In its new updated timeline ICANN under the date of  November 30, 2012 says:

“”In the ideal case, an application that has encountered no problems has passed evaluation by this date.

“The applied-for string can begin a transition that will result in being delegated into the root zone, and eventually the string will be live and reachable on the Internet as a TLD. ”

“However, some applications will be subject to special processes depending on the circumstances. For example, if more than one party has applied to operate the same TLD (a circumstance referred to as string contention), attempts to resolve the contention begin.”

“As you can see, the New gTLD Program forecasts a busy 2012.”

“Some new gTLDs will clear the process late in the year, and be ready for delegation in early 2013.”

“Other new gTLDs will have a longer path.”

You can read the ICANN announcement with the new gTLD time frame here

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Hum

ICANN has budgeted some $100 Million dollars from incoming application fees from the new gTLD program and they are asking people to volunteer their time to evaluate applicants seeking financial support.

Throughout the new gTLD process and various Guidebooks and meetings ICANN has stated that financial assistance would be made available to certain worthy  organization that didn’t have the $185K application fee.  This discounted rate if you will was part and parcel of the program.

To now ask people to determine which organization are entitled to financial assistance and a discounted application fee,  for free, well it doesn’t seem right to me.

Seems like its a job ICANN should be paying for,  not getting it for free.

Here is the announcement

“”The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) is seeking volunteers who will assist in the evaluation of those organizations seeking financial support to apply for a new generic Top-Level Domain (gTLD).

“”Public comment is requested as to why there may be a perceived need for defensive new gTLD applications and steps that could be considered to help alleviate this concern.”"

The comment period closes  on February 27th.

In announcing the opening of the comment period ICANN said:

“”The New gTLD Program was designed to increase competition and choice by introducing new gTLDs into the Internet’s addressing system. The Application Submission period for gTLD applications opened on 12 January 2012 and will close on 12 April 2012.

“”During the development of the New gTLD Program, some trademark holders indicated that they were concerned about the perceived need for defensive applications for top-level names, i.e., names applied for as registries in the new gTLD program.”"

“”This concern prompted discussion and consideration of several mechanisms during the development of the policy for the introduction of new gTLDs. Community discussions during the implementation of the program yielded a suite of additional trademark protections for new gTLDs. These are the rights protection mechanisms that were developed over a period of years by a set of intellectual property experts convened by ICANN and later enhanced by governments that participate through ICANN’s Governmental Advisory Committee.”"

“”"Despite the adoption of these enhanced protections, some stakeholders recently indicated that they are concerned about the perceived need for defensive applications at the top level and encouraged ICANN to ensure that the program was launched in a manner that protects intellectual property rights.”"

“”This announcement briefly reviews the existing protections against infringement of rights at the top level.”"

“”Public comment is requested as to why there may be a perceived need for defensive new gTLD applications and steps that could be considered to help alleviate this concern.”"

Top-Level Protection: The Objection and Dispute Resolution Process

“”The New gTLD Program implements consensus policy advice that new gTLDs must not infringe the existing legal rights of others. Based on input received during public consultations and extensive research, a formal objection and dispute resolution process was developed for the protection of certain legal rights. This process allows a party to challenge a gTLD application on the grounds that it infringes on the party’s established legal rights (e.g., trademark rights). The program has established standing requirements and other criteria that must be met in order to prevail in a Legal Rights Objection and has designated the Arbitration and Mediation Center of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) as the dispute resolution service provider.”"

“”In addition to the objection process, there is also a formal process for governments, through ICANN’s Governmental Advisory Committee, to provide advice to the ICANN Board in relation to the approval of an application.…

“Applicants will undergo criminal background checks, financial evaluations and challenging technical assessments. More than 300 pages of rules govern the application process.”

“Tough standards will be a major deterrent to cyber criminals looking to take advantage of consumers. Most of these schemers and scammers will not invest the money and time needed to clear the application hurdle, nor will the new domain names — with more protections — be attractive to them.”

“Once applicants meet these high standards, they’ll be required to adopt several new safeguards, among them a process to quickly take down domain names of those who engage in clearly malicious conduct, such as trademark infringement. There are new procedures to secure remedies against wrongdoers.”

“ICANN is not just expanding the domain space. We’re improving it. We’ve heard from hundreds of experts around the world — from law enforcement to leading global trademark authorities — and we’ve incorporated their recommendations.”

“The new registries will also make information about website owners more accessible in the “Whois” databases, and create a one-stop location where accredited parties, such as law enforcement investigators, can view registry data.”

“It is simplistic to argue that expanding the Internet domain space will expand the possibility of online malfeasance. That’s like arguing that building more homes increases the possibility of home burglaries. The argument ignores the fact that this new part of the Internet’s domain-name system will offer substantially improved security, strengthened enforcement and greater transparency.”…

Jeff Neuman of NeuStart Tweeted today:

“Check your applications in TAS. Reports of missing applications- Our application 4 .Neustar is 1 of them”

“”TAS also lost our “unique” ID which we got upon paying initial 5k. We need ID to pay remainder, fill out app & see all apps.”"

Ken Hanson of Neustar also Twitted today:

“Check your applications in TAS this morning. Reports of missing application”

On Tuesday we were on a blogger call with Rod Beckstrom the CEO of ICANN who told the bloggers that everything was “running smoothly” on the new gTLD process.

Looks like today there maybe an issue which apps getting lost during the submission process.

We will keep checking Twitter for other reports of problems and will update you as the day goes on.

UPDATE

ICANN has now tweeted:

“A display issue occurred in TAS, it has been corrected. All data is now visible & no information was lost”

 …

“For us, No news is good news, things are running smoothly we have not encountered any major technical or service issues.”

Beyond that Mr. Beckstrom was unwilling to give any updated numbers in terms of the number of applications submitted or the number of companies that had paid the $5,000 for the spot to file and application.

ICANN has previously stated that 25 companies had paid the $5K fee.

Today Mr. Beckstrom wouldn’t disclose how many application fees of $180K (less the $5K fee for the spot online to file) have been received.

Another uncertainty in the process is the selection of the company(s) that will handle the Uniform Rapid Suspension (URS) and whether any company will be willing to undertake hearing those for the published goal of $300-$500 per, as we sit today, its not clear that anyone is beating down ICANN door to take this project on.

Beckstrom did indicate that they have received interest from qualified company(s) to operate the Trademark Clearing House and it sounds like ICANN is closer than to making a selection.  Also from the call its clear that there will not be a public comment period on ICANN’s selection of the provider to run the Trademark Clearing House.

Finally as far as publishing the list of applications received, although shooting for two weeks after the closing of the application period Mr. Beckstrom would not commit to the list being published on May 1, 2012.

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The Final Draft Report [PDF, 1.04 MB] is opened for public comment until 18 March 2012.

“Comprehensive and straightforward, the report lays out systematically what the team found lacking with Whois policy and what they think should be done about it.”

Here are the recommendations from the DRAFT final report:

The TLD Application System (TAS), the online system for submission of new gTLD applications is now live.

Check out it out here.

Once you fill out that form, you just have to send in your $5K which will allow you to submit your application and the $180,000 balance that goes with.

Applications as of 7PM EST are now being accepted

The deadline to get your application in is April 12, 2012.

Don’t’ forget you have to have your online TAS registration complete and your $5K to reserve your online application spot in by March 28th 2012.

Here is all of the info from ICANN:

“”After more than seven years of planning, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) has initiated a process that could trigger a dramatic expansion of the Internet.

Starting today, ICANN begins accepting applications for new generic top-level domains (gTLDs).  The world of .com, .gov, .org and 19 other gTLDs will soon be expanded to include all types of words in many different languages. For the first time generic TLDs can include words in non-Latin languages, such as Cyrillic, Chinese or Arabic.

Applicants will use the TLD Application System (TAS) to submit their application, in which they answer the 50 questions detailed in the Applicant Guidebook.  Links to register in TAS are provided on the ICANN New gTLD page.

An updated version of the Applicant Guidebook was posted with the opening of the application window. The updated version incorporates clarifications made through responses previously published by the gTLD customer service center. Main points of clarification are on topics such as batching, background screening, the applicant support program, Continued Operations Instrument, GAC advice processes, and the registry code of conduct. Additional information and answers to previously asked questions can be found in the Program’s Supplemental Notes. These materials are not intended to introduce new requirements or criteria. Links to both the Applicant Guidebook and the Supplemental Notes can be found at the ICANN New gTLD page.

Also available now are changes to the Applicant Support Program: limited financial assistance is offered to qualifying applicants. Through this program, applicants, especially from developing economies, have access to financial assistance in the form of an evaluation fee reduction and other in-kind or community pro bono services.…

When asked about the refund policy of ICANN in the event that some court orders ICANN to stop or delay the new gTLD program, ICANN was quite clear.

“We will only offer refunds that are laid out in the Applicant Guide Book.”

“The Guidebook does not specifically talk about a refund based on court action.”

“The only refunds provided under the Guidebook are:

“If the GAC (Governmental Advisory Counsel)  issues an early waring and the applicant withdraws its application they get 80% of the application fee back;

“If an Applicant withdraws before initial evaluation they get 70%  of their application fee back”

“After initial evaluation if the applicant withdraws their application they get 20% of the application fee back.”

So ICANN is clearly asking the applicants to take the risk of litigation with them.

Some groups like the ANA have openly threaten to sue ICANN to stop the new gTLD program and they have said they might not sue right away.

When it come to a partial refund of the application fee, the old saying Time is Money, is particularly true.

Something that any applicant needs to consider before writing out the check for $185,000 per application.…

“‘This week will bring the long-awaited opening up of a new realm of Web addresses in which just about any word—such as dot-furniture or dot-arcticvacations—can serve as a domain name. And to some, that spells opportunity.”

“It will be the first time in more than a decade that anyone can apply for the rights to control a slice of the broader Web marketplace, as opposed to just domains for specific types of Internet users.”

The article quotes a  Jeffrey Smith saying that:

“He and domain-name speculators like him have been building entire businesses around ideas for new right-of-the-dot names, and in many cases they have lined up backers to help them cover application and other costs.”

“Mr. Smith and his eight partners started their business in 2000 for the sole purpose of having it become a dot-shop registry holder that could sell dot-shop Web addresses, such as jeans.shop and coats.shop. “I’ve dedicated the last 10 years to this,” says the 46-year-old Mr. Smith.”

“Mr. Smith says he has already put more than $2 million of his own money into his speculative dot-shop registry business. He and his partners have also lined up four angel investors to raise capital.”

I hate to tell Mr. Smith but GMO Interest the largest ISP in Japan and the 13th largest domain name registrar according to RegistrarStats.com, has been quite public in their interest in applying for .Shop and has maybe spent more money just on ICANN parties to promote their .Shop application than Mr. Smith and his partners have spent.

The article also quotes Jacob Malthouse who plans to apply for .Eco and attorney and fellow domain blogger Enrico Schaefer, who is quoted as saying:

“Mr. Schaefer thinks his undisclosed dot-something could become a leading rival to the ubiquitous dot-com registry. “Dot-com is not immune to real competition,” he says. “This will be the very first opportunity for competition to come to dot-com in a real, meaningful way.”

This is just one of many articles we should see this week about the new gTLD program in the mainstream press.

You can check out the whole article here.

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