Friction Over New gTLD Program May Produce Fireworks at ICANN Meeting Opening Sunday in Beijing

ANA predicted a "Train Wreck Ahead" if ICANN stays on its current schedule. In a story published today, ANA representative Dan Jaffe told The Register "if you add up gTLD registration fees, domain buying to protect brands, and the costs of legal action against those who try to piggy-back on them, business could face a billion-dollar bill for little or no reward."

Expect delays image from Bigstock	Despite the growing criticism ICANN is sticking to its guns with the new gTLD launch slated for later this month. However, an ICANN spokesman acknowledged the initial launch was more a public awareness exercise - not a date when the first new gTLDs will actually begin appearing. ICANN's VP of security Jeff Moss told The Register, "Timelines will be adjusted depending on when registry and clearing houses are ready. It's going to be August, I think, maybe."
In other words, after more than eight years in the works - the date when people will actually be able to register new gTLDs remains in flux. It will be interesting to see if the picture comes into better focus after the Beijing meeting plays out, or if the divisions between competing interests grow even wider and creates further delays in what has already been an extraordinarily long, drawn out process.

(Posted April 4, 2013)