What is in a Domain?

A domain name is a user's assumed name for an Internet address. An Internet address is composed of a string of numbers. To better enable Internet users to easily find addresses on the Internet, entities typically selected domain names containing a string of letters associated with their name, brand or trademark. In order to be used, a domain name must be registered at a registrar authorized by ICANN (see www.ICANN.org).

As the Internet developed, the mechanism enabling Internet users to find each other improved. Internet uses changed from Internet protocols (IPs) searches to using domain names. Instead of Internet users searching for a unique 32 bit IP number, unique domain names, such as www.BickLaw.com, serve as Internet addresses that allow individuals to consistently identify and locate material on the Internet.

A domain name consists of two components: a top-level domain and a secondary-level domain. The top-level domain is the suffix of the domain name. For example, commercial users typically obtain the .com top-level domain. The secondary-level domain is the unique portion of the domain name and can consist of combinations of letters, numbers and some symbols. Thus, for attorneydesign.com, the unique top-level domain is .com and the secondary-level is attorneydesign.

The registration of a domain name is a simple and inexpensive process. For a diminutive fee, any one of several domain name registration authorities will register a domain name on a first-come, first-served basis without investigating whether the domain name is related to an existing trademark. However, if a complaint is filed against a domain name owner, the owner is required to submit to these proceedings under the terms of its domain name registration agreement.

As the use of domain names grew, so did the value of certain domain names, especially those corresponding to valuable trademarks. Despite the existence of ICANN, the U.S. government still controls the domain name system, upon which the functions of the Internet are based.

In particular, the domain name system is based upon a root file of computer data stored in Herndon, Va. This root file or root zone file is the authoritative list of top-level domain names. For each name, it gives the Internet address of the computer that has the authoritative list of who has registered domain names in that top-level domain. The data is authoritative because it is the file from which the legacy root name servers get their data. These are the servers from which every other computer on the Internet gets their data.

Currently, Network Solutions Inc. has explicit control of the root files through a contract with the U.S. Department of Commerce. With this contract, the government controls the root files that determine which top-level domain names are available to the Internet community.