The proposals to open up the domain name system, reported yesterday, have been approved by Icann.

The approved proposals will come into effect in 2009 and mean that domain names can be in other scripts (Arabic and Asian, etc).

Also companies and individuals will be able to register TLDs from 'capable registrars'.

People from New York want to register a new .nyc domain name, following by example London could register .ldn.

In theory, large organisations could register a top-level domain (TLD) themselves, for example the BBC could in theory register .bbc and in doing so shorten web addresses, eg. www.eastenders.bbc.

While the plans have excited most web users, companies worry that they will not be able to protect their copyrights.

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