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http://www.icann.org/en/announcements/announcement-04oct09-en.htm

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ICANN Announces Important Milestones in Making the Internet More

Accessible to All

4 October 2009

In the past several days, ICANN has announced recent milestones

regarding changes in how the Internet community will use the

Internet in the near future. These important developments include

the plan for deployment of Internationalized Domain Names (IDNs)

in the next few months and significant progress in developing the

model for delegating new generic top-level domains (gTLDs).

Proposed Final Implementation Plan: IDN ccTLD Fast Track Process

http://www.icann.org/en/topics/idn/fast-track/idn-cctld-implement

ation-plan-30sep09-en.pdf

ICANN is pleased to announce the public posting of the Proposed

Final Implementation Plan for the IDN ccTLD Fast Track Process.

The IDN ccTLD Fast Track Process is an important step at making

the Internet equally accessible for everyone. It will enable the

introduction of a limited number of internationalized

country-code top level domain names (IDN ccTLDs). As noted by

ICANN CEO Rod Beckstrom, once implemented, this will be the first

time that users can obtain a domain name with the entire string

in characters other than ASCII (or Latin) characters, "this is

one of the most exciting developments for the users of the

Internet globally in years. IDNs will enable the people the world

over to use domain name addresses in their own language." The

process will be available to all countries and territories where

the official language is based on scripts other than the Latin

(extended) script. IDNs, like the Affirmation of Commitments

announced last week (www.icann.org ) are another step towards

making the Internet more truly global to achieve our goal of "one

world, one Internet, everyone connected."

The proposed final plan is scheduled for ICANN Board

consideration at the ICANN meeting in Seoul, Korea, 26-30 October

2009.

The proposed launch date for the IDN ccTLD Fast Track Process is

16 November 2009.

ICANN is looking forward to feedback on the final plan in the

public comment forum designated for that purpose.

The proposed final plan has been developed based on responses to

community comments and discussions. See the latest status update

at:

http://www.icann.org/en/announcements/announcement-2-09sep09-en.h

tm.

Responding to Public Comment:

Version 3 of New gTLD Applicant Guidebook

A Work In Progress

http://www.icann.org/en/topics/new-gtlds/comments-3-en.htm

The latest draft of the Applicant Guidebook that describes the

process of applying for new generic top-level domains (gTLDs) was

released today. New gTLDs are expected to bring innovative

services and greater choice to Internet users through increased

competition and engender broad participation through the

introduction of IDNs and community-based TLDs into the Domain

Name System.

In the last three months, the community has joined in extensive

collaborative efforts on technical, intellectual property,

potential for malicious conduct, and other matters, with global

consultations in New York, Sydney, London, Hong Kong and Abu

Dhabi.

The Guidebook has been changed significantly. As indicated by

ICANN Chief Operating Officer, Doug Brent, "this third version of

draft guidebook represents months of outstanding effort by many

in the ICANN community - working to resolve the few, challenging

remaining issues. This version is being released with materials

that describe how public comment has influenced the changes

presented in it." In all, there are over 50 areas of change,

clearly indicated in the "redline" version of the Guidebook. In

addition to specific trademark protections (described below) the

new Guidebook includes:

•Measures to prevent or mitigate potential for malicious conduct

including a proposal to create high-security zones;

•Enhanced stability / security measures, requiring DNSSEC

deployment and prohibiting use of wildcards;

•Protecting registrants by taking step to ensure registry

viability: defining a financial instrument that will ensure

ongoing registry operations in the event of failure, and

specifying certain pre-delegation registry tests; and

•Enhanced contractual tools through the development of

post-delegation dispute procedures including one to ensure that

community-based TLDs adhere to their self-described purpose.

Like all previous versions, this draft is posted for public

comment. It has been released prior to the ICANN meeting to be

held in Seoul from October 25-30. During the Seoul meeting ICANN

will conduct several sessions to facilitate discussion of this

version of the Applicant Guidebook and finding solutions to the

outstanding issues. Information about additional events will be

available on the Seoul Meeting schedule at:

http://sel.icann.org/full-sched.

Trademark Protection Measures – Where to next?

http://www.icann.org/en/topics/new-gtlds/gnso-consultations-repor

ts-en.htm

Specific trademark protection mechanisms are still to be decided

upon by the Board.

After receiving trademark protection recommendations from the

Implementation Recommendation Team and others, taking extensive

comment and conducting consultation with the broad community,

ICANN has drafted a set of implementation recommendations related

to intellectual property protections for the new gTLD program.

Additional rights protection included in the Guidebook are the:

•requirement to maintain a "thick" Whois database, and

•specification of a post-delegation dispute procedure so that

trademark holders can lodge complaints of abusive behavior

against registries when merited.

For other proposed rights protection mechanisms, the Board is

providing the Generic Names Supporting Organization (the policy

organization that developed the new gTLDs policy) with the

opportunity to offer focused input on this specific area of the

proposed implementation plan that is being published now. Those

proposed rights protection mechanisms are:

•The creation of an IP Clearinghouse, which is a database of

validated trademarks to be utilized by new gTLD registry

operators in implementing either an IP Claims service or Sunrise

process during TLD launch; and

•The creation of a Uniform Rapid Suspension process for use in

clear-cut, blatant cases of trademark infringement.

The community at-large may also comment on these specific issues,

and of course, any other new gTLD issues through comment fora

found on the new gTLD pages.

The public comment period on these trademark protection solutions

will be open until 22 November 2009.

Please continue checking the New gTLD program webpage for

updates.

Prior to implementation, ICANN will work with the community to

address remaining issues including: competition, consumer

protection, security, stability and resiliency, malicious abuse

issues, sovereignty concerns, and rights protection.