2010 will see the first Internationalised Domain Name (IDN) registrations from individuals.  IDNs are domain names that include characters other than letters of the Latin alphabet, the numbers 0 to 9 and a hyphen, so that domain names can be expressed in non-Latin script languages, for example, Arabic and Chinese.  These new IDNs will give internet access to people around the globe whose native language is non-Latin based.

Although these IDNs are to be welcomed in the sense that they will transform the Internet into a truly global and multi-lingual tool, brand owners will have the additional expense of securing corresponding non-Latin script domain names to protect their brands against abusive registration.  Trade mark owners may also want to consider registering, and watching, their brands in a host of new top level domains.