John Demco
ICANN Seeks New Registry, Registrar Agreements – Approximately one month after posting a proposed new gTLD registry agreement, ICANN has posted a proposed new registrar agreement. Both proposed agreements have encountered criticism, notably from within the registry and registrar communities stakeholder groups. The negotiation processes have been similar in that ICANN has proposed significant changes on short notice, and is seeking the ability for the ICANN Board to make amendments with community support but without approval from the registrars or registries. The registry stakeholder group response to its proposed agreement is available here, and the registar stakeholder group response is available here. There is concern that impasses in contract negotiations could delay the rollout of new gTLDs.
Google Comments on Closed Generic Domains – Google has submitted a thoughtful comment on the topic of closed generic domains, arguing that there is a need for innovation in the TLD space and that different business models lead to diversified user choice. Nevertheless, Google has undertaken to consider amending the terms of four of its closed generic TLD applications: .app, .blog, .cloud, and .search. Google believes that “for each of these terms [Google] can create a strong set of user experiences and expectations without restricting the string to use with Google products.”
Timeline
- Wed, Mar 13: Objection period for new gTLD strings closes
- Mon, Mar 25: CIRA member networking event in Vancouver
- Sun, Apr 7 – Thu, Apr 11: ICANN meetings in Beijing
- Mon, Jul 1: .org registry fee increases
- Sun, Sep 1: .biz, .info registry fees increase