A top-level domain (TLD) is the last segment of the domain name. It’s the part that follows immediately after the “dot” symbol. TLDs are mainly classified into two categories: generic TLDs and country-specific TLDs. As of the fourth quarter of 2021, “.com” is the most popular TLD, used by around 51.8 percent of all websites (Statista, 2021).
However, this question seems to mention a TLD referred to as ‘CASE’. Currently, there is no officially recognized or widely-used ‘.case’ TLD. The Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA) maintains a list of valid TLDs and as of the time of writing, ‘.case’ doesn’t appear on it. IANA is a department of the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), the group that manages TLDs (IANA, 2021).
Organizations or individuals can apply for the creation of a new TLD through ICANN’s New Generic Top-Level Domain (gTLD) Program. However, this is beyond just filing an application. The process involves rigorous technical and financial evaluation of the requesting party, along with the assessment of the intended purpose of the new TLD.
An example of a successfully created new gTLD is ‘.google’, acquired by Google Inc. in 2014 to host some of its platforms such as the web.dev project. Preparation and submission of gTLD proposals may cost hundreds of thousands of dollars (CircleID, 2012). There are additional fees for the subsequent implementation and operation of the new gTLD.
Theoretically, the ‘.case’ TLD could become available in the future, pending a successful application through ICANN’s program and meeting all the stipulated criteria. If it becomes available, it could be used for various purposes depending on its registrant’s intentions. For instance, it could be used by law firms for showcasing their successful case studies (example.case), by tech companies for device or product cases (smartphone.case), by educators for case studies (business.case), or by an organization named ‘CASE’ for their website (company.case).
In conclusion, while ‘.case’ is not currently an accepted or recognized top level domain, the potential for its existence is there, following the required steps through ICANN’s New gTLD Program.
Sources:
1. Statista (2021). Distribution of top-level domain names as of December 2021. Retrieved from: https://www.statista.com/statistics/265677/share-of-top-level-domains-of-all-websites/
2. IANA (2021). Root Zone Database. Retrieved from: https://www.iana.org/domains/root/db
3. CircleID (2012). ICANN’s Big Reveal: The Applications and Implications. Retrieved from: http://www.circleid.com/posts/icanns_big_reveal_the_applications_and_implications/.
4. ICANN (n.d.). New gTLD Program. Retrieved from: https://wayback.archive-it.org/7025/20170118080243/https://newgtlds.icann.org/en/.
