Stephane Vangelder (version EN) : New gTLDs: EOI in 2010, first application round in - ForumNDD.com, forum nom de domaine, domaining & co.

robot · #1 (**permalien**) 17/12/2009, 22h30

During the December 9 Board meeting, ICANN staff presented a revised project plan for completing the implementation of the new gTLD program. This is basically an updated roadmap leading up to the first application round, i.e. the start date when entities all over the world will be able to apply for their own Internet Top Level Domain.

This plan was summarised during yesterday's GNSO Council meeting. These are the major next steps expected by staff:

- A 4th version of the Draft Applicant Guidebook (DAG) will NOT be published in time for the next ICANN meeting (Nairobi, March 2010). However, significant excerpts of the DAGv4 will be, including items on trademark protection, post delegation dispute resolution, malicious conduct and the proposed registry agreement.

- A 4th DAG is expected to be published in time for ICANN's second international meeting of 2010 (Brussels, June). This should be very close to the final version.

- Following community discussion, a final version is expected to be published for the final meeting of next year (December, in Latin America (exact venue not determined yet)).

This means that the first round will likely not open until Q2 2011 at the earliest.

Although this is obviously unwelcome news for all those prospective applicants that have already been waiting for many years for the first round, this cloud does have a silver lining.

It is very likely that there will be some kind of Expression of Interest (EOI) system allowing applicants to "take their place in the queue" pending the full launch of the program with that first application round.

ICANN staff are working on a model already and will suggest that the EOI be made mandatory for all applicants. This means that even though the first round won't happen before 2011, applicants will still have to be ready to submit an EOI some time in 2010. Those that do will have taken an important first step towards their new gTLD.

However, before an EOI system can be implemented, at least two issues will have to be resolved. The first pertains to the 3 character minimum rule, which may be modified in some way. This has to be finalised as applicants need to know what they can apply for before submitting an EOI. There is also the registry/registrar vertical separation issue, as applicants need to know who (i.e. what type of entity) can apply.

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