Method and system for internationalizing domain names

In a system for accessing the internet from a user computer by obtaining a domain name where a domain name server requires the domain name to be in a first format, a method of accessing the internet with an international domain name comprising the steps of:

• obtaining the international domain name being in a second format;
• transforming the international domain name from the second format to the first format which is acceptable by the domain name server;
• automatically generating a redirector string based on the international domain name and appending the redirector string to the transformed international domain name, transmitting the transformed international domain name to the domain name server;
• resolving the transformed international domain name by the domain name server to obtain an IP number corresponding to the international domain name;
• and
• accessing the internet by the user computer using the IP number.

A system for requesting international domain names with a user machine in communication with an internet where the internet includes a domain name server which resolves a domain name request by retrieving an IP number corresponding to the domain name, the domain name server requiring the domain name to be in a first character format, the system comprising:

• an internet program for providing communication between the user machine and the internet, the internet program allowing a user to request communication to an internet location by obtaining a domain name of the internet location, the domain name being an international domain name having a second character format different than the first character format;
• a domain name transformer for transforming the international domain name to a compliant domain name having the first character format, the domain name transformer automatically generating a redirector string based on the international domain name and appending the redirector string to the compliant domain name, the domain name transformer being installed on the user machine, the transforming being performed transparent to both the user and the domain name server;
• and
• a resolver for receiving and resolving the compliant domain name from the domain name transformer into an IP number of the internet location, the resolver transmitting the compliant domain name to a domain name server, the domain name server returning the IP number of the internet location corresponding to the international domain name to allow communication between the user machine and the internet location.

A software program for enabling a user device to be connected to the Internet wherein domain name requests in the user device are obtained having a non-compliant format;

• said program comprising:
• instructions for modifying a domain name resolving process in the user device;
• wherein said instructions for modifying include instructions for performing the following steps:
• transforming a non-compliant domain name request to a compliant format;
• automatically generating a redirector string which includes information for resolving the domain name request;
• and
• appending the redirector string to the domain name request.

A method of modifying a user device which communicates to the Internet wherein the user device processes a compliant domain name according to a resolving procedure, and further wherein a domain name request may be in a non-compliant format, the method comprising the steps of:

• providing a program to the user device for modifying the resolving procedure so that the modified resolving procedure performs the following steps:
• transforming a non-compliant domain name to a compliant domain string;
• automatically generating a redirector string which includes information for resolving the transformed compliant domain string;
• and
• appending the redirector string to the compliant domain string.