Update (slides) on the ICANN new gTLD program (05 June 2013)

Yesterday's agenda, (in red, what matters to me):

• Initial Evaluation:
• Results Published for Application Priorities 1 to 600:
• 518 passed;
• 4 eligible for Extended Evaluation;
• 60 withheld due to CQ/Change Request or Outreach;
• 18 withdrawn.
• Initial Evaluation Outcomes:
• Pass;
• Eligible for Extended Evaluation;
• Ineligible for further review.
• 71 Application withdrawals to Date.
• Continuing Operations Instrument;
• Objections & Dispute Resolution:
• Current Progress:
• 262 admissible objections filed;
• 139 admissible applicant responses filed;
• 119 Filings in-review;
• 4 filings dismissed due to applicant withdrawal;
• DRSPs are finalizing applicant responses and selection of expert panels.
• Circumstances that may alter process timing:
• Applicant and objector interaction (e.g., responses, payments);
• Complexity of objection filings (e.g., consolidation).
• Additional/Supplementary activities (i.e., hearings, additional written submissions, negotiation, mediation).
• String Contention Resolution:
• Contention Proceedings planned to begin September 2013;
• Community Priority Elections will be accepted beginning next week (by 14 June) via the Customer Portal:
• Expect an announcement next week with election instructions;
• Additional CPE may be performed after Extended Evaluation, as necessary
• Auctions:
• Non-community contention sets can begin auction concurrent with CPE;
• Others will begin at the conclusion of CPE and EE, as necessary.
• Contracting (Next webinar: 13 June 2013);
• GAC Advice;
• Pre-Delegation Testing (Anycast Instance Testing to be eliminated);
• Registry Data Escrow;
• Security & Stability Studies:
• ICANN has commissioned two studies to determine:
• Security impacts of delegating applied-for new-gTLD strings that are currently used in private networks;
• Security & stability impacts of dotless domain names.
• These studies will identify and classify potential risk levels, and provide ICANN with mitigation options, as needed.
• IDN Variant TLD Program Webinar (27 June 2013);
• Trademark Clearinghouse (http://trademarkclearinghouse.com/):
• Users:
• 636 trademark holders
• 119 agents.
• Trademark records submitted:  3,027:
• Verified:  1,380;
• In process:  1,132;
• Incorrect:  503;
• Invalid:  12.
• Early bird submissions for no additional fee;
• Trademark Clearinghouse & Internationalized Domain Names Webinar (Date: 19 June 2013).
• Tentative timeline:
• 30 June: Registry Agreement Approved;
• 1-8 July: Contracting;
• 9 July - 9 August: Pre-Delegation Testing;
• 12-14 August: Transition to IANA;
• 15-28 August: IANA Delegation;
• 28 August: First new gTLD delegated;
• 29 August - 27 September: Sunrise Notice;
• 28 September - 27 October: Sunrise Period.
• Questions (one answer by ICANN was: "I understand the question and I understand how important it is to you but the ICANN legal department prevents me from answering it" :-).

Download the complete presentation here (PDF file).