On June 13, 2012, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) posted a list of all new generic top-level domain (gTLD) strings along with the names of those who applied for them. The posting of this list marks the expansion of the existing internet infrastructure by increasing the number of gTLDs—the general address extensions that come after the last dot, e.g., .com, .net., .org, etc.—to an almost unlimited number. This Advisory explains the events of, and leading up to, the June 13 “Reveal Day,” and introduces brand owners to several relevant elements of the new gTLD process.

Background

In June 2011, ICANN, the private nonprofit corporation that manages most top-level domains (TLDs) and IP addresses, approved a program to allow any legal entity to file an application, accompanied by fees totaling $185,000, to create (and manage) new gTLDs of their choosing. The period to apply for new gTLDs opened on January 12, 2012, and closed on May 31, 2012. On its June 13 "Reveal Day," ICANN reported that it had received 1,930 applications for new gTLD strings during this application period.