ICANN's application window for top-level domains closed today, and Google wrote a blog post announcing it had applied for a couple choice TLDs. While the list of requested suffixes has not been published in full yet, Google gave hints about which dot-whatevers it hopes to purchase.
Google said it applied for TLDs that are related to its trademarks. So .google, .android, and .chrome are probably on the list of its ICANN applications. Additionally, the company applied for TLDs related to core businesses—like .docs, and possibly .play, .books, and .maps—and suffixes that would "improve user experience, such as .youtube, which can increase the ease with which YouTube channels and genres can be identified." Vaguely, Google finished by saying it pursued entities the company thinks "have interesting and creative potential, such as .lol" (Dear Google: please let .yolo and .rofl be off the list—.brb can stay if it just serves up funky 404s).
The ICANN sell-off of top-level domains has been controversial with many businesses. Many have said they feel threatened into buying domains on other suffixes to prevent squatters that might tarnish a brand's image, especially true of .xxx-type suffixes. According to PaidContent, ICANN receives 18 cents every time someone registers a domain name, so the incentive to create many more domains (forcing brands to buy them up to maintain their image) seems like a quick buck. Still, the opportunities for more creative domain naming can't be ignored. Now, whoever buys cats.lol first will be the ordained King of the Internet.
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