APRIL 2008
A guide to internationalized top level domains
ICANN is planning to introduce new domains containing only non-English characters. This is what it means for IP owners and their domain name portfolios
| One-minute read |
| ICANN, the body that oversees the domain name system, is planning to implement a new system of so-called internationalized top level domains that will contain only native character language sets. This is good news for non-English-speaking internet users who will be able to navigate their way around websites using domains written in their own language. But it poses big challenges for domain name portfolio managers already struggling to keep on top of an expanding number of domains – from .mobi to .asia. In this article Elisa Cooper provides the background to the proposals and explains what IP owners need to do in preparation for the new domains. |
Imagine an English-speaking tourist in a Japanese train station where all schedules, maps and directions are written in Kanji. Think about how difficult it would be for that tourist to understand timetables, identify the correct route and purchase tickets. For most internet users, the bulk of whom do not speak English, navigating the internet via domains containing Roman characters can be just as challenging. But the introduction of internationalized top level domains may soon bring such linguistic imperialism on the web to an end.
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