The Association of National Advertisers is proposing a compromise to the ICANN Board regarding its top-level domain (TLD) expansion program.

Specifically, it is proposing that:

· ICANN will proceed with its plan to begin accepting applications for new TLDs on January 12, as scheduled.

· Concurrently, all NGOs, IGOs and commercial stakeholders concerned about protecting their brands will be given the opportunity to have those brands registered, without cost, on a temporary "Do Not Sell" list to be maintained by ICANN during the first application round.

· ANA will assemble a team from the interested constituencies to work with ICANN leadership during the first application round. If this group achieves consensus with respect to any proposals, those proposals will be voted on by the ICANN Board.

· At the end of the first application round, should the parties continue to disagree, the temporary "Do-Not-Sell" list will sunset.

Controversial from the Start

Announced in June, the TLD plan has been controversial from the start. It would allow companies to create website addresses ending in their own names — that is, replacing the .com with, say, an Apple.com, or a place, such as Vegas.com. The fees involved are huge, however, and there there is bound to be much dispute over which firm or entity is entitled to a seemingly generic name, such as Apple or Giant or Money or Food.

London Likes the Idea

Some entities like the idea, however, such as the city of London. The city has announced it will apply for its own web domain for the city. It is the latest municipality to admit coveting such an address: New York, Paris, Sydney, Rome and Berlin are all reportedly considering one as well.