[AfrICANN-discuss] Updates to New gTLD Program Implementation

[Anne-Rachel Inné]

Updates to New gTLD Program Implementation
8 August 2008
Economic Case for Auctions in New gTLDs Paper Released -- During the
ICANN meeting in Paris, France, ICANN staff made a commitment to
release a paper describing the economic case for auctions as a
tiebreaking mechanism for resolving contention among identical or
confusingly similar applications for new gTLDs. ICANN is today making
the Economic Case for Auctions in New gTLDs paper available so that
the community can provide feedback on this element of the forthcoming
implementation plan.
The paper [PDF, 52K] was prepared by ICANN's auction design consultant
PowerAuctions LLC with support from ICANN staff. The paper notes that
auctions as a tiebreaking mechanism accomplish a goal of allocative
efficiency through a transparent, objective and scalable process for
the resolution of gTLD applications.
This paper does not address specific details on how an auction process
to resolve string contention may be conducted. These details will be
provided as part of the larger information on new gTLD implementation
to be presented to the community in the near future.
A public forum has been established at at
http://forum.icann.org/lists/auction-consultation/. Comments submitted
to auction-consultation at icann.org will be considered until 7 September
2008 23:59 UTC (8 Aug 2008).
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String Similarity Algorithm Update -- ICANN staff recently completed a
workshop with SWORD, the partner who is assisting ICANN with the
creation of an algorithm that will help automate the process for
assessing similarity among proposed and existing TLD strings. SWORD's
verbal search algorithms are used by various patent and trademark
offices throughout the world. SWORD has completed a beta algorithm and
reviewed several test cases with ICANN staff. This is being done in
order to refine the parameters and discuss how the algorithm could be
successfully integrated as a tool to help implement the GNSO's
recommendation that new gTLD strings should not result in user
confusion with existing TLDs.
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Backend Registry Certification Not Available in First Round -- On 31
January 2008, ICANN posted an announcement
(http://www.icann.org/en/announcements/announcement-2-31jan08.htm) to
inform the community that it was exploring a potential initiative for
the certification of backend registry operators for new gTLDs. ICANN
staff has determined not to proceed with this initiative in the first
round of the new gTLD process. The initiative was suggested as a
possible means to streamline the application process for new gTLDs and
to create a pool of pre-qualified registry operators who could provide
assistance in the event of a registry failure. Exploration of the
initiative was also prompted by inquiries from community members who
expressed the potential positive aspects that creation of the
certification might promote.
During the exploration of the initiative, ICANN consulted with the
community including technical experts and gTLD and ccTLD registries
and registry service providers. Potential operational benefits and
risks of implementing the initiative were assessed. Ultimately, a
decision was made to not proceed with certification as part of the
initial new gTLD application round based upon a number of factors.
Some of these are: additional assessment as to effects certification
might have on the marketplace, e.g., whether the implementation might
cause expansion or contraction; additional collaboration with the
community as to the terms of such a certification; and weighing the
potential post-certification activities including ongoing testing,
re-certification and the introduction of new compliance activities. It
was also deemed important to be able to assess the positive and
negative aspects of the new gTLD implementation without possible
crossover effects of this additional certifi! cation. This
independence of interactions can be better assured by introducing the
certification (if it is deemed appropriate after additional analysis)
at a later date.
Both ccTLD and gTLD backend registry operators can still offer to
provide registry services to new gTLDs. The Request for Proposals for
new gTLDs, when published, will detail the minimum technical criteria
and pre-delegation check requirements that must be met by every
applicant prior to the approval of their TLD for insertion into the
root. New gTLD applicants might choose to build their own registry
infrastructure and systems, retain the services of an existing gTLD or
ccTLD registry services provider, or contract with another technical
services provider.