|
It
looks like ICANN
will
begin accepting applications for
an unlimited number of new gTLDs
on schedule next week (Thursday, January
12, 2012 to be exact). However, a
last minute wave of vehement
opposition to the program,
especially from powerful trademark
interests, has brought the U.S.
Government into the fray and cast
doubts on when or if many proposed new
extensions will actually see the light
of day.
On
Tuesday U.S. Department of Commerce
(DOC) official Larry Strickland,
whose agency |
|
|
oversees
ICANN, set a letter
(PDF file) to ICANN's Chairman of the
Board, Dr. Stephen Crocker,
telling him that when ICANN closes the
application window and releases the list
of extensions applied for, the DOC's National
Telecommunications and Information
Administration (NTIA)
will examine the applications to
determine "whether additional
protections are warranted". |
Strickland
wrote, "We have learned that there
is tremendous concern about the specifics
of the program that may lead to a number of unintended
and unforeseen consequences that might
jeopardize its success," adding "the
ability to evaluate the actual situations or
conflicts presented by the applied for strings,
rather than merely theoretical ones, will
certainly assist and focus everyone’s efforts
to respond to problems should they arise.”
|
|
|
One
possible response Strickland hinted at
was a slow "phase in"
of new TLDs, perhaps a few at a time,
rather than opening the floodgates
to hundreds or even thousands of new extensions
as ICANN plans. Strickland wrote,
“After the application window closes,
and ICANN publishes details about the
pool, fact will be available to
determine the potential scope of this
gTLD expansion. At that time it would be
useful for ICANN to assess whether there
is a need to phase in the introduction
of new gTLD’s” |
Strickland also
wants ICANN to consider implementing measures
that will minimize the need for anyone to make
"defensive registrations" of
names they do not want but may feel they
are being forced to pay for in order to
protect their brands. He wrote, "I suggest
that ICANN consider taking some measures well before
the application window closes to mitigate
against this possibility.” With
potential new gTLD registry applicants (who are
being asked to pay $185,000 per TLD) left
to wonder when or if the extensions they want
will clear the review process, or how they will
be affected by any new "measures"
ICANN may come up with to satisfy DOC concerns,
there is a lot of uncertainty in the air
for a program opening its doors just eight days
from now.
|
