New gTLD apps: statement of the problem

ICANN just published an update on the roadmap for processing new gTLD applications.

A few things I note:

• There are 2 phases: two phases: Evaluation followed by Pre-delegation steps, then Delegation;
• The evaluation of all the new gTLD applications in a "single batch" can be completed in 11-12 months, possibly less;
• Proposed solutions for Metering are being considered in coordination with the ICANN community;
• Development of a metering solution (tentative) (December 19, 2012 – January 18, 2013): Solution implementation;
• October – November 2012: GAC early warnings anticipated;
• June 2013: Publication of Initial Evaluation results;
• August 2013: First delegation request;
• HOW I LOVE TO READ THIS: The current Evaluation phase is estimated at eleven months. This has been significantly accelerated from previously posted timelines. Additional acceleration is being sought and will be reported if and when new timelines are agreed.

Read the announcement here.

Trademark Clearinghouse explained

The Trademark Clearinghouse explained by two service providers:

1. gTLD STRATEGY, a FairWinds blog;
2. IP Rota, Briefing Note on ICANN’s Trademark Clearinghouse.

Probably many, many more to come in the coming months :-)

Public Comments: the new end date is now 26 September 2012

ICANN considers your requests:

"The Applicant Guidebook states that the public comment period could be extended based on the number of applications received. Leading up to the original 60-day deadline, ICANN received input from the community that this window should be extended to provide for the additional time needed to analyze and provide thoughtful comment on the significantly larger than 500 applications originally anticipated".

Read the official announcement here.

To submit a public comment, click here.
To lear IN FRENCH how to submit a public comment.

New gTLD Program Update: start of Initial Evaluation

The PDF presentation of the Webinar can be downloaded here.

Agenda included:

• Status (dates):
• Communications;
• Evaluations Underway;
• Initial Evaluation;
• Early Observations & Clarification Questions;
• Metering / Batching (dates);
• Key Dates (dates).

More on the ICANN web site.

Video about .post new gTLD recently launched

More Wine new gTLDs Public Comments (23)

Many public comments for both ".wine" and ".vin" domain name extensions were published these last days, subjects of public comments were:

• Rights Protection Mechanisms;
• Avoiding bad faith registrations;
• Objection statement;
• Geographical indication in wine sector;
• عدم السماح بتسجيل هذا الاسم.

Some comments are the same "copy-paste" for different applicants.

Panels and objections grounds are:

• Registry Services Evaluation Panel;
• String Similarity Evaluation Panel;
• String Confusion Objection Ground;
• Geographic Names Evaluation Panel;
• Community Evaluation Panel.

Affiliations of entities publishing these comments are:

• Prudential Financial, Inc.;
• TIFFANY & CO.;
• AIM - European Brands Association;
• H.J. Heinz;
• Public TLD;
• International Organisation of Vine and Wine;
• Self;
• Sunkist Growers, Inc.

Most of these comments are not made to protect the wine universe and most are general: I mean they could have been submitted for any string.

One is interesting, it tries to defend an existing .WINE string in an Alternative DNS root. Unfortunately, an interesting comment addressed to the "Community Evaluation Panel" is in a language I cannot read but should probably be taken into account by panelists*.

The one addressed to the "Geographic Names Evaluation Panel" and which is entitled "Geographical indication in wine sector" is written by The International Organisation of Vine and Wine (OIV). This organization, based in Paris, is also an intergovernmental organisation (www.oiv.int) directly affiliated to a strong wine community worldwide: it represents 44 Member states (Australia, France, South Africa...) and has many observers.

It is possible panelists consider this comment.

To read .wine public comments, you should go to here, "search by string" and enter "wine", then click on "Go": the list will appear.

* I finally translated it with Google Translate and for what I read, all I can add is "no comment".

Correspondences with ICANN and notices of breach

ICANN is an organization which deals with issues through correspondences. For a better transparency, these are made public.

The ICANN correspondence page lists all letters sent to the organization. Senders give a name, a title and an affiliation. Such affiliation can be the ICANN (Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers), one of its sub organizations or any other: a new gTLD project or an organization affiliated to it. Below is the list of affiliations for the month of July 2012:

• The Association of National Advertisers (ANA);
• ICANN Board;
• The DotGreen Community, Inc.;
• Foundation for Assistance for Internet Technologies and Infrastructure Development (FAITID);
• United Nations;
• SSAC (Security and Stability Advisory Committee).

Then, the type of issue is mentioned. Most of the time it is a "notice of breach". Here is a list for the month of July:

• Notice of Breach;
• Extension of the Application Public Comment Window for New gTLDs;
• Processing of Applications for New Generic Top-Level Domains (gTLDs);
• The New gTLD Program and the Public Interest;
• Support of the SSAC Letter to ICANN Board;
• IGO Domain Names;
• New Generic Top Level Domain (gTLD) Process.

You can write to ICANN for any issue transmitting your document via electronic mail (email), facsimile (fax) and postal mail.

Trying to submit a comment on new TLD applications