Stand aside, dot-com, king of the Web's early years. The realm of top-level domains, fiefdoms that also include dot-net, dot-edu, dot-org, and dot-gov, is about to get much more populous.

The dramatic rise in the number of new fiefdoms won't begin until 2013. But as the landscape starts to take shape in the coming months, you can expect some fascinating battles for brand-new turf - potentially valuable property created from whole cloth by the nonprofit corporation that oversees the Internet's naming system.

One local Internet lawyer foresees a fight for control of dot-Philly. New York City has already made it clear that it sees dot-NYC as a potential civic asset, and has taken steps to steer its future. And large companies will undoubtedly become lords of their own domains. You can expect to see dot-Ford, dot-Google, and dot-Microsoft。