Although there are many ideas being floated about what new Top Level Domains can be created. There may not be enough articles explicitly showing what cannot be created because they already exist or are reserved names that won’t be able to be issued because of the rules. Amongst the many rules put forth by ICANN for new TLDs, one of the most basic ones is that a new top level domain must not be the same as an existing top level domain (or even too similar).
I’ve seen several different figures about how many top level domains exist today. My count from perusing ICANN’s site is 284. But then there are at least 34 “reserved names” which means that any new registry will have to prevent at least these 34 strings from being issued. I don’t think you’ll be seeing anyone getting these strings to the right of the dot as well. That means that in their most basic forms, there are at least 318 existing strings that you will surely not be able to get as a new top level domain.
An interesting (hypothetical) example could be GM. General Motors is not going to be able to get GM.COM (that is assuming they want a new TLD and they have not publicly indicated that they do; I’m just using this as an example). .GM is already allocated to the country of Gambia. Now that doesn’t mean GM can’t pay the government of Gambia to let them use .GM. Many ccTLDs are already being used for reasons different than their original intent because of agreements with governments (e.g. .tv, .fm, .me…). Since GM’s gross revenues are 30 times that of Gambia’s GDP, it would seem that they could to cut a deal if both parties wanted to. Who knows? Maybe it would be cheaper for them that way :-). But GM is not getting .GM any other way.
On top of the stated problem, new TLDs have to be at least 3 letters in length. (Note: The longest they can be is 63 characters and they cannot include numbers). So maybe they can get .GMC?
Even that could be problematic since it is very close to .GM. Only time will tell how these things will go. For a while, a company that contracted with ICANN had a TLD string analyzer online where they claimed you could get some idea of how close two strings of characters were and if they were too close to be considered using an algorithm they developed. Unfortunately, as of this writing, the web page hasn’t worked for several weeks and I’m not sure if it ever will. This was the address. Hopefully it will begin to work again soon: http://icann.sword-group.com/algorithm/Default.aspx
So that all said, below is my list of the TLDs that are “already taken” and that will have to be considered in any application made.
I apologize to my ICANN associates if some of this seems elementary, but condensed lists like this are helpful to me and, I think, to others that don’t dwell in this industry on a day-to-day basis.
Feel free to use this list to match up against your ideas. Remember that this is not an official listing; just my personal research. I list these here just for convenience. I apologize and take no responsibility for any errors or omissions:
EXISTING/ | TYPE | COUNTRY
RESERVED | TLD | REPRESENTED (IF APPLICABLE)
.COM Generic
.INFO Generic
.NET Generic
.ORG Generic
.BIZ Generic-Restricted
.NAME Generic-Restricted
.PRO Generic-Restricted
.AERO Sponsored
.ASIA Sponsored
.CAT Sponsored
.COOP Sponsored
.EDU Sponsored
.GOV Sponsored
.INT Sponsored
.JOBS Sponsored
.MIL Sponsored
.MOBI Sponsored
.MUSEUM Sponsored
.TEL Sponsored
.TRAVEL Sponsored
.ARPA Infrastructure
.AC Country-Code Ascension Island
.AD Country-Code Andorra
.AE Country-Code United Arab Emirates
.AF Country-Code Afghanistan
.AG Country-Code Antigua and Barbuda
.AI Country-Code Anguilla
.AL Country-Code Albania
.AM Country-Code Armenia
.AN Country-Code Netherlands Antilles
.AO Country-Code Angola
.AQ Country-Code Antarctica
.AR Country-Code Argentina
.AS Country-Code American Samoa AS Domain Registry
.AT Country-Code Austria
.AU Country-Code Australia
.AW Country-Code Aruba
.AX Country-Code Aland Islands
.AZ Country-Code Azerbaijan
.BA Country-Code Bosnia and Herzegovina
.BB Country-Code Barbados
.BD Country-Code Bangladesh
.BE Country-Code Belgium
.BF Country-Code Burkina Faso
.BG Country-Code Bulgaria
.BH Country-Code Bahrain
.BI Country-Code Burundi
.BJ Country-Code Benin
.BL Country-Code Saint Barthelemy
.BM Country-Code Bermuda
.BN Country-Code Brunei Darussalam
.BO Country-Code Bolivia
.BR Country-Code Brazil
.BS Country-Code Bahamas
.BT Country-Code Bhutan
.BV Country-Code Bouvet Island
.BW Country-Code Botswana
.BY Country-Code Belarus
.BZ Country-Code Belize
.CA Country-Code Canada
.CC Country-Code Cocos (Keeling) Islands
.CD Country-Code Congo, The Democratic Republic of the
.CF Country-Code Central African Republic
.CG Country-Code Congo
.CH Country-Code Switzerland
.CI Country-Code Cote d’Ivoire
.CK Country-Code Cook Islands
.CL Country-Code Chile
.CM Country-Code Cameroon
.CN Country-Code China
.CO Country-Code Colombia
.CR Country-Code Costa Rica
.CU Country-Code Cuba
.CV Country-Code Cape Verde
.CX Country-Code Christmas Island
.CY Country-Code Cyprus
.CZ Country-Code Czech Republic
.DE Country-Code Germany
.DJ Country-Code Djibouti
.DK Country-Code Denmark
.DM Country-Code Dominica
.DO Country-Code Dominican Republic
.DZ Country-Code Algeria
.EC Country-Code Ecuador
.EE Country-Code Estonia
.EG Country-Code Egypt
.EH Country-Code Western Sahara
.ER Country-Code Eritrea
.ES Country-Code Spain
.ET Country-Code Ethiopia
.EU Country-Code European Union
.FI Country-Code Finland
.FJ Country-Code Fiji
.FK Country-Code Falkland Islands (Malvinas)
.FM Country-Code Micronesia, Federated States of
.FO Country-Code Faroe Islands
.FR Country-Code France
.GA Country-Code Gabon
.GB Country-Code United Kingdom
.GD Country-Code Grenada
.GE Country-Code Georgia
.GF Country-Code French Guiana
.GG Country-Code Guernsey
.GH Country-Code Ghana
.GI Country-Code Gibraltar
.GL Country-Code Greenland
.GM Country-Code Gambia
.GN Country-Code Guinea
.GP Country-Code Guadeloupe
.GQ Country-Code Equatorial Guinea
.GR Country-Code Greece
.GS Country-Code South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands
.GT Country-Code Guatemala
.GU Country-Code Guam
.GW Country-Code Guinea
.GY Country-Code Guyana
.HK Country-Code Hong Kong
.HM Country-Code Heard Island and McDonald Islands
.HN Country-Code Honduras
.HR Country-Code Croatia
.HT Country-Code Haiti
.HU Country-Code Hungary
.ID Country-Code Indonesia
.IE Country-Code Ireland
.IL Country-Code Israel
.IM Country-Code Isle of Man
.IN Country-Code India
.IO Country-Code British Indian Ocean Territory
.IQ Country-Code Iraq
.IR Country-Code Iran, Islamic Republic of
.IS Country-Code Iceland
.IT Country-Code Italy
.JE Country-Code Jersey
.JM Country-Code Jamaica
.JO Country-Code Jordan
.JP Country-Code Japan
.KE Country-Code Kenya
.KG Country-Code Kyrgyzstan
.KH Country-Code Cambodia
.KI Country-Code Kiribati
.KM Country-Code Comoros
.KN Country-Code Saint Kitts and Nevis
.KP Country-Code Korea, Democratic People’s Republic of
.KR Country-Code Korea, Republic of
.KW Country-Code Kuwait
.KY Country-Code Cayman Islands
.KZ Country-Code Kazakhstan
.LA Country-Code Lao People’s Democratic Republic
.LB Country-Code Lebanon
.LC Country-Code Saint Lucia
.LI Country-Code Liechtenstein
.LK Country-Code Sri Lanka
.LR Country-Code Liberia
.LS Country-Code Lesotho
.LT Country-Code Lithuania
.LU Country-Code Luxembourg
.LV Country-Code Latvia
.LY Country-Code Libyan Arab Jamahiriya
.MA Country-Code Morocco
.MC Country-Code Monaco
.MD Country-Code Moldova, Republic of
.ME Country-Code Montenegro
.MF Country-Code Saint Martin
.MG Country-Code Madagascar
.MH Country-Code Marshall Islands
.MK Country-Code Macedonia, The Former Yugoslav Republic of
.ML Country-Code Mali
.MM Country-Code Myanmar
.MN Country-Code Mongolia
.MO Country-Code Macao
.MP Country-Code Northern Mariana Islands
.MQ Country-Code Martinique
.MR Country-Code Mauritania
.MS Country-Code Montserrat
.MT Country-Code Malta
.MU Country-Code Mauritius
.MV Country-Code Maldives
.MW Country-Code Malawi
.MX Country-Code Mexico
.MY Country-Code Malaysia
.MZ Country-Code Mozambique
.NA Country-Code Namibia
.NC Country-Code New Caledonia
.NE Country-Code Niger
.NF Country-Code Norfolk Island
.NG Country-Code Nigeria
.NI Country-Code Nicaragua
.NL Country-Code Netherlands
.NO Country-Code Norway
.NP Country-Code Nepal
.NR Country-Code Nauru
.NU Country-Code Niue
.NZ Country-Code New Zealand
.OM Country-Code Oman
.PA Country-Code Panama
.PE Country-Code Peru
.PF Country-Code French Polynesia
.PG Country-Code Papua New Guinea
.PH Country-Code Philippines
.PK Country-Code Pakistan
.PL Country-Code Poland
.PM Country-Code Saint Pierre and Miquelon
.PN Country-Code Pitcairn
.PR Country-Code Puerto Rico
.PS Country-Code Palestinian Territory, Occupied
.PT Country-Code Portugal
.PW Country-Code Palau
.PY Country-Code Paraguay
.QA Country-Code Qatar
.RE Country-Code Reunion
.RO Country-Code Romania
.RS Country-Code Serbia
.RU Country-Code Russian Federation
.RW Country-Code Rwanda
.SA Country-Code Saudi Arabia
.SB Country-Code Solomon Islands
.SC Country-Code Seychelles
.SD Country-Code Sudan
.SE Country-Code Sweden
.SG Country-Code Singapore
.SH Country-Code Saint Helena
.SI Country-Code Slovenia
.SJ Country-Code Svalbard and Jan Mayen
.SK Country-Code Slovakia
.SL Country-Code Sierra Leone
.SM Country-Code San Marino
.SN Country-Code Senegal
.SO Country-Code Somalia
.SR Country-Code Suriname
.ST Country-Code Sao Tome and Principe
.SU Country-Code Soviet Union (being phased out)
.SV Country-Code El Salvador
.SY Country-Code Syrian Arab Republic
.SZ Country-Code Swaziland
.TC Country-Code Turks and Caicos Islands
.TD Country-Code Chad
.TF Country-Code French Southern Territories
.TG Country-Code Togo
.TH Country-Code Thailand
.TJ Country-Code Tajikistan
.TK Country-Code Tokelau
.TL Country-Code Timor
.TM Country-Code Turkmenistan
.TN Country-Code Tunisia
.TO Country-Code Tonga
.TP Country-Code Portuguese Timor (being phased out)
.TR Country-Code Turkey
.TT Country-Code Trinidad and Tobago
.TV Country-Code Tuvalu
.TW Country-Code Taiwan
.TZ Country-Code Tanzania, United Republic of
.UA Country-Code Ukraine
.UG Country-Code Uganda
.UK Country-Code United Kingdom
.UM Country-Code United States Minor Outlying Islands
.US Country-Code United States
.UY Country-Code Uruguay
.UZ Country-Code Uzbekistan
.VA Country-Code Holy See (Vatican City State)
.VC Country-Code Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
.VE Country-Code Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of
.VG Country-Code Virgin Islands, British
.VI Country-Code Virgin Islands, U.S.
.VN Country-Code Viet Nam
.VU Country-Code Vanuatu
.WF Country-Code Wallis and Futuna
.WS Country-Code Samoa
.YE Country-Code Yemen
.YT Country-Code Mayotte
.YU Country-Code Yugoslavia (being phased out)
.ZA Country-Code South Africa
.ZM Country-Code Zambia
.ZW Country-Code Zimbabwe
(IDNs represented as “.IDNTLD”; see ICANN site for actual representations). They look like these:
.IDNTLD-Ar-Arab Test Test:Ar-Arab
.IDNTLD-EL-Grek Test Test:El-Grek
.IDNTLD-FA-Arab Test Test:Fa-Arab
.IDNTLD-Hi-Deva Test Test:Hi-Deva
.IDNTLD-JA-Kana Test Test:Ja-Kana
.IDNTLD-KO-Hang Test Test:Ko-Hang
.IDNTLD-RU-Cyrl Test Test:Ru-Cyrl
.IDNTLD-TA-Taml Test Test:Ta-Taml
.IDNTLD-YI-Hebr Test Test:Yi-Hebr
.IDNTLD-ZH-Hans Test Test:Zh-Hans
.IDNTLD-ZH-Hant Test Test:Zh-Hant
AFRINIC Reserved Name
ALAC Reserved Name
APNIC Reserved Name
ARIN Reserved Name
ASO Reserved Name
CCNSO Reserved Name
EXAMPLE* Reserved Name *Including various translations of “example”
GAC Reserved Name
GNSO Reserved Name
GTLD-SERVERS Reserved Name
IAB Reserved Name
IANA Reserved Name
IANA-SERVERS Reserved Name
ICANN Reserved Name
IESG Reserved Name
IETF Reserved Name
INTERNIC Reserved Name
INVALID Reserved Name
IRTF Reserved Name
ISTF Reserved Name
LACNIC Reserved Name
LOCAL Reserved Name
LOCALHOST Reserved Name
NIC Reserved Name
NRO Reserved Name
RFC-EDITOR Reserved Name
RIPE Reserved Name
ROOT-SERVERS Reserved Name
RSSAC Reserved Name
SSAC Reserved Name
TEST* Reserved Name *Including various translations of “test”
TLD Reserved Name
WHOIS Reserved Name
WWW Reserved Name
Sources at time of writing:
- https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ga.html
- http://finance.yahoo.com/q/ks?s=gm
- http://www.icann.org
