New gTLDs latest news

I want to apologize for not publishing so much recently but you may have noticed many things are happening with ICANN at the moment :-)

Please check my latest news about new gTLDs:

• Free Speech Coalition is against .Sex, .Porn and .Adult new gTLDs (more here);
• ICANN meeting in Toronto: Full Schedule View (more here);
• The new gTLD Early Warnings (Governmental Advisory Committee) - (more here);
• ICANN seeks service providers for the URS (more here);
• Trademark Clearinghouse Update (more here) ;
• Better new gTLD trademark protections could come in the first round (more here);
• Next ICANN webinar on Uniform Rapid Suspension (URS) - (more here);
• Icann "hastening the threat of monopolisation" through its new scheme to sell generic words (more here)?
• New gTLD applicants to tell ICANN to keep dotless domains an option (more here);
• Delaware secretary of state opposes .INC, .CORP and .LTD new gTLDs (more here);
• Why some brands stayed out of first Dot-Brand auction (more here). According to this article, you can still acquire an new Top-Level Domain (...)

Please remember you should be registered in LinkedIn to check these links.

The .CLINIQUE Top-Level Domain

What is the purpose/mission of this proposed .CLINIQUE generic Top-Level Domain?

Applicant is part of The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. (“Estee Lauder”), one of the worldʹs leading manufacturers and marketers of quality skin care, makeup, fragrance and hair care products.

The proposed .clinique gTLD is a restricted, exclusively-controlled TLD that would potentially serve the purpose of enhancing and expanding Estée Lauder’s ability to:

• Facilitate the achievement of Estée Lauder to develop, manufacture, market and sell the world’s best cosmetics, skin care, makeup, fragrance and hair care products;
• Create a connected digital presence and personalized brand experience for customers, prospects, employees, joint ventures, business partners and communities where we do business; 
• Deliver product and service marketing⁄advertising;
• Enable marketing⁄technology campaign activation; 
• Facilitate secure interaction and communication with individuals and entities with whom Estée Lauder has a business relationship; 
• Improve business operations; 
• Simplify Internet user navigation to information about Estée Lauder products and services; 
• Demonstrate market leadership in protecting customer⁄member privacy and confidential information online; and
• Meet future customer expectations and competitive market demands by continuing to develop & deploy leading edge products and services.

Operating rules

• There will not be multiple applications for a particular domain in the proposed .clinique TLD because this will be an exclusively-controlled TLD where only 1 party, Estée Lauder, will be able to seek registrations;
• The proposed .clinique TLD will be a self-funded, exclusively-controlled TLD available only to Estée Lauder. Thus, there will be no per domain name registration cost incurred by any party for this TLD and thus, no price changes and⁄or escalations for which registrants will need to be notified. 

Read the complete application details here.

The .NGO Top-Level Domain

dotNGO, the project to establish and run the new generic Top Level Domain for the charity and NGO community is working with Public Interest Registry – the .org people.

Together they are working on the community bid to run .NGO. dotNGO was set up in 2008 to campaign for and promote the launch of a secure gTLD exclusively for the NGO sector. Until 2011 there was only a commercial initiative available (set up by dotNGO and partnered by another back-end registry provider) to apply for the domain as a “standard” or commercial application.

This commercial bid was backed by funding from an investors who saw commercial value in adding the domain to their proposed portfolio of applications. The dotNGO project as an organisation was not eligible to stand as a Community Applicant under the ICANN rules stating that the applicant for a community bid must be a pre-existing community member and not an organisation set up in response to the opening of the new gTLD space. dotNGO was of course set up in response to the ICANN process opening in mid 2008. 

In 2011 the campaign among NGO community members was taken up by Public Interest registry – who run the .org domain. dotNGO is now working exclusively with the community bid and PIR to make sure that the .NGO gTLD is a success, and rests in the hands of the NGO community themselves.

www.dotNGO.net is the project’s website.

New gTLDs events and Timeline: the WHEN question

There are many questions on the ICANN new gTLD program at the moment: many members of the new gTLD community start to wonder not "if" but "when" their application will see the day. Topics of the moment are:

1. The Clarifying question;
2. The Trademark ClearingHouse (...);
3. Objections and change requests;
4. Public comments;
5. Batching.

There are probably many others but these are the one I keep an eye on at the moment.

I have been talking to a few "future" Registrants recently and there is one question that comes back frequently: "when can I buy a new domain name?"

Well, I am sorry but I do not have this answer and with the ICANN new gTLD program delays, I doubt no one can have an answer to that question.

But, part of his answer can be found down this page on the ICANN web site and in English (fot those who understand how to read it): http://newgtlds.icann.org/en/ but again, I am sorry to say that it does not tell much so I checked around and read the Com Laude Newsletter dated September 2012. Page 3 is their version of the new timetable and the processes involved.

Once again, the content of the Newsletter is a must read for anyone who needs an update on the ICANN new gTLD program but I strongly suggest to read page 3 to have a better visibility of the WHEN question.

What are the Clarifying Questions?

LinkedIn "New gTLDs" group to reach 900 members

A Milestone is reached today, the "new generic Top-Level Domains" group on LinkedIn reaches 900 members.

To join, click here: http://www.linkedin.com/groups/New-generic-TopLevel-Domains-1840166