ICANN has launched a public debate on its website on the possibility of releasing a single-character domain name, O.COM, for registration. The registration of single-character names in the .COM zone were banned over possible technical problems that would disrupt the operation of the global network. Only three .COM domains were registered before this restriction: Q.COM, X.COM and Z.COM. It was later proved that single-character domain names do not present any security problems, and their registration was permitted in many top-level domains. But the restriction on .COM remains.
According to previous reports, in December 2017, the .COM registry operator Verisign submitted a request to ICANN to allow it to release and auction off the O.COM domain name. There are several problems hindering this. First, such permission could lead to the lifting of the ban on the registration of all single-letter names and create a major source of income for Verisign, because any single-letter name in the .COM zone would cost millions of dollars. Second, Overstock.com, a major US online retailer, has registered a US trademark on O.COM. This may put in question the future auction, so any other bidder for the name would probably be buying themselves a lawsuit for using a registered trademark.
In light of this, ICANN appealed to the US Department of Justice to determine if the proposed release of the single-character O.COM domain name would violate the competition law. The respective division of the department subsequently responded that it did not intend to open an investigation on the matter. ICANN now has to take the next step. It has opened a comment period, which concerns not only the release of the O.COM domain name but also the amendment of the .COM Registry Agreement between ICANN and Verisign. The comment period will last until July 17.
