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What Does It Take To Repair Trust? What Will It Take ICANN To Win Back "Trust"? (Part I)

Some readers may wonder why I chose to raise the issue of "trust" now or even ask what it will take for ICANN to repair it. After all, the New gTLDs have been launched; applications have started being received, and all ICANN official announcements are that all is good and going according to plan. But many other readers and astute observers of this space, domestic and international, would not confuse the public dead silence we are hearing from ICANN and its insider community or the euphoria of the long awaited application submissions we are seeing to mean that all is perfect. more»

Is ICANN Opening up Public Comment Periods in Bad Faith?

I read with interest that ICANN opened up yet another comment period on new TLDs. I believe that I speak for many when I question whether ICANN is opening up these comment periods in good faith, or instead whether these are smokescreens, mere distractions to pretend that ICANN is "listening" to the public while staff and insiders proceed with predetermined outcomes. more»

10 Reasons Why New gTLDs May Not Work For You

World's mega businesses are about to wake up to the domain name expansion reality, where suddenly a name identity's exclusive ownership on global canvas of cyber branding and functionality will be ensured via gTLD. Something that traditional trademark system took years to achieve. A gTLD brand is not for everyone, structurally designed for powerful new ideas and established organizations around the world; however, following are the ten reasons why it may not work for you. more»

New gTLD Application Monitoring? Now?

Why in the world would any company sign-up for a "New gTLD Application Monitoring Service" when ICANN intends to publicly post all applications on May 1st? Domain Name Watching and Trademark Watching Services make perfect sense when new registrations and applications are being submitted and granted on a daily basis. I think that we can all easily agree that trying to understand new domain name and trademark registrations without an automated service would be nearly impossible. more»

WIPO Provides New Top-Level Domain Resources for Rights Holders

Courtesy of Brian Beckham from the WIPO Arbitration and Mediation Center in Geneva, here are a few important links with information that may be helpful for rights holders with ICANN's New gTLD program now launched and accepting applications more»

Value or Love for New gTLDs?

ICANN has started its historic and controversial program to expand the number of generic Top-Level Domains (gTLDs). This essay outlines the factors needed for the program to create economic value, warns against a cognitive trap that complicates selection of a new gTLD and considers the value contribution of the registries. I will not go into relevant macro measures, but I examine the problems associated with the popular measure of simply counting the number of registrations. more»

Failing to Act on Accountability

More than a year has passed since the first organizational review team delivered its final report on ICANN's accountability and transparency. Disappointingly, ICANN has done precious little to act on a key recommendation in that report. Its failure to act threatens to damage ICANN's credibility, just as it enters one of the most critical periods in its history. more»

CRIDO Sells "Do Not Sell List"

Coalition for Responsible Internet Domain Oversight, or CRIDO, released a plan they called a "peacemaker" three days before the Jan. 12th, 2012 launch, which would allow brands to begin the ICANN application process but would allow organizations and companies the opportunity to place their brand names, without cost, on a temporary "do not sell" list. ICANN so far has not responded to the "do not sell" list, and CRIDO is getting restless and threatening lawsuits. more»

Trademarking .generics - the .bank Fiasco!

I, for one, have been a proponent of new gTLDs from the early days of their policy development process within ICANN. I always believed that the existing gTLDs -- and mainly the .com space -- have created artificial scarcity, which is primarily responsible for much of the cybersquatting and the abuse trademarks experience. I do not share the same fears as those who argue that new gTLDs will create intolerable levels of cybersquatting or will necessitate defensive registrations from brand and trademark owners alike. more»

What ICANN is Doing Wrong

A couple of recent articles have caught my attention because they offer scathing criticism of ICANN. The first is a long and convoluted article by Kieren McCarthy on the .JOBS debacle. Kieren has basically written a feature that only a seasoned ICANN insider can hope to understand and that's a pity, because the points he makes appear very valid. Namely that ICANN is incapable of looking at itself in the mirror and admitting when it's wrong. more»

Is There Any Room for Communities in The New gTLD Program?

With the start of hunting season for new gTLDs, attention needs to be paid to Community in all of its reality and diversity. After family, community is one of the strongest organizational principles in human society and has been since the beginning of history. With the rare exception of the classical hermit, everyone is part of multiple communities. Communities are important and need to be protected by society and by this new gTLD process. more»

2012: The Year of the New gTLD Program and the Year to Support ICANN - Part II

As we go into 2012, I am encouraged that there are many, including top officials and leaders in Washington DC, who believe in ICANN's leadership of the multi-stakeholder model, and that the organization should be allowed to successfully midwife the new gTLD program. The Honorable Senator John 'Jay' Rockefeller for example was reported in the ICANN Blog as giving his full support: "I think we have to get used to dot-hotels. I think we have to get used to dot-auto." more»

2012: The Year of the New gTLD Program and the Year to Support ICANN - Part I

The ICANN new gTLD program began today, 12th January 2012, with the application round now open and this important activity will make 2012 a very memorable year. It is expected that a minimum of 500 fresh applications for new generic Top Level Domains will be received by ICANN through the online TLD Applications System (TAS) by April 12 when the round closes, for processing and evaluation afterwards. This promises to be a hectic and engaging period for new gTLD applicants, and also for ICANN. more»

New TLD Application Window Opens Tomorrow - What Does It Mean? (Here are Answers to Some Basic FAQs)

Tomorrow, January 12th 2012 ICANN will open the application window for new TLDs. This post includes answers to some of the based frequently asked questions. If you have any other questions/queries, or if something is unclear please let me know via the comment at the end of the post. more»

Trademarks Tango in Cyber Ballrooms

The global trademark laws have served the business community well during the last century. But is it possible that with the advent of ICANN gTLD, a new layer of speed and protection would complement the trademark holders to further establish their name identity presence and visibility in the complex marketplace? Although the trademark laws have served the business community very well during the last century, now with the advent of ICANN gTLD platform, it appears that it will provide an additional layer of speedy protection and increase the name identity visibility resulting in market domination via name identity. more»

News Briefs

ICANN Begins Accepting Applications for New gTLDs

US Official: Delaying New gTLD Program Could Lead to Other Countries Seeking Control of the Internet

ICANN Chairman Sees Little Value in Delaying New TLD Launch

ICANN Has No Plans to Delay or Restrict New gTLD Program

Domain Name Registrations Reach 220 Million, Close to 5 Million Added in Q3

ICANN CEO: Top-Level Domain Expansion Has Been Anything But Rushed

ICANN Asked to Delay New gTLD Expansion at the House of Representatives Committee Hearing

NTIA Expresses Support for New gTLD Program

US Senate Committee Holds Hearing on ICANN's New TLD Expansion

U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation Holding Full Hearing on New TLDs

ICM Announces General Availability of .XXX Domain Names

ANA Moves Campaign Against New gTLDs to YouTube, Accuses ICANN of Lying

Large Group Formed to Oppose ICANN's New gTLD Expansion

Businesses Angry with ICANN's New gTLD Structure, Says CADNA

.COM About to Hit 100-Million Mark

Battle for .eco Top-Level Domain Not Over Yet

Verisign Seeks Authority to Shutdown Websites Without Court Order

ANA Says ICANN Needs to Conduct Thorough Review of Conflict of Interest Policies

ICANN Launches Online Information Center for New gTLDs

UK Domain Registry Considers Criminal Domain Takedown Rules

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Minds + Machines Updates – Sponsor

Minds+Machines Works with .bayern

Top Level Domain Holdings' wholly owned registry services company, Minds+Machines, will provide the back-end registry services for the proposed new domain. Revenue to the Company will be based on a share of the revenues generated by the domain. ›››

Peter Dengate Thrush Interviewed by Silicon Valley Watcher

Silicon Valley Watcher, run by former Financial Times correspondent Tom Foremski, has published an interview with the Chairman of Top Level Domain Holdings, Peter Dengate Thrush. ›››

ICANN's COI plus the EBERO: A Recipe to Create Failed Domain Name Registries

ICANN's current plan for a Continued Operations Instrument (COI) is a self-insurance scheme that asks domain name registries to tie up a massive amount of cash, when much cheaper and more sensible options are available. The COI is a massive barrier to entry for all applicants. ›››

Minds + Machines Introduces New gTLD Program for Brands

The announcement came at a meeting of the International Trademark Association in Washington DC, where members gathered to discuss the new gTLD program from the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), due to begin on January 12, 2012. With time running short, brand owners must soon decide whether and how to apply for a new gTLD. ›››

New ICANN gTLD Applicant Guidebook Released (and More)

ICANN has been quiet lately, very quiet. It has been making everyone nervous and leaving the field open to ICANN's enemies, which has in turn encouraged domain industry hacks to resort to long "think pieces" in the absence of news -- always a cause for concern. ›››

Minds + Machines to Announce New .brand gTLD Pricing at INTA

Minds + Machines is a sponsor of the Trademarks and the Internet conference put on by the International Trademark Association (INTA) in Washington DC this coming week on Wednesday and Thursday (September 21st and 22nd); will introduce a new program for brand owners who have decided to apply for a new gTLD. ›››

Interactive Investor Interviews Antony Van Couvering and Peter Dengate Thrush

On August 8, 2011 Interactive Investor interviewed Anthony Van Couvering and Peter Dengate Thrush on ICANN’s ruling to introduce new domains on the Internet and how Top Level Domain Holdings (TLDH) will deliver on this. ›››

Industry Updates

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