CIRA To Host 2012 Canadian Internet Forum - The Canadian Internet Registration Authority (CIRA) has announced that the 2012 Canadian Internet Forum in-person event will take place on Monday, February 27 in Ottawa. There is no cost for participation, and registrations are now being accepted.

New gTLD Application Process Passes One-Week Mark - ICANN reports that its application system for new generic top-level domains (gTLDs) is functioning smoothly. There is a two-stage application process: the deadline to register in the TLD Application System is March 29, and the deadline for registrants to submit gTLD applications is April 12. As of January 19, there are 25 successful registrants. Each registrant can apply for up to 50 new gTLDs. In early May, ICANN will publish a list of applicants and applications.

Report Released on the Contribution of .AU to Australia's Economy - A report has been published finding that "the .au domain has created more than 4300 full-time jobs and contributed $475 million to the Australian economy last year." The report [pdf] was commissioned by auDA, the Australian domain name administrator, and by AusRegistry, the .au registry operator.

Picks To Click

• The 2012 .CA Impact Awards has opened for entries. Applications are being accepted until March 23.
• Afilias has acquired the .pro registry from Hostway Corporation. Afilias now supports 17 top-level domains.
• ICANN has published the framework for its FY 2013 budget.
• Candidates for the ICANN CEO position should submit their applications by February 17.

Timeline

• Mon, Feb 27: Canadian Internet Forum in Ottawa
• Sun, Mar 11 - Fri, Mar 16: ICANN meetings in San Jose, Costa Rica
• Fri, Mar 23: last day for 2012 .CA Impact Awards entries
• Thu, Apr 12: last day for new gTLD applications

Today, January 12, 2012 marks the day ICANN (The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers) starts accepting applications for new generic top-level domains (gTLDs).

This process has been heavily debated amongst the internet community at large as well as within the ICANN board but was approved by ICANN in 2011 at its meeting in Singapore.

The process is expected to dramatically expand the Internet with the current 22 approved gTLDs (such as .com, .org or recent .xxx) to hundreds or thousands of extensions which include all types of words in multiple languages including non-Latin languages.

ICANN is directing all interested parties to refer to the New gTLD section of ICANN's website for authoritative documents, resources, and latest developments. The New gTLD site is found at http://newgtlds.icann.org. The ICANN New gTLD page includes links to the TLD Application System (TAS) to submit applications and the updated version of the Applicant Guidebook which details the process and criteria for applying for a new gTLD. The updated version incorporates clarification on topics such as batching, background screening, the applicant support program, Continued Operations Instrument, GAC advice processes, and the registry code of conduct.

There is also information available for financial assistance for some applicants who qualify. Essentially applicants from developing economies have access to financial assistance in the form of an evaluation fee reduction and other in-kind or community pro bono services. The financial assistance part of the program will allow a limited number of applicants to pay a reduced evaluation fee of US $47,000 rather than the US $185,000 amount. More information about the New gTLD Applicant Support Program is available at: http://newgtlds.icann.org/en/applicants/candidate-support.


Key timelines:
March 29, 2012 - The last day to register in TAS
April 12, 2012 -  Final day ICANN accepts applications


For some background as to what the new gTLD expansion is about, please read our previous blog post on this topic: http://blog.webnames.ca/2011/06/shop-paris-the-domain-name-spa-1.html.

Here is a look at some domain name items from 2011:

• VeriSign reported that at the end of the third quarter of 2011, there were nearly 220 million domain names worldwide, an annual increase of 8.9%.
• In August, it was announced that ICANN President and CEO Rod Beckstrom will complete his term on July 1, 2012. The search for his successor is under way.
• In June, the ICANN Board approved the New gTLD Program. Applications are scheduled to be accepted starting on January 12, 2012. There have been several calls to stop or modify the program, but ICANN Chair Steve Crocker has recently indicated that the program will not be delayed or restricted.
• The deployment of DNSSEC (Domain Name System Security Extensions) has continued, notably for the .COM domain.
• The new .XXX domain received final approval from the ICANN Board in March, a contract was signed in April, and after initial sunrise and landrush periods, general availability took place in December.
• In February, the Canadian Internet Registration Authority (CIRA) hosted the first annual Canadian Internet Forum (CIF).

Timeline

• Thu, Jan 12 - Thu, Apr 12: applications for new gTLDs being accepted
• Sun, Jan 15: .com, .net registry fees increase
• Sun, Mar 11 - Fri, Mar 16: ICANN meetings in San Jose, Costa Rica

FTC Urges ICANN To Change New gTLD Program - In a December 16 letter to ICANN, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission has recommended changes to the new gTLD program including: implementing it as a pilot program to substantially reduce the number of gTLDs introduced in the first application round, and improving the accuracy of Whois data.

Independent Review of .AU Governance Published - An independent review of auDA, the Australian domain name administrator, has been carried out. The review concludes "that the Australian country code domain is well managed and that auDA is widely regarded by local and international stakeholders as a global leader in domain administration." Among the recommendations are: to develop an Accountability and Transparency Framework similar to ICANN's, to make some revisions to the membership and board structure, and to more clearly define the relationship between auDA and the Australian government.

Picks To Click

• ICANN CEO Rod Beckstrom defends the new gTLD program in a response to the Washington Post's "What's the .rush?" editorial.
• A number of international organizations have requested that ICANN extend the same special exemption rules on new gTLDs agreed to earlier this year for the Red Cross and the International Olympic Committee.
• A CEO Candidate Profile has been published to help in the search for a new ICANN CEO.
• Finland's .fi domain celebrates its 25th anniversary.
• "Who's registering .XXX domains", by John R. Levine, an analysis of the .XXX zone file.

Timeline

• Thu, Jan 12 - Thu, Apr 12: applications for new gTLDs being accepted
• Sun, Jan 15: .com, .net registry fees increase
• Sun, Mar 11 - Fri, Mar 16: ICANN meetings in San Jose, Costa Rica

CIRA IDN Consultation To Close Tuesday, December 13 - CIRA's consultation on Internationalized Domain Names (IDNs) is scheduled to close on Tuesday, December 13. The consultation concerns the implementation of French character IDNs so that .ca domain names can be written correctly in French.

U.S. Government Officials Offer Divergent Views on New gTLD Program - Two senior U.S. government officials have expressed divergent views on ICANN's new gTLD program.

In a wide-ranging speech given on December 8, the same day as a U.S. Senate committee hearing on ICANN's new gTLD program, Lawrence Strickling of the U.S. Department of Commerce's National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) expressed strong support for the ICANN multistakeholder process while expressing sensitivity to concerns being raised about the introduction of new gTLDs. Here is an excerpt from the prepared text of his speech:

[...] we are now seeing parties that did not like the outcome of that multistakeholder process trying to collaterally attack the outcome and seek unilateral action by the U.S. government to overturn or delay the product of a six-year multistakeholder process that engaged folks from all over the world. The multistakeholder process does not guarantee that everyone will be satisfied with the outcome. But it is critical to preserving the model of Internet governance that has been so successful to date that all parties respect and work through the process and accept the outcome once a decision is reached. When parties ask us to overturn the outcomes of these processes, no matter how well-intentioned the request, they are providing "ammunition" to other countries who attempt to justify their unilateral actions to deny their citizens the free flow of information on the Internet. This we will not do. There is too much at stake here.

But we are sensitive to the concerns being raised by some companies about the introduction of new gTLDs. Today, Chairman Rockefeller held an important oversight hearing in the Senate Commerce Committee on the subject of how ICANN will expand top level domains. We agree with the Chairman's concerns over how this program will be implemented and its potential negative effect if not implemented properly. We will closely monitor the execution of the program and are committed to working with stakeholders, including U.S. industry, to mitigate any unintended consequences.

However, during a U.S. House of Representatives hearing on antitrust enforcement held on December 7, Federal Trade Commission chairman Jon Leibowitz said, "At the Commission, we are very, very concerned that this rollout of new gTLDs has the potential to be a disaster for consumers and for businesses." Liebowitz's remarks on new gTLDs begin at approximately 47:25 into the archived video webcast.

Picks To Click

• The archived webcast and statements of the December 8 U.S. Senate committee hearing on new gTLDs.
• The Communications and Technology subcommittee of the U.S. House of Representatives Energy & Commerce Committee will hold a hearing on "ICANN's Top-Level Domain Name Program", on Wednesday, December 14 at 9:00 a.m. Eastern.
• LF, LLC wins a dispute over lowesdisposal.ca.

Timeline

• Tue, Dec 13: CIRA IDN consultation closes
• Thu, Jan 12 - Thu, Apr 12: applications for new gTLDs being accepted
• Sun, Jan 15: .com, .net registry fees increase
• Sun, Mar 11 - Fri, Mar 16: ICANN meetings in San Jose, Costa Rica

U.S. Senate Committee To Hold Hearing on Expansion of TLDs - The U.S. Senate's Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation will be holding a hearing on the new gTLD program. The hearing will take place on Thursday, December 8 starting at 10:00 am Eastern, and will be webcast on the Committee's website.

Picks To Click

• General Availability for the .xxx domain begins on December 6.
• auDA, the Australian domain name administrator, is conducting a review of the auDA Foundation charitable trust.
• The Sofia News Agency has published an interview with ICANN President and CEO Rod Beckstrom, including comments on ICANN's rejection of an application for the Cyrillic domain .бг for Bulgaria.
• Glen Raven Inc. wins a dispute over sunbrella.ca.
• The minutes of the September 19, 2011 meeting of the CIRA Board of Directors have been published.

Timeline

• Tue, Dec 13: CIRA IDN consultation closes
• Sun, Jan 15: .com, .net registry fees increase
• Sun, Mar 11 - Fri, Mar 16: ICANN meetings in San Jose, Costa Rica

CIRA Launches 2012 Canadian Internet Forum - CIRA has initiated the 2012 Canadian Internet Forum (CIF). Activities this year include: publication of a report entitled "Challenges and Opportunities for the Internet in Canada" based on a survey of 1,210 Canadians, an online discussion forum, and a national event planned for February, 2012.

U.S. Government Solicits Bids on the IANA Contract - The U.S. Department of Commerce has issued a Request for Proposals for a contract to maintain the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA) functions, including responsibilities associated with the root zone and the allocation of Internet numbering resources. The contract is to run from April 1, 2012 until March 31, 2015. Presently the IANA is operated by ICANN.

Picks To Click

• Starting in May, 2012, holders of .uk domains will be allowed to register them for up to ten years instead of the current term of two years.
• The Association of National Advertisers (ANA) has formed the Coalition for Responsible Internet Domain Oversight (CRIDO) as it continues to oppose the new gTLD Program.

Timeline

• Tue, Dec 13: CIRA IDN consultation closes
• Sun, Jan 15: .com, .net registry fees increase
• Sun, Mar 11 - Fri, Mar 16: ICANN meetings in San Jose, Costa Rica

Former ICANN Chairman Expresses Nervousness Over gTLD Program - According to an article in Tech Daily Dose, former ICANN chairman Vint Cerf has said he is "nervous" about ICANN's new gTLD plan. The program has also been criticized by Esther Dyson, ICANN's founding chairman from 1998-2000. Dyson was succeeded by Cerf who served until 2007.

.XXX Registry Tops 80,000 Applications As Sunrise Period Closes - ICM Registry has announced that the .xxx domain Sunrise Period has closed with more than 80,000 applications for domain names. The Sunrise Period was for trademark and brand holders. A 17-day Landrush period starts on November 8.

Compensation Recommended for ICANN Board - An independent expert has advised that ICANN Board members receive compensation, recommending an annual cash retainer of $35,000 for outside directors, an additional $5,000 annually for committee chairs, and maintaining the $75,000 annual compensation for the Board chair.

Picks To Click

• Germany's .de domain has turned twenty-five.
• Ryerson University wins a dispute over ryersonhousing.ca.

Timeline

• Tue, Dec 13: CIRA IDN consultation closes
• Sun, Jan 15: .com, .net registry fees increase
• Sun, Mar 11 - Fri, Mar 16: ICANN meetings in San Jose, Costa Rica

ICANN Meetings Conclude in Dakar - Here are some highlights from the ICANN meetings recently concluded in Dakar, Senegal:

• Some progress was made on a support program for deserving applicants who require financial, technical, or other assistance "to effectively participate in and benefit from the first round of the New gTLD Program".
• An additional USD $900,000 was budgeted for the New gTLD Communications Plan.
• A review of ICANN's Conflicts of Interest Policy and Board Code of Conduct is being undertaken, in order "to have strengthened rules and practices in place as ICANN embarks on the New gTLD Program."
• Work is to commence immediately on proposed amendments to the Registrar Accreditation Agreement, in particular concerning Law Enforcement Agency and GNSO working group recommendations to provide greater protections for registrants and reduce abuses.
• ICANN's CEO search committee is seeking community input on characteristics that the new CEO should have. The deadline for comments is November 15.

Picks To Click

• ICANN's new gTLD site features an interactive demonstration of the TLD Application System (TAS).
• The website for the ICANN meetings in San Jose, Costa Rica on Mar. 11-16 is now available.

Timeline

• Tue, Dec 13: CIRA IDN consultation closes
• Sun, Jan 15: .com, .net registry fees increase
• Sun, Mar 11 - Fri, Mar 16: ICANN meetings in San Jose, Costa Rica

ICANN Meets This Week In Senegal - ICANN is meeting this week in Dakar, Senegal. The new gTLD program will be a main topic, with others including IDNs, DNSSEC, IPv6, WHOIS, and ICANN's search for a new CEO. Remote participation will be available for many sessions.

U.S. Government To Solicit Bids On The IANA Contract - The U.S. Department of Commerce is planning to issue a Request for Proposals to maintain the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA) functions, including responsibilities associated with the root zone and the allocation of Internet numbering resources. The solicitation is expected to run for one month starting on November 4. Presently the IANA is operated by ICANN.

Picks To Click

• Kieran McCarthy comments on U.S. government plans to put out the IANA functions for competitive bidding.
• The governments of the Australian states of New South Wales and Victoria are planning to apply for .sydney, .melbourne, .victoria, and possibly .nsw as new TLDs.
• Norwegian companies will soon be allowed to register up to 100 .no domain names. The old limit was 20.
• Shaw Cablesystems G.P. wins a dispute over myshaw.ca.
• Brar Natural Flour Milling Inc. wins a dispute over sheratta.ca, brarflour.ca, and brarflourmilling.ca.
• ICANN has announced that it is taking over operation of an Internet time zone database after receiving a request from the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF).

Timeline

• Sun, Oct 23 - Fri, Oct 28: ICANN meetings in Dakar, Senegal
• Tue, Dec 13: CIRA IDN consultation closes
• Sun, Jan 15: .com, .net registry fees increase

.UK Registry Raises 7 Million GBP For Nominet Trust - Nominet, registry for the .uk domain, is donating 7 million GBP to Nominet Trust, a UK registered charity. Registry operations represent 4 million GBP of the total, with the remaining 3 million GBP being the proceeds from the release of 2831 previously reserved short domains under .uk. Nominet Trust focuses on "UK-based initiatives that contribute to a safe, accessible Internet used to improve lives and communities" and each year makes "a small number of investments in international projects which align with our areas of focus".

Picks To Click

• "Governing the Internet: The Model is the Message", by Byron Holland, President and CEO of CIRA.
• AFNIC, manager of France's .fr domain, has published a magazine to celebrate the domain's 25th anniversary.
• Sittercity Incorporated wins a dispute over sittercity.ca.
• The domain gay.xxx has sold for $500,000.

Timeline

• Sun, Oct 23 - Fri, Oct 28: ICANN meetings in Dakar, Senegal
• Tue, Dec 13: CIRA IDN consultation closes
• Sun, Jan 15: .com, .net registry fees increase

CIRA Election Continues Until Wednesday, September 28 - Voting in CIRA's 2011 Board of Directors election continues until Wednesday, September 28 at noon (ET). CIRA members are encouraged to vote, and will elect four directors.

CIRA Launches Internationalized Domain Name Consultation - CIRA has launched a consultation on Internationalized Domain Names (IDNs) in the .ca domain. Under consideration is allowing accented characters as used in French to be valid in .ca domain names. As well as accepting submissions on the proposed policy, CIRA is conducting an online forum, and a spirited discussion is under way. The consultation closes on December 13.

Picks To Click

• The Internet Governance Forum is meeting in Nairobi, Kenya on September 27-30.
• Oki Electric Industry Co. Ltd. loses a dispute over oki.ca.
• AIR FRANCE - KLM wins a dispute over klm.ca.

Timeline

• Wed, Sep 21 - Wed, Sep 28: CIRA Board of Directors election
• Sun, Oct 23 - Fri, Oct 28: ICANN meetings in Dakar, Senegal
• Tue, Dec 13: CIRA IDN consultation closes
• Sun, Jan 15: .com, .net registry fees increase

CIRA Election: Voting Starts This Week - Voting in CIRA's 2011 Board of Directors election starts on Wednesday, September 21 and continues until September 28. The online campaign forum is under way and continues until Tuesday, September 20.

CIRA Annual General Meeting Set For Tuesday - CIRA's Annual General Meeting takes place on Tuesday, September 20 at the Vancouver Convention Centre. Keynote speakers are Jonathan Zittrain, author of "The Future of the Internet and How To Stop It", and Stewart Butterfield, co-founder of Flickr.

Pick To Click

• "Where is SSL headed?", by Patrik Wallstr m, a good article on SSL, the recent attack on certificate authority DigiNotar, and several prospects for improving security and trust.

Timeline

• Tue, Sep 13 - Tue, Sep 20: online forum for CIRA Board of Directors election
• Tue, Sep 20: CIRA Annual General Meeting in Vancouver
• Wed, Sep 21 - Wed, Sep 28: CIRA Board of Directors election
• Sun, Oct 23 - Fri, Oct 28: ICANN meetings in Dakar, Senegal
• Sun, Jan 15: .com, .net registry fees increase

Domain Name Registrations Top 215 Million - At the end of June, 2011, there were more than 215 million domain name registrations worldwide, according to the latest Domain Name Industry Brief published by VeriSign. This represents an annual growth of 16.9 million or 8.6%. The annual growth as reported three months ago was 15.3 million or 7.9%. Registrations from the ccTLDs stood at 84.6 million, an 8.4% annual increase. The ten largest domains are: .com, .de, .net, .uk, .org, .info, .nl, .cn, .eu, and .ru, with China (.cn) moving from ninth to eighth place.

Picks To Click

• Shows of Support for Member Nominees in the 2011 CIRA elections may be registered until 6:00 pm Eastern Time on Thursday, September 8. To be included on the ballot, a nominee must receive the support of at least 20 CIRA Members.
• The Association of Canadian Advertisers (ACA) has joined a number of other advertiser organizations in "demanding that proposed changes to the Top-Level Domain (TLD) program be scrapped".
• France's .fr domain turned 25 on September 2.
• European Commission calls for greater government control over Internet", by Kieren McCarthy of .nxt.
• Nominet, the .uk registry, is seeking feedback on draft recommendations on "Dealing with domain names used in connection with criminal activity".
• The sunrise phase for the new .xxx domain begins on Wednesday, September 7.

Timeline

• Thu, Aug 25 - Thu, Sep 8: shows of support for Member Nominees for CIRA election
• Tue, Sep 13 - Tue, Sep 20: online forum for CIRA Board of Directors election
• Tue, Sep 20: CIRA Annual General Meeting in Vancouver
• Wed, Sep 21 - Wed, Sep 28: CIRA Board of Directors election
• Sun, Oct 23 - Fri, Oct 28: ICANN meetings in Dakar, Senegal
• Sun, Jan 15: .com, .net registry fees increase

Member Nominees Seek Shows Of Support For CIRA Election - CIRA has published the statements of Member Nominees in the forthcoming CIRA Board of Directors election. To be included on the ballot, a nominee must receive the support of at least 20 CIRA Members. Shows of Support may be registered until 6:00 pm Eastern Time on Thursday, September 8.

Picks To Click

• In "What's in a Domain Name?", Esther Dyson criticizes the new TLD program.
• John Levine is publishing a sequence of articles collectively titled "The Design of the Domain Name System". To date, three installments have been posted.
• The Exite Group, Inc. loses a dispute over bellapierre.ca. A corrigendum has also been published.

Timeline

• Thu, Aug 25 - Thu, Sep 8: shows of support for Member Nominees for CIRA election
• Tue, Sep 13 - Tue, Sep 20: online forum for CIRA Board of Directors election
• Tue, Sep 20: CIRA Annual General Meeting in Vancouver
• Wed, Sep 21 - Wed, Sep 28: CIRA Board of Directors election
• Sun, Oct 23 - Fri, Oct 28: ICANN meetings in Dakar, Senegal
• Sun, Jan 15: .com, .net registry fees increase