There is a thaw coming to the ice-cold reception that brand and trademark holders gave to ICANN’s plan to introduce a host of new gTLDs.  In recent days, some serious publications have taken a look at the program and found reason to support it.

Forbes pointed out ICANN’s view that the new gTLDs can bring real value to cause-related marketing.  “Cause-related branding is one of the most anticipated consequences of the policy change, ICANN’s spokesman Paul Levins says.”  The most visible example is the group, incuding former U.S. Vice President Al Gore, promoting the gree-focused .eco gTLD.

Even the Financial Times, with its focus on the global business marketplace, is coming to grips with the potential value of the new gTLDs.  In a recent report, the FT noted that “While tensions are high, few dispute that opening up the naming system is a necessary step to creating a more lasting foundation for the internet, and one that will benefit hundreds of millions of users.”

The New York Times has weighed in, too.  The “Newspaper of Record” had a reporter at the ICANN briefing on new gTLDs held recently in New York City.  The result? Theses new gTLD-things might hyave some use afterall the opposition from brand and trademark holers.

“But there is another use for the new top-level domains: simpler Web addresses for companies. Expect to see the likes of .amazon, .ibm and .pepsi. This will let them offer slightly faster ways to get to their various subsections, books.amazon or servers.ibm.”