A Plan for Action Regarding New gTLDs

2007-11-24T15:18:00.000-08:00

At its August 23rd meeting, the ICANN Board of Directors directed me to produce a "plan for action" with respect to the implementation of the Report of the New TLD Evaluation Process Planning Task Force. This document and its attachments are in response to that request.

There are three parts to this response. Each Part contains its own independent set of recommendations, and each Part can be addressed and pursued separately:

I. A Proposal for the Board to Extend the Proof of Concept in Parallel with Evaluation of the new gTLDs: This proposal provides the Board with the option, should it so wish to do so, of extending the original "Proof of Concept" to solicit up to three more sponsored TLDs, subject to certain conditions, following a suitable, but short, bidding process. Applicants for sponsored TLDs from the previous round would be invited to update their proposals and resubmit them, but new proposals would also be invited.

II. A Plan for Implementing the Key Recommendations of the NTEPPTF Report regarding the Evaluation of New gTLDs: This plan for the Board's consideration proposed how to implement the principal recommendations of the NTEPPTF Report for a Monitoring Program and an Evaluation, while recognizing the limitations of time and funding.

III. A Recommendation that the Board seek DNSO (or its successor) advice on how to evolve the top level generic namespace: This recommends that the Board ask the DNSO (or its successor depending on what evolves in Shanghai) to develop a recommendation on how to evolve the generic namespace, with specific focus on the question as to whether and how to rationalize the space (that is, to develop a taxonomy for top level domains); whether to expand the space strictly according to market demand; or whether to pursue some third alternative; and to develop other principles that should govern the evolution of the namespace. This is an important step towards fulfilling the requirements of Paragraph IIC 8(b) of the recently amended Memorandum of Understanding with the United States Department of Commerce regarding the creation and implementation of selection criteria for new and existing TLD registries, including public explanation of the process, selection criteria, and the rationale for selection decisions.

The first topic provides the option of parallel processing to allow some movement forward while longer term directions are under consideration. The second topic concentrates on evaluation of what has already been accomplished, to provide guidance for the future – at least to the extent that resources allow. The third topic addresses some key policy concerns that will surely be factors in any future expansion of the top level generic namespace.

I plan to discuss these approaches in the Public Forum at the Shanghai meeting. However, except possibly for Part III (which is in effect seeking a recommendation from the DNSO), I am recommending that no specific actions be taken until the Annual General Meeting in December to allow time for posting and community feedback. In the meantime, some of the steps recommended in the "parallel processing" document (Part I) can be pursued as a prerequisite to a go ahead (or not) decision in December.

Stuart Lynn
President, ICANN
October 18, 2002

http://www.icann.org/committees/ntepptf/new-gtld-action-plan-18oct02.htm

About .gen (dotGEN)

2007-11-24T05:15:00.000-08:00

.gen (dotGEN) is a proposed new top level domain (TLD). It is a Sponsored top-level domain intended to be a top level domain.

The Internet is becoming more local and search enquiries increasingly concern the Internet user’s local environment. Domains are also a scarce resource and it is scarcely possible to register sensible new addresses within the current domain endings. The logical consequence is thus to extend the Internet’s namespace to take account of these developments.

dotGEN Project

A Plan for Action Regarding New gTLDs

About .gen (dotGEN)