In June 2006, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) approved a plan that will allow private parties to create custom online domains. These domain names may be anywhere from 3 to 63 characters long and in nearly any alphabet, such as Arabic or Chinese. The Internet currently operates using 12 generic top-level domains (gTLDs) to direct traffic. The more common gTLDs include .com, .org, and .gov, of which "dotcom" is by far the most popular. The draft plan was released for an open comment period from October 24-December 15, 2008. There was a strong public reaction during the comment period, much of it negative. In response, an amended plan was released on February 18, 2009, with a comment period through April 13, 2009.

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