In the week since the Gandi.net-sponsored report on ICANN’s proposed program to expand the number of gTLDs hit the streets, the debate over the value of the plan has been actively debated.  We noted, in this space last week, that some voices in support of the new extensions has begun to emerge.

Despite the potential for balance, too many voices in the blogosphere continue to dismiss the who exercise as “confusing to consumers.” The biggest problem this argument has in carrying the day is that hardly anyone has asked the market — except, of course, the Gandi.net interviewers and our own pre-order program.  As reported, about 10,000 names a day were pre-ordered in the first month of the program.

ICANN’s meeting in Sydney begins next week with the gTLD program front-and-center (along with, perhaps, the introduction of the organizations new president).  Perhaps when everyone is in the same place at the same time some sanity can be imposed.

As the online world turns its attention to ICANN’s upcoming meeting in Sydney there is an emerging reappraisal of the potential brand value of new gTLDs.

The program to expand the Internet’s addressable real estate has been under intense criticism from brand and trademark holders.  Clearly, there ought to be appropriate protections, but we have shown that there is demand for the new names.

Now we are beginning to see evidence of interest in the new domains by the brand and trademark holders, too.  A long-awaited report on “The Liberalisation of the Internet” from The Future Laboratory for French registrar Gandi.net offers an in-depth view of the potential of new gTLDs, including this:

“(T)wo-thirds of businesses don’t realise domain extensions are being liberalised next year. But those businesses that do know about this (like Deloitte) are excited about the opportunities in the areas of global branding.”

On almost the same day, Irfan Salim, CEO of MarkMonitor, “the global leader in enterprise brand protection” took up the same point.

The report at ComputerWeekly.com, he is credited with offering real brand balance to the caution:

“(a new gTLD) also allowed them to use the domain name, which is theirs exclusively, to build a close-knit community by requiring their affiliates to register their own domain names under their GTLD.”

Salim may not be Irish, but he is well-versed in appropriate Irish proverbs; “In the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king.”