ICANN to reveal Web domain name overhaul

The Internet's key administrative agency will unveil a blueprint Friday for making sweeping changes to the way top-level domains, such as .biz, .info, and .us, are assigned, followed by a 45-day period for comments.

Under the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers' draft proposal, any entity could apply for any domain as long as they could pay a fee of about $190,000. The application process is expected to start in 2009, with the first sites potentially coming online in the last quarter of the year.

The scheme could spur a fierce lobbying battle. Intellectual property owners are already on the defensive because they fear potential trademark infringement and brand dilution. ICANN also expects bickering over .xxx and any number of applications for domains that contain potentially offensive content, ICANN Vice President Paul Levins said. Anyone can challenge proposed domains, which will be published on ICANN's site, and an independent arbitration panel will hear complaints.