The Russian registry has decided to begin accepting new registration requests for COM.RU domains after suspending operations for COM.RU over the past several years. The re-launch of COM.RU will begin on October 25, 2011 with an Open Registration Period and any business or individual may place a registration request at that time. If you were unable to get your brand in .RU before, or if you have a new request, don’t miss this opportunity to get the COM.RU that you want.

Safenames is currently accepting pre-orders for this country code domain extension (ccTLD) and will submit the orders on October 25th, 2011. Here is what you need to know:

• There are no local presence or trademark requirements and there are no restrictions on COM.RU domains
• Open registration orders will be fulfilled by the registry on a first-come, first-serve basis
• If there is more than one application for the same domain, the name will go to auction and you will be notified about the auction process
• The registration fees are non-refundable during the pre-order registration phase

If you have any questions about COM.RU, contact your Safenames account manager or call Safenames customer service at +44-1-908-200022 or +1-703-574-5313. Existing customers can order within their Safenames account.

As expected, the ICANN board approved new gTLDs at the ICANN’s 41^st global meeting currently taking place in Singapore.   This means that the naming space on the Internet will significantly increase in late 2012 or early 2013, although no one really knows how many applications will be submitted for new TLDs or how many ICANN will approve.  The current estimates are in the 300-500 range for approved TLD strings.  

The new domain extensions will include geo domains (.NYC, .PARIS), application based domains (.BANK, .SSL), special interest domains (.ECO, .FOOD) and brand domains (.CANON, .DELOITTE).  ICANN is sponsoring a four month communication period in the second half of 2011 to create awareness, followed by the application acceptance period scheduled to open on January 12, 2012 and close on April 12, 2012.   An approval period will follow in order to review all applicants and to address any gTLD strings that are sought after by more than one party.  The results of the applications will be published in November of 2012.  Safenames projects that we will see new TLDs approved and available for registration in 1Q 2013.

Safenames will be hosting a Webinar on new gTLDs on June 29^th to advise you on how you can apply for your own TLD and how Safenames can help you prepare your brand(s) for the new domain choices that will be available .  Details on how to register for this event will be available shortly.

If you have any questions regarding new gTLDs and the ICANN application process, please contact your Safenames account manager.

You may also contact the Safenames UK office at +44 1908 200022 and emeasales@safenames.net, or the Safenames US office at +1.703.574.5313 and nasales@safenames.net.

It is difficult to know what impact, if any, the hearing held earlier this week in front of the Intellectual Property, Competition and the Internet sub-committee of US House of Representatives, will have on the expected approval of new TLDs at next month’s ICANN Meeting in Singapore.   

ICANN’s New TLDs under Attack?

ICANN and its staff faced harsh questioning during most of the session—and the atmosphere seemed to hinder progress for proponents of new TLD program. While Kurt Pritz, ICANN’s SR Vice President of Stakeholder Relations, testified in favor of the benefits of new TLDs, he was vastly outnumbered by representatives from the Intellectual Property and Internet User communities who testified to the potential negative impacts. If the hearing accomplished anything it may be to slow down the introduction of new TLDs, generating more discussion and debate and possibly delaying a final decision. 

Does Congress Understand the Issues?

It seemed as though subcommittee members were scattered in their questioning and often went off topic. Their stated primary objective was to understand the validity of new TLDs and how the rights of trademark holders can be protected. But the questions from the sub-committee covered topics such as: (1) justification for new TLD application fees; (2) the cost of domain registrations; (3) the secondary domain market; (3) China’s increased control over the Internet; (4) ICANN staff salary; and (5) a planned ICANN “New TLD approval Party.” Clearly not all relevant. When they were able to stay on topic, however, the discussions did traverse demand for new TLDs, increased consumer choice and business opportunities that new TLDs would create—so perhaps not all was lost. 

What is the US Government’s Role in ICANN?

The US Department of Commerce has an oversight role in ICANN, but as part of a 2006 agreement, ICANN has been steadily moving towards becoming an independent organization. The US Government has membership in the Government Advisory Committee (GAC), but as a single member of this stakeholder group, how much power does the United States have? It is unclear how much Congress can further influence the new TLD process—primarily because the question “to whom does ICANN answer?” is unanswered.

The next three months are likely to define the future of new TLDs. And we should expect answers to important questions. Will ICANN try to appease the US Congress or will they march ahead with the new TLD approval without US government support? What will be the US Government’s response? Stayed tuned as the drama around new TLDs continues to unfold.

If you have any questions regarding new gTLDs and the ICANN application process, please contact your Safenames account manager.

You may also contact the Safenames UK office at +44 1908 200022 and emeasales@safenames.net, or the Safenames US office at +1.703.574.5313 and nasales@safenames.net.

ICANN’s recent release of the Applicant Guidebook for public comment seems to be an indication—or maybe just a hint– that the much debated “new domain extensions” may be approved at the next ICANN Meeting in Singapore this summer.  ICANN stated that they will collect public comments over the next 30 days and will have a completed Applicant Guidebook ready for Board review at the end of May.  The ICANN Board indicated after the San Francisco meeting in March that approval of the new TLD application process could come as early as the June 2011 meeting and as of now it appears they will hit that target. Perhaps another “hint” is that ICANN has removed the word “Draft” from correspondence related to the Application Guidebook.  What does this mean? If new TLDs are approved in June, ICANN has stated that a four month global communication period will be held and the application period for new generic Top Level Domain extensions could start as early as late October 2011.

If you would like to review and/or post a comment on the Applicant Guidebook, please visit the ICANN web site http://www.icann.org/en/topics/new-gtlds/comments-6-en.htm. 

Additionally, if you have any questions about applying for a new domain extension or how you can prepare your company for the potential launch of new TLDs, you can contact us at Safenames in the US, +1.703.574.5313 and nasales@safenames.net, or at Safenames in the UK at +44 1908 200022 and emeasales@safenames.net.

The ICANN Board of Directors held their Board Meeting in San Francisco at the conclusion of the “Silicon Valley Public Meeting”. In a major development, the Board, for the first time, provided a timeline for approving the new Top Level Domain applicant guidebook.

The Board stated it will hold a special meeting on June 20^th to review the guidebook just prior to the start of the ICANN’s “Singapore Public Meeting”.

There are still some hurdles that must be overcome, such as the differences with Governmental Advisory Committee (GAC), but feedback from the GAC is expected by March 25. Once feedback has been given, the final GAC scorecard for constituency comment is expected by April 15 with a public comment period ending May 15. On May 20, the GAC and the Board will have a teleconference to discuss the final scorecard. If all goes according to plan, the final guidebook will be posted May 30 and the board will consider it for approval on June 20.

If approved in June there will be a four (4) month communication period to the global Internet community before the application process would begin. Under the current timeline published by ICANN, the application period for new gTLDs could begin in October 2011, with delegation of new gTLD strings into the root zone in the 2^nd quarter of 2012.

Safenames will continue to keep you updated as we learn more about new developments with the new gTLD program.

If you would like to apply for a TLD for your brand or have any questions regarding new gTLDs and the ICANN application process, please contact your Safenames account manager.

You may also contact the Safenames UK office at +44 1908 200022 and emeasales@safenames.net, or the Safenames US office at +1.703.574.5313 and nasales@safenames.net.

As the 40th ICANN meeting held in San Francisco wrapped up, the ICANN board voted to proceed with the new domain extension, dotXXX (.XXX). After seven years of debate in the domain and adult entertainment communities, the board voted 9-3, with four board members abstaining, to approve the .XXX. The Free Speech Coalition and a wide range of adult industry leaders had attempted to stop ICANN from approving this extension, but the Board decided to approve the new sTLD. The ICANN board even went against the advice of its Government Advisory Committee (GAC), an action which has rarely, if ever occurred in the past. The .XXX registry announced that it will have a sunrise for the adult industry, a dedicated period where brand holders may register a lifetime “block” on domains where they hold the trademark, followed by an open registration period. There have been some rumblings around the ICANN Meeting that those groups opposed to .XXX will not go away quietly, but for now, expect that .XXX will launch within the next 90 days. An official timeline is expected to be published shortly and will be communicated as soon as it becomes available.

If you have any questions regarding .XXX, please contact your Safenames account manager.

You may also contact the Safenames UK office at +44 1908 200022 and emeasales@safenames.net, or the Safenames US office at +1.703.574.5313 and nasales@safenames.net.