This decision changed the way we navigate the Web: The Web Administrator ICANN has opened the way for numerous new URL entries, the top-level domains, vacated. . “En”. “Com” instead of or in the future may also company names are at the end of Web addresses – if the companies pay a six-figure sum.

Singapore – “Today’s decision will set a new course in the Internet age,” said Peter Dengate Thrush said on Monday. The chairman of the organization that manages the address system on the Internet, welcomed to a landmark decision: There will be new domain extensions, companies are practically every word in every language as so-called top-level domain (TLD) can apply, this is the part an Internet address after the last point.

The expansion of the Board of ICANN (Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers) decided at its meeting in Singapore with a large majority. Hundreds of new entries could be made ​​now until the end of next year. The ICANN ride roughshod over fears that the new domains could be used as a replacement for the existing general business extension “. Com” bring the system of naming on the Internet by each other. “The confusing initial phase will be short,” promised Icann board member Sébastien Bachollet.

“We are very pleased with the decision,” said Thomas Rickert the Association of Internet Economy in Germany eco. Fast enough, it is not him gone, “was the principle decision it three years ago , has since been negotiated. ” Above all copyright holders and trademark owners an extremely persistent lobbying would have operated. The so-called “Rights Protection Mechanism” to protect their interests, to prevent the pirates simply hijack a brand name. “But that’s okay so, the new domain extensions to be built on trust,” said Rickert.

Icann had the new top-level domains previously assigned only with great restraint. The two-character country codes like. Com or. It about ten years ago were added a few extensions. The new addresses. Aero,. Coop. Museum. Biz. Info. Name and. Each could only prevail in part. In 2003 further extensions were added (asia, cat, jobs, mobile, phone and travel……) – And this year was the red-xxx domain. decided after much back and forth.

With the decision taken by companies will be able to apply its own ending, not individuals. It is expected to operate in the future, especially large corporations their own web sites at Top-Level Domains. The hurdles for this are quite high. In January 2012, begin the registration process – an application will cost $ 185,000. The exact procedure explains the ICANN on its website (PDF file). If the application process will be clear that the application fails, it can also be withdrawn. For businesses in developing countries, the price will be lower, but so far there is no this result.

“This is the most comprehensive change in the domain name since the introduction of ‘. Com’ 26 years ago,” said Theo Hnarakis, chief of an Internet service provider in the U.S. state of California that decision. With the new feature in companies and other organizations would no longer limited to existing extensions like “. Com”, “. Net” or “. Org” limit.

According to Hnarakis just large firms with a special interest in customer loyalty “competitive advantage” benefit from the new Internet addresses. He also warned that the award of the domains should be designed not as easy as registering a “. Com” suffix. “That will require a complex task, the thinking and investment,” said Hnarakis. He advised the companies to take registrations required to promptly addressed.

The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers ( ICANN ) is a private non-profit organization of U.S. law, established in California City Marina del Rey .

Task

ICANN decides on the basis of the management of top-level domains , and thus ICANN coordinates the technical aspects of the Internet, but without the right to set binding. ICANN was under 30 September 2009 the Department of Commerce (Department of Commerce) of the United States and thus the U.S. government . Since October 1, 2009 and replaces a joint “declaration of binding agreements” (Affirmation of commitment) the previous agreement (Joint Project Agreement, JPA), which representatives of governments and interested stakeholders should regularly assess whether the ICANN organization to fulfill its responsibilities in accordance with statutory .

ICANN is sometimes used as a sort of world government of the Internet means. The governments of the world are in the Governmental Advisory Committee ( Governmental Advisory Committee , GAC) represented the independent seat at the EU Commission in Brussels has one. As the headquarters of the organization even after 1 2009 in the U.S. remains October, network management organization is subject to the continuing American jurisprudence.

Formation

ICANN was in October 1998 a coalition of various interest groups (business, technology, science and users) founded by. Legally, it is in ICANN is a private foundation based in Marina del Rey, California. The ICANN is responsible for a number of technical requirements, previously of the IANA and various other groups were taken, focusing on.

Objects of the work of ICANN

In order for the Internet, certain names and addresses are globally unique. Therefore, ICANN coordinates:

• on the Address Supporting Organization and the Country Code Names Supporting Organization (ccNSO), the Internet domain name ( domain name system , especially the DNS root name server )
• the IP addresses ,
• in cooperation with the IETF protocol parameters and port addresses of the Internet protocol suite .

Organization

The Board of Directors of ICANN is composed of 21 members from around the world. 15 members have voting rights: to be a night Nominierungskommittee elected, two by the Address Supporting Organization (ASO), two of the country-code Name Supporting Organization (ccNSO) and two of the Generic Name Supporting Organization (GNSO), which coincides CEO . Six non-voting members are nominated by advisory organizations. 2000 members, five representing the user base of a continent selected public, with the expiration of their time member of the 2003 public election, however, abolished.

Chairman of the board is Peter Dengate Thrush. President & CEO of ICANN since 2009 July is Rod Beckstrom, chief operating officer since September 2010 Akram Atallah. Board members were from Germany until 2003 Helmut Schink ( Siemens AG ) and the journalist Andy Mueller-Maguhn (Deputy Chairman of the Chaos Computer Club Berlin e. V.), the representative was elected as European. Another member from Germany until 2006 Hultzsch Hagen (a former board member of the German Telekom AG ). Karl Auerbach , the public representatives of the North American user base 2000 to 2003, sat down for more openness and transparency of ICANN for a. In 2002, he complained before a Superior Court in California successfully for access to the books.

Alternative root server

An alternative to the ICANN root servers to the OpenNIC Project is . To 31 December 2008 formed the Open Root Server Network (Ørsnes), which partially IPv6 was enabled, an alternative to the ICANN root servers