Web Address COMbat

Steven J. Vaughn-Nichols

While the Internet community wrestles with implementing the new version of the Internet protocol that increases the number of possible IP addresses, another struggle is taking place over the shortage of domain names. The situation stems from the fact that Network Solutions Inc.'s InterNIC controls more than 90 percent of all domain names in this country, including the top-level domains such as .com, .edu, .gov, and .net. With such a limited number of domains, the selection of good domain names appears to be shrinking.

But is there really a shortage? Rosalind Resnick, president of NetCreations (Brooklyn, NY; http://www.netcreations.com/ ), an Internet software and marketing company, doesn't think so. The problem of companies who can't get their favorite name into the domain of their Web address is analogous to trademarks, she says. "If s omeone already has your name [in their Web address], then you have to come up with another name. After all," Resnick points out, "in the real world, you can't start up a fast-food chain called McDonald's because that's already been trademarked."

But that doesn't stop people from wanting just one name and no other for their domain. In that sticky sort of situation, a vendor can turn to AlterNIC ( http://www.alternic.net ), which lets a company get the key words it wants in its Web address by using alternative top-level domain names. By giving ente rprises more opportunities to have the name they want, AlterNIC argues, it fulfills consumers' desires and helps prevent businesses from slugging it out over who gets what domain name.

Sounds good, but there's a storm looming. InterNIC believes it is the sole gatekeeper of top-level domain names and that attempts by other companies to infringe on that responsibility interfere with its legal right to control domains. Whether AlterNIC is successful in freeing up top-level domains is an open question. But it seems certain that as more companies put marketing and sales operations on the Web, some opening up of top-level domains is certain to happen.