Snappy newsletters. Simple Facebook sharing. Spirited comments. Sweet features are waiting… GET THEM NOW!

Hot on Facebook
Guy Buys $123 Safe on eBay, Finds $26,000 Inside Seller tries to get half the cash back, fails »

Businesses Line Up for .Asia Domain Rush

Governments also get first dibs on coveted new address suffix

By Jonas Oransky,  Newser Staff

Posted Oct 9, 2007 3:14 PM CDT

(Newser) – The regional internet domain .asia has opened for registration; businesses and governments will get first crack at trademarked and other protected names. The public will come rushing in to scoop up what’s left of the suffix in February 2008. The second regional domain—.eu began selling in April 2006—.asia will go live next March, and will likely be followed by Latin American and African counterrparts, the BBC reports.

In an unorthodox step, the DotAsia Registry will conduct auctions for contested names. One expert said regional suffixes were a good bet for many because national domains often come with strict limitations. Meanwhile, though .asia will debut using the Latin alphabet, the internet naming overseer is experimenting with putting languages as diverse as Arabic, Japanese, and Hindi on the web.

Wang Xiao Chang
Wang Xiao Chang   (KRT Photos)
A Chinese woman contemplates a computer screen in an internet cafe in Shanghai, China, April 22, 2005. China pours huge resources into filtering online content, stifling anything that might threaten C
A Chinese woman contemplates a computer screen in an internet cafe in Shanghai, China, April 22, 2005. China pours huge resources into filtering online content, stifling anything that might threaten C   (KRT Photos)
TO GO WITH 'SRI LANKA-IT-TELECOM-BROADBAND'Internet surfers...
TO GO WITH 'SRI LANKA-IT-TELECOM-BROADBAND'Internet surfers...   (Getty Images)
Malaysians surf the internet through computers at TM points ...
Malaysians surf the internet through computers at TM points ...   (Getty Images)
« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow
To report an error on this story, notify our editors.
A snapshot of the day's best news stories.
 
COMMENTS
Be the first to comment on this story.

More Newser Stories

Web Addresses Will Gain International Flavor

Coming This Week: Dot-Anything

.xxx Porn Sites May Be Coming Soon

Web Puts 2nd Language at Your Fingertips

'Every Network Is at Risk' Thanks to Bug


NEWS FROM OUR PARTNERS
Other Sites We Like:   24/7 Wall St.   |   Betty Confidential   |   BuzzFeed   |   Cracked   |   Fark   |   Timelines   |   The Frisky   |   Geek Sugar   |   NewsOne