Amazon's Latest Power Play Could Get It Sued By Angry Writers
The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), a nonprofit that manages Internet domain space, is introducing new top-level domains in addition to the usual ones like .edu, .org, and .com.
Amazon wants to buy control of .book and .author, which would likely mean actual authors and publishers wouldn't be allowed to use those suffixes or would have to pay to use them.
Writers and publishers could see that as a huge power play and file litigation claiming the online book giant is trying to gain too much market power, according to Reuters.
Scott Turow, a lawyer and writer, told Reuters that "putting generic domains in private hands is plainly anticompetitive, allowing already dominant, well-capitalized companies to expand and entrench their market power. The potential for abuse seems limitless."
Turow wouldn't comment to Reuters on whether Amazon would be sued.
An Amazon lawyer told ICANN that allowing companies to buy more suffixes (and not just .com) would ultimately benefit consumers, Reuters reported.
Disclosure: Jeff Bezos is an investor in Business Insider through his personal investment company Bezos Expeditions.