Since arrival of new gTLDs, domain name collisions are more frequent. Name Collisions are nomenclature issues likely to arise from the naming system (DNS) between new gTLDs and gTLDs used in private naming system. In fact, these names are used in various Internet protocols and it might lead to confusion.
Consequences of Name Collisions are significant:
- Requests addressed to resources in private networks end up questioning the public DNS and hence, “enter into collision” with new delegated gTLDs and vice versa;
- The system of a corporate’s email might route emails towards the wrong server;
- Internet users might believe that the researched website does not exist.
On 26th February 2014, ICANN has published a study on the way risks of collisions could be prevented as regard to the new gTLDs. The report focuses on a mechanism of “controlled interruption” of the domain names causing the collision.
On the same day, Verisign replied to the study. The well-known American considered the study as ironic since “ICANN specifically precludes the delegation of domain names on the SLD block lists, [while] dozens of them were actually registered and delegated”. However, Verisign indicates that he is not worried about domain names causing collisions but rather about domain names which might have been delegated or registered while they were not supposed to.
ICANN has added that it will receive commentaries on the study till 21st April 2014. ICANN’s optimism concerning new gTLDs has been dragged down by Verisign. Observations of other Internet actors should have largely been influenced by that of Verisign.
Excessive negative observations would undoubtedly plead in favour of a resurgence of ICANN, recently brought by the European Union.