ICANN opens for new generic top-level domains

Domain names and top-level domains

All devices connected to the Internet have their own unique IP address, which consist of a long sequence of numbers. The Domain Name System links IP addresses to unique domain names.

Examples of domain names many use daily: dagbladet.no, vg.no, google.com and facebook.com.

The last part of the domain name – its «last name» – is the top-level domain the domain name is registered under. There are two different types of top-level domains: country code top-level domains (such as .no or .se) and generic top-level domains (such as .com, .org or .shop).

The international administrator of top-level domains, ICANN, brings together various actors from the global internet community to create overarching rules for generic top-level domains, as well as guidelines for the allocation and registration of top-level domains. Allocation rules and frameworks for country-code top-level domains are set locally in each individual country or territory.

Our goal has been to protect geographical names

The guidelines for applications for new generic top-level domains were finalised and adopted by the ICANN Board in December 2025, marking the culmination of a long and demanding effort.

For Norid, it has been important to gain support for the view that names of countries and territories should not be allowed to become generic top-level domains. If such top-level domains are to be registered, they should be treated in the same way as country-code top-level domains, where allocation rules and frameworks are set locally in each country. Otherwise, this will create confusion among internet users, who will naturally expect top-level domains such as .no and .norge to be operated within the same legal framework.

Moreover, the protection of country names has been an important principle for us to ensure that countries in regions that are underrepresented in ICANN processes do not have their names exploited by powerful commercial actors.

In the work on the guidelines, Norid has primarily been represented by Annebeth Lange. She took part in the working group that drafted the overarching recommendations and frameworks for the guidelines, and later in the group that assessed and further developed the proposals for practical implementation. Her work has been internationally recognised, including merits such as the «Contributor of the Year» award at the CENTR Awards in 2017.

In the video below, Annebeth Lange talks about the work on protecting country names and why this has been important for Norid.

For Norway, the adopted guidelines mean that top-level domains corresponding to the names of Norway, Bouvet Island, Svalbard and Jan Mayen – in all languages and in various combinations – cannot be created as generic top-level domains. In addition to the protection against the registration of top-level domains such as .norway, .norge and .norwegen, registration of three-letter combinations associated with countries, such as .NOR for Norway, is also blocked.

This provides extensive protection for country names. It is, however, possible to apply for other geographical names, such as the names of cities, counties and so on. Capital city names such as .oslo have their own protection, where Norwegian authorities must approve an application. For other geographical names, such as .trondheim, the authorities will only be consulted if the application makes clear that the top-level domain is planned to target the Norwegian market.

The completion of the guidelines for new generic top-level domains marks the conclusion of a long and targeted process for us at Norid. As a small actor, we are pleased to have achieved protection for the names of countries and territories. It will, however, be interesting to follow developments going forward.

An important part of the purpose of new application rounds for generic top-level domains is to expand the market and facilitate competition. After the previous application round, around 1 000 new generic top-level domains were created, and there is reason to expect that the upcoming round will also lead to a significant number of new top-level domains. Although experience from 2012 shows that not all of them survive in the long term, a new round of generic top-level domains will contribute to increased competition in the domain market.

For Norid, it is important that .no continues to be an attractive and relevant alternative to the generic top-level domains. We will maintain the .no domain’s Norwegian identity and reputation as a quality domain. This identity sets the Norwegian top-level domain apart from competitors and provides value to everyone who has a Norwegian domain name.

Read more

• The article «The domain market: Are the rules of the game changing?» contains more about how the market changed after the 2012 round
• Updated information about the new gTLD round on ICANN's website
• A national working group assessed the need for new top-level domains of national significance in Norway ahead of the 2012 round. Read the report from their work here