In addition to the likes of .com and .net, the Internet might soon have Web addresses ending in .fun, .cars and .prettymuchanythingyouwant.

Heralding the most dramatic expansion of virtual real estate in 40 years, the international group controlling Internet addresses decided Thursday to let anyone apply to be in charge of new last names for the Web.

The Internet Corp. for Assigned Names and Numbers -- which is as close as the Internet gets to a governing body -- opted to open up the process to companies, individuals and coalitions. That means that any word or name approved by ICANN could follow the dot in a Web address.

The case of E. & J. Gallo Winery v. Spider Webs Ltd, considered the issue of dilution of a trademark through the use of domain names. In this case, plaintiff, a holder of a trademark, sued defendant under the Anti-Cyber Squatting Act and under Texas Anti-delusion and Trademark Law. The case was decided in 2002 and became one of the first cases in applying ("ACPA") together with state intellectual property laws. Cyber squatting of domain names will not be permitted and state and federal laws provide remedies to prevent this type of action that directly affect trademarks. Although the Internet permits the exercise of free speech, United States courts have been prompt to ban borderline exercise of free speech, especially when it infringes upon intellectual property rights.

Brand owners have a number of possible ways of "recovering" from cyber-squatters, domain names that incorporate their trade marks. However, court proceedings, whether for trade mark infringement or passing off, can be expensive and time-consuming. Brand owners, therefore, often choose to employ the dispute resolution procedures provided by bodies such as Nominet (which administers the ".co.uk" domain).

The key to success under the Nominet procedure is the ability to show that the domain name in question was either registered with abusive intent or is being used in an abusive manner. In many cases, this has not proved at all difficult. The Nominet panels have readily found abuse where the cyber-squatter has registered a number of well known marks as domain names, has made no use of the domain name in question and/or has offered to sell the domain name to the relevant brand owner for a large sum of money.

"Cybersquatters are getting smarter."

That's how local intellectual property lawyer David LeGrand summed up the state of online disputes. Lawsuits over domain names are increasing, and like the Internet itself, the infringers are evolving and becoming more sophisticated, intellectual property attorneys say.

Those registering potentially similar domain names are learning from the mistakes of their predecessors.