David Weslow Discusses ICANN’s Registry Agreement for Generic Top-Level Domains

David E. Weslow, a partner in Wiley Rein’s Intellectual Property Practice, was quoted by Internet Retailer in a July 3 article about the 2013 registry agreement for businesses seeking to launch new generic top-level domains (gTLDs).

The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN)—the governing body that authorizes domain-name suffixes—finalized the agreement form last week, according to the article. While the Internet’s current address system includes 22 generic domain-name extensions such as .com and .gov, ICANN is reviewing applications for more than 1,000 new gTLDs such as .book, .blog and .Nike.

The registry agreement is necessary for gTLD applicants to enter into formal contracts with ICANN before launching new domains, Mr. Weslow told Internet Retailer. Now that the agreement is drafted, some approved gTLDs may go live this year.

“E-retailers should plan accordingly by developing new domain name registration protocols and budgets, as well as plans for protecting their brands in the coming, vastly expanded Internet name space,” Mr. Weslow said.