> "globally, hundreds (if not thousands) of brands have names similar to regions, land formations, mountains, towns, cities, and other geographic places". These could be put off applying for new gTLDs because of "uncertainty" over ICANN policy over geographic names.

I guess I do not see why a company, especially one that already owns <companyName>.com, should find it necessary or feel entitled to register their brand or company name as a gTLD. In cases like this, it seems like the gTLD should be available in a way to reflect the broader meaning of the word.