Web addresses ending in .skolkovo, .yandex and even .vodka could soon appear if the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers approves applications for the registration of such top-level domain names. There are currently around two dozen web address endings, but that number could soar to over a thousand within months.
ICANN, which coordinates domain names around the world, finished accepting applications for new top-level domain names and published a full list of applicants last week. The organization has received 1,930 applications from more than 800 entities, including seven Russian companies.
The Russian companies filed applications to register the names .skolkovo, .gdn, .yandex, and .tatar. The Foundation for Assistance for Internet Technologies and Infrastructure Development filed applications for .moscow and its Cyrillic equivalent. Other Cyrillic names applied for include .дети and .юус.
Yandex already has several regional domains, such as yandex.ua and yandex.kz, and is planning to use .yandex in a similar way, company press secretary Ekaterina Karnaukhova said.
"If, over time, people become accustomed to using top-level domains, it will be convenient for them to access Yandex through .yandex," Karnaukhova said.
The company expects the new domain to allow for the same features as the regional domains, such as a search engine, company information and additional services.
Skolkovo plans to use its top-level domain name as a geographical guide. Users who access the domain would be able to find the location of a house and look at a photograph of its exterior, Izvestia reported. Moscow authorities plan to provide a similar service through .москва.
It is not only Russian companies that want to grab Russian domain names. The Vatican has filed an application for .католик. American and Swiss companies filed applications for the Cyrillic names .сайт, .онлайн, .ком and .оюг.
Top Level Domain Holdings, a company from the British Virgin Islands, applied for .vodka.
ICANN is currently soliciting public comments about the new domain names, which will be considered by the evaluation panels before accepting or rejecting an application.
Google requested 101 new top-level domain names, which amounts to percent of the total number of applications filed, Izvestia reported.
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.
