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Web-Name Expansion Should Have ‘Do Not Sell’ List, Ad Group Says
A Web-expansion program that may add hundreds of top-level domains such as .apple and .nyc to the Internet needs a “Do Not Sell” list to protect brand names, an advertising group said.
Companies and organizations should be able to register their brands at no cost on a temporary list in a first round of applications for new domains beginning Jan. 12, the Association of National Advertisers wrote in a letter today to the nonprofit group that manages the Internet’s address system.
The list would eliminate the need for companies to apply for top-level domains, the part of the Web address to the right of the “dot,” for the sole purpose of preventing those destinations from falling into the wrong hands, Doug Wood, ANA’s general counsel, said in an interview.
The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers, which operates under a U.S. Commerce Department contract, approved a plan in June to consider hundreds of top-level domains beyond .com and .org to spur online innovation. Each application will cost $185,000 under Icann’s program.
Brad White, an Icann spokesman, didn’t immediately respond to an e-mail requesting comment.
The Association of National Advertisers has criticized the expansion, saying it will increase companies’ costs, confuse consumers and fuel Internet fraud. The organization has assembled a coalition of large U.S. brands, including General Electric Co. (GE) and Coca-Cola Co. (KO), to oppose the program and call on the Commerce Department to persuade Icann to delay it.
Fixing ‘Deficiencies’
Under the proposed changes, the advertisers group would assemble a team to develop proposals for fixing “deficiencies” in the program subject to the approval of Icann’s board, according to the letter, which was addressed to Stephen Crocker, Icann’s chairman.
Crocker, in an interview earlier today, said Icann has no plans to postpone or scale back the program.
“We’re very sensitive to the issue of consumer protection and protecting brand owners,” he said. “We have extensive safeguards during the process and even afterward if there are abuses detected.”
Crocker didn’t immediately reply to a request for comment on the advertising group’s proposal.
To contact the reporter on this story: Eric Engleman in Washington at eengleman1@bloomberg.net
To contact the editor responsible for this story: Michael Shepard at mshepard7@bloomberg.net
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