It may not happen soon, but if and when it does, this article from the ABA IP law section’s Landslide magazine will help you get up to speed on ICANN’s process for releasing new generic top-level domain names.
Why aren’t brand owners excited about this potential development?
As authors Anthony J. Biller and Jennifer Bisk put it:
“Owners of famous marks and large, brand portfolios are understandably and particularly unenthusiastic about expanding the TLD landscape. They view the past as prologue. Intellectual property rights (‘IPR’) management on the Internet has not been easy, and in some respects is becoming increasingly problematic. Cybersquating, typosquatting, worldwide distribution of pirated goods, peer-to-peer file sharing of protected content, unreliable WHOIS information, and proxy registrations have caused continual problems for businesses. Many of these corporations built their businesses and brand portfolios before the commercial exploitation of the Internet and see that medium as much of a hassle as a marketing and distribution asset. Cybersquatting may cost brand owners $1 billion worldwide each year from diverted Internet traffic, loss of goodwill, defensive domain registrations, and enforcement expenses.”