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Beginning in October a select few will be able to register their websites using the new ".asia" domain, reports The Globe & Mail.

The addresses will first be available to regional governments and those with trademarks registered prior to March 16th, 2004 but will be restricted to companies in the region.

Applications will be reviewed as they come in but automated robots will not be able to register, a move made to ensure only legitimate requests are considered.

If two parties seek the same name, DotAsia will hold an auction to determine the winner.
Area government and businesses had been urging the creation of a .asia domain as a way to bring together businesses, governments and user in the area. The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers approved the new address, which will be operated by DotAsia, a group that runs domains for many Asian countries.