.amazon
{{Short description|Internet top-level domain}}
.amazon is a brand top-level domain operated by the e-commerce company Amazon, granted to them in May 2019.{{Cite web |last=Darlington |first=Shasta |date=18 April 2019 |title=Battle for .amazon Domain Pits Retailer Against South American Nations |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/18/world/americas/amazon-domain-name.html |archive-url= |archive-date= |access-date=3 August 2022 |website=New York Times}}
{{Infobox top level domain
| name = .amazon
| background =
| image = Amazon logo.svg
| introduced = {{start date and age|2019|5}}
| registry = Amazon.com Inc.
| intendeduse = Amazon's products
| actualuse =
| restrictions = .amazon domains can only be registered by Amazon's employees
| structure =
| document =
| disputepolicy =
| website = {{URL|https://registry.amazon}}
| dnssec =
}}
History
Amazon.com applied for the domain name extension in 2012, which was granted.{{Cite web|url=https://gizmodo.com/amazons-fight-with-south-american-countries-over-contro-1833837070|title=Amazon's Fight With South American Countries Over Control of '.amazon' Domain Name Comes to a Head|last=Novak|first=Matt|website=Gizmodo|date=5 April 2019 |language=en-US|access-date=23 May 2019}}{{Cite web|url=http://opiniojuris.org/2019/04/19/who-owns-the-amazon-and-how-many-kindles-would-you-pay-for-it/|title=Who Owns the .Amazon? (And How Many Kindles Would You Pay For It?)|date=19 April 2019|website=Opinio Juris|language=en-US|access-date=23 May 2019}} That application was overturned after Peru and Brazil objected to it, the objection was supported by the Governmental Advisory Committee (a group which represents governments within ICANN){{Cite news |last=Uchoa |first=Pablo |date=5 April 2019 |title=The nations of the Amazon want the name back |language=en-GB |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/business-47794353 |access-date=23 May 2019}} which recommended in 2013 against allowing Amazon.com's application to proceed.{{Cite web|url=http://www.aei.org/publication/the-politics-of-internet-domain-names-and-the-case-of-amazon/|title=The politics of internet domain names and the case of .amazon|date=23 October 2017|website=AEI|language=en-US|access-date=23 May 2019}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.cfr.org/blog/case-amazon-and-what-it-means-icann|title=The Case of .Amazon and What It Means For ICANN|website=Council on Foreign Relations|language=en|access-date=23 May 2019}}
Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Peru, Suriname and Venezuela (which are members of the Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization) were against the proposal as it could harm their countries' interests, and proposed that together the nations and the company would share some governance of the domain.
ICANN directed the disputing parties to negotiate a resolution.{{Cite web|title=After 7-Year Battle, Amazon Nears Victory In Domain Name Dispute|url=https://www.npr.org/2019/05/22/725610775/after-7-year-battle-amazon-nears-victory-in-domain-name-dispute|access-date=23 May 2019|website=NPR.org|language=en}} The nations wished to receive specific domains under the top-level domain, while Amazon proposed that each nation be given a second-level domain based on their country code. According to ICANN meeting notes, “the name Amazon, in any language, is part of the cultural heritage and identity of the Amazon countries, and that its use as a first level domain name unless otherwise agreed by the Amazon countries, shall be reserved for the promotion of the interests and rights of the Amazon peoples and their inclusion in the information society.”{{Cite web |date=2018-09-16 |title=Further Consideration of the .AMAZON Applications |url=https://features.icann.org/further-consideration-amazon-applications |access-date=2023-06-01 |website=ICANN Features}}
In 2017, an Independent Review Process was found in favor of Amazon.com. Negotiations have stalled since, and in December 2019 ICANN signed an agreement with Amazon.com.{{Cite web |last=Ho |first=Tara Van |title=Amazon wins '.amazon' domain name, aggravating South American region and undermining digital commons |url=http://theconversation.com/amazon-wins-amazon-domain-name-aggravating-south-american-region-and-undermining-digital-commons-118186 |access-date=2022-12-07 |website=The Conversation |date=21 June 2019 |language=en}}