When we talk about France as a country and the things it is famous for, few things come to mind – the romantic language, the city of Paris with all of its splendor and sights, and its cuisine – which pairs well with wine. Having said that, France has raised concerns over the issuance of “.wine” and “.vin” web domains by ICANN, as they are worried that these domains will eventually be issued to any Tom, Dick or Harry without having a hedge of geographical protection around it.
According to the European Union, it does the regulation of the labeling of select regional foods and drinks. For instance, sparkling wine that is produced in England is unable to be called champagne or cava in other parts of Europe, and France has taken the next step forward by by labeling everything from vin de table (which is a budget wine that is produced in just about any part of France) to appellation d’origine controlée, which happens to hail from just one particular vineyard.
The new ICANN suffixes will then enable folks to, for example, purchase “www.burgundy.wine,” before selling anything on it without having to have anything to do with the winemakers who hail from Burgundy. What do you think of this particular development, and is there a win-win situation at the end of it all?
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