Get ready for a whole bunch of new Internet names
STEVE CHIOTAKIS: The people who are in charge of Internet addresses today voted to free domain names from the restriction of a .com or .org. The International Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers, ICANN, wrapped up its meeting in Singapore.
And Peter Dengate Thrush is the chairman of the board of ICANN. He supported the decision and he’s with us now. Hi there.
PETER DENGATE THRUSH: Hello. How are you?
CHIOTAKIS: I’m doing well. What am I going to notice different about the Internet now that the voting is done and you guys agreed to do this?
DENGATE THRUSH: Within a year or so, you’ll have a totally different landscape. You’ll be looking at the domain names ending in .Pizza, .Movie, .all-sorts-of-things as we’ve introduced consumer choice and some competition for .com.
CHIOTAKIS: And why did you do this?
DENGATE THRUSH: Well, because the community asked for it. If you’re a major brand owner for example, then you don’t necessarily want to be in .com or .org. You want total control of the brand. And you can strength your brand. Browsers will eventually know that if they want to reach this particular product, then they’re going to go to the .Brand.
CHIOTAKIS: Would I be able to buy, say, .Chiotakis? Not that anyone would be able to spell that, but would I be able to do that?
DENGATE THRUSH: Well, you can certainly apply, and if you can prove to us that you’re not going to break the Internet, and if you can go through the evaluation processes we’ve set up — we’re talking about installing a registry on the running Internet. So you need to satisfy is that you’re a competent operator and you’re going to meet our security requirements and our business requirements so you’re not going to defraud customers and all the usual sorts of things. If you meet those tiers, then sure you can have it.
CHIOTAKIS: Well, we certainly don’t want to break the Internet.
DENGATE THRUSH: You certainly don’t.
CHIOTAKIS: Peter Dengate Thrush, chairman of ICANN’s board of directors. Sir, thank you.
DENGATE THRUSH: It’s been a pleasure. Thanks.
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