The purpose of this Declaration is to demonstrate that, because Internet domain names are a communicative and inherently content-based form of speech, they deserve full protection from government restriction under the First Amendment. Domain names are the character combinations used to indicate the Internet address of an Internet user. By convention, IP addresses have been translated into character combinations for easier use. In order to function properly as an Internet address, each domain name must be unique. Domain names as used on the Internet are not only addresses, but also function as a form of expression or communication.
Domain names convey ideas and transmit organizational identities.
They can be and are put to creative uses. They are often selected to attract attention, and in some cases they form phrases. Domain names can make reference to people, institutions, and events. Since the mid-1980s, the communication capabilities of domain names have been restricted by fixed limits on the number of TLD strings. These limits are artifacts of the Internet's historical status as a restricted medium for military and scientific networking.