The Direct Marketing Association recently called for the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers to abandon its top-level domain naming program. The DMA claims the plan will cause damage to both brand owners and consumers that will likely be irreparable.

According to the ICANN website, the organization is working to promote competition in the domain-name market while ensuring internet security and stability. Every domain name ends with a top-level domain, which is two or more letters that come after the dot, such as .com or .net. There are currently two types of TLDs: generic top-level domains - .info and .mobi - and country code top-level domains - .uk and .cn. The ICANN program aims to expand the available words that are accepted as internet top-level domain.

The DMA reported that businesses would need to purchase internet addresses for $185,000 to protect their existing intellectual property under the ICANN plan. Companies would then have to invest in surveillance infrastructure and legal defense to fight off cyber-squatters and bad faith domain registrations looking to tarnish or steal the brand. The lack of security would also put consumers at a higher risk of phishing scams and online fraud.

DMA president and CEO Larry Kimmel said the association predicts the program will cost its members both time and money.

"We hope ICANN will back away from this program and the headaches it will cause, not only to our members, but the overall business community as well," Kimmel said.

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