunction with other efforts within ICANN to review this ongoing round of new gTLD delegation, the ICANN Board of Directors (Board) recently passed a resolution involving planning for future new gTLD application rounds. Our new gTLD team has examined closely this resolution and other related developments, which are relevant to registry operators, brand owners and potential future new gTLD applicants alike.