Aerial view of the Amazon Rainforest. (CC/Lubasi)
In 2011, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) decided to expand the list of 22 generic top-level domains that currently includes the familiar .com and .gov. As a result, dozens of bids have been disputed, and one of the highest-profile is an application from U.S. retailer Amazon.com.
As members of ICANN's Governmental Advisory Committee (GAC), the Peruvian and Brazilian governments have called for Amazon's application to be rejected, stating that the Amazon geographic region is a more appropriate fit for the .amazon domain.
Their complaint also notes that "Amazon EU S.à.r.l. matches part of the name, in English, of the Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization, an international organization which coordinates initiatives in the framework of the Amazon Cooperation Treaty, signed in July 1978."
A coalition of countries that share the Amazon region, including Bolivia, Colombia, and Venezuela in addition to Brazil and Peru, have signed a petition asking that .amazon be used for environmental or education purposes.
In a similar case, Argentina has disputed an application by the U.S. clothing brand Patagonia for the .patagonia domain, saying the region is a major tourist destination, and was famous for its natural beauty and independent parliament long before the retailer existed.
Australia seems to be filing the most disputes against applications for generic terms that cover whole market sectors, like .beauty, .tennis, .dentist and .baby.
"Restricting common generic strings for the exclusive use of a single entity could have unintended consequences, including a negative impact on competition."
In the case of cosmetics giant L'Oreal, Australia disputes the company's applications for exclusive ownership of .makeup, .salon and .beauty.
