THE WEB'S DOMAIN-NAME GAME IS GETTING TRICKIER

May 9, 1997

The city of New York alone uses three different area codes, but there are entire states -- such as Maine or Montana -- that use only one. Why? New Yorkers, quite simply, need more numbers. Their faxes, pagers, and cellular phones all require unique phone digits, too. So when one area code nears its limit of available numbers, a new one must be created.

The World Wide Web, it's turning out, works much the same way. The Web, large as it is, has only three "area codes," or top-level domains (TLDs), available to the public: .com, .net, and .org. Every business address on the Web currently must end in one of these three TLDs. The problem is that there just aren't many meaningful options left. Most addresses that make sense to consumers who are trying to locate a commercial site have already been scooped up by one business or another.

So although naming Web sites was quite fun for a while, it's now a lot trickier. Say you're a blossoming business and you're ready to establish your Web site, but -- surprise! -- every Web address you try to register is already taken. In a worst-case scenario, you'll be forced to use an address with a string of characters that does not even remotely call your business to mind.

Looks as if the Web needs some new area codes.

Enter the Internet Ad-Hoc Committee. This consortium of Internet governing groups was created specifically to find a way to alleviate Web-address congestion, and it has recently proposed adding seven new TLDs by yearend. Although not everyone is satisfied with the plan -- particularly the business community -- most admit that it remains the best solution to a complex problem.

If the plan becomes reality, businesses will have some new choices to make about their domain names. Do you run a retail outlet? Try .store. Web-based business may want to register a domain name using the .web ending. Other new TLDs include .firm (for businesses or firms), .arts (for cultural and entertainment activities), .rec (for recreation and entertainment activities), .info (for information service providers), and .nom (for personal users).

While these new TLDs should ease the naming crunch, they present some problems for businesses that already have Web sites, as well as for those expecting to hit the Net in the near future. In light of these changes, now is the time to plan your Web-site naming strategy.

Companies that do not currently have a Web site should first try to register a traditional .com address. The new TLDs, no matter what their ending, are likely to receive fewer visitors (at least initially) than the tried-and-true .org, .com, and .net endings. You can easily check if a name is taken by visiting InterNic, the official registrar of domain names. Just run a search at its Web site (http://rs.internic.net/cgi-bin/whois), and if the name you want hasn't been taken, you can simply ask that it be registered. A two-year registration for one domain name will cost $100.

If the names you want have already been snatched up, then think about pre-registering for a domain name that will use one of the new TLDs. A few enterprising Internet service providers (such as TABNet) are already accepting applications for the proposed new domain-name endings with plans to quickly submit the name requests the day the registry begins accepting applications. While these new domain names aren't scheduled to be available on the Internet until the end of the year, pre-registering will help place you at the head of the registration line.

Pricing for these new names has not yet been set, though fees are likely to stay at the annual $50 currently charged for each registered TLD. That means companies already running a Web site will have to consider the value of spending extra cash on a domain name with one or more of the new TLD endings. For example, if you have the name buysmart.com, it may be worth snagging similar names such as buysmart.firm or buysmart.info.

If your domain name is a registered trademark, you should receive some legal protection against direct competitors registering and using your trademark. That does not mean, however, you will be immune from the legal fees and hassles that can crop up when trying to recover a name. Also, your legal rights are less certain when moved into the more complex territory of copyrights. Internet copyright laws are still quite murky, and Internet naming lawsuits continue to set precedents.

Businesses operating Web sites under domain names that cannot be trademarked should pay close attention to the emergence of these new TLDs. Nothing will prevent competitors from registering a similar address under a different TLD. So, for example, while you may call your site books.com, a rival could register his site as books.store. If the World Wide Web is a major part of your business, pre-registering these addresses may be critical to keeping a steady flow of visitors.

One set of TLDs you probably want to avoid are the many unofficial domain-name endings popping up on the Internet. These range from endings such as .inc, .travel, and .law to .earth and .video -- pretty much .takeyourpick. The problem with these TLDs is that very few people will be able to find the businesses that use them. Internet service providers are required to use only a directory that contains pointing instructions to "sanctioned" domain names such as .com, .net, and .org.

So unless an Internet service provider points to these alternative domain-name registries (and exceedingly few do), individuals trying to reach an alternative site will be told that it cannot be found. You can hit these sites by specially configuring a Web browser, but the effort required makes it unlikely that many users will do so. Unless the nationally sanctioned directory expands to include these alternative domain names, they're not a reasonable option for most businesses.

If you're concerned about the ramifications of the new domain names on your business, your best bet is to pay attention. This is a live issue, and the technical specifics may change many times before any plan is finalized. Keeping on top of the latest developments will ultimately protect the Web life of your business. You may end up having to sign up your domain name under one more "area code" or two, or three, than you had planned. But at least you'll be able to take all your calls.

By Mie-Yun Lee in Watertown, Mass.

Mie-Yun Lee is editor-in-chief of BuyersZone, an Internet buyer's guide and marketplace for small business. She recently co-authored The Essential Business Buyer's Guide and is editor of Business Consumer Guide.