Issue no. 390 - 20 July 2008

• ICANN - Work remains for new Top Level Internet Domains (Intellectual Property Watch)
  by Monika Ermert. The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) announced the "biggest extension of the DNS [domain name system] in 40 years" after its decision last week to finish implementation of a new policy for introducing new top-level domains (TLDs). One problem is a procedure to allow anyone to file objections against new TLD proposals on the bases of existing rights of others (like those holding trademarks), confusing similarity, economic concerns or concerns of ethnic communities about a new domain. Governments also reiterated that geographical names, including place names, must be avoided or only be granted in case of endorsement by the respective local authorities. But the most discussed and criticised reason for an objection clearly is "morality and public order."

• ICANN adopts new Web site naming rules (CNET)
  The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers has voted to relax rules for naming Web sites. At its meeting in Paris, ICANN, a not-for-profit organization that oversees the naming scheme for Web sites, voted to accept a proposal that will allow companies to purchase new top-level domain names ending in whatever they like. See also ICANN go-ahead on gTLDs - with "string criteria" (LINX Public Affairs blog, posred by Malcolm Hutty).

Issue no. 385 - 21 March 2008

• ICANN - Investigation finds no evidence of front running (OUT-LAW News)
  A committee of the body responsible for the internet's addressing system has found no evidence of front running, a form of deceptive domain name acquisition. Front running has long been rumoured to be in operation by unscrupulous domain name registration companies. They are alleged to monitor what addresses users search for but do not immediately buy. They then buy that domain to sell to the enquirer at a profit, according to reports. But a committee of ICANN (Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers) has investigated 120 supposed examples of the cheating and found no wrongdoing.

Issue no. 384 - 24 February 2008

• ICANN and Google thwart domain-name profiteers (ZDNet Australia)
  The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers has formally announced a proposal to make "domain tasting" a thing of the past by changing the way it charges for domain names. Domain tasting is the use of the "add grace period" - a five-day period following registration where the domain name can be deleted at no cost to the registrar - to see how profitable a domain name is.

Issue no. 380 - 30 September 2007

• UK - Lawyers attack Nominet plan for domain name disputes (OUT-LAW News)
  The registry for .uk domain names has proposed a change in the way that name disputes are handled, but the proposed fast-track system faces criticism for not being radical enough.

Issue no. 376 - 10 June 2007

• ICANN pushes for public participation in top level domains (The Register)
  The Internet Corporation for the Assignment of Names and Numbers (ICANN) has taken what appears to be a welcome step toward increasing public participation in the controversial area of generic Top Level Domain (gTLD) approval. ICANN, which determines the technical standards that govern the internet, has long been criticized for its opaque and capricious approach to approving new gTLDs.

Issue no. 375 - 9 May 2007

• EU domain racks up 2.5 million registrations (CNET News)
  More than 2.5 million people and organizations have registered European Union domain names since .eu was opened to the public a year ago. According to the European Union, .eu is now Europe's third most popular top-level domain and the seventh most popular globally.

Issue no. 374 - 1 April 2007

• ICANN - Proposal for porn domain rejected (BBC)
  Plans to create an internet domain specifically for pornographic websites have been rejected. The proposal for the .xxx domain was voted out by the overseer of the net's addressing system, seven years after the ideas was first put forward. Board members said they were concerned that approval would put the agency into the position of a content regulator. See Board meeting resolution and transcript. GAC Communique: GAC expresses concern that ICANN could be moving towards assuming an ongoing management and oversight role regarding Internet content which would be inconsistent with its technical mandate. Government of Canada comments on the proposed ICM Registry Agreement. See also Why I Voted For XXX (Susan Crawford), Family Online Safety Institute (FOSI) Press Release and .XXX ICANN comments - enormous opposition (Seth Finkelstein).

Issue no. 373 - 11 March 2007

• ICANN - Doubts over internet porn domain (CBRonline.com)
  The resurrected proposal to open an internet domain reserved for porn web sites is looking less likely to succeed, with ICANN's board of directors last week expressing 'serious concerns' about it. A majority of ICANN's directors are concerned that .xxx may not be wanted by the adult entertainment industry it would purport to serve, according to minutes of a February 12 ICANN board meeting.

Issue no. 372 - 25 February 2007

• ICANN - Doubts over internet porn domain (CBRonline.com)
  The resurrected proposal to open an internet domain reserved for porn web sites is looking less likely to succeed, with ICANN's board of directors last week expressing 'serious concerns' about it. A majority of ICANN's directors are concerned that .xxx may not be wanted by the adult entertainment industry it would purport to serve, according to minutes of a February 12 ICANN board meeting.

Issue no. 371 - 28 January 2007

• ICANN - Triple X, Internet Content Regulation and the ICANN Regime (Internet Governance Project)
  by Milton Mueller. The backers of the controversial .xxx domain have negotiated a new contract with ICANN. Final approval of the contract is still vehemently opposed by an amusing alliance of anti-pornography conservatives and pornographers with investments in existing adult domain names. Nevertheless, chances are now good that it will finally succeed in gaining the approval of the ICANN Board. What are the implications of this probable resolution of the .xxx drama for the Internet and Internet governance? They are major. But no one seems to be talking about them.

• ICANN publishes revised proposed agreement on .XXX (ICANN)
  A revised proposed agreement with ICM providing for designation of a .XXX sTLD registry is published for public comment. The public comment period will be open until 5 February 2007. See Summary of major changes to the previously posted agreement.

Issue no. 370 - 3 December 2006

• EU - Price of .eu domains slashed (MIP)
  EURid, the registry for .eu domain names, is halving the costs of registering and renewing .eu domain names. As of January 1 2007, the price for registering a domain name and the annual renewal fee will be €5 as opposed to today's €10. The registry said the reduction was due to the high number of domains registered since the .eu domain name was launched at the end of 2005. There are now more than 2.34 million active .eu domain names.

Issue no. 368 - 15 October 2006

• A domain by any other name (Jonathan Zittrain)
  The public's dislike of Icann comes partly from the opinion that it exercises too much control over the internet, but that's not the case.

• Dot eu: Commissioner Reding pays first visit to managers of Europe's new internet domain (RAPID)
  Information Society and Media Commissioner Viviane Reding has visited EURid, the independent consortium managing the '.eu' domain name. Commissioner Reding was accompanied by several Members of the European Parliament. The purpose of the visit was to understand the way the new domain name registration system - that so far has attracted more than two million users - functions.

• ICANN - Commission welcomes move towards full private-sector management (RAPID)
  The United States government's decision to give more autonomy to the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) was welcomed by the European Commission. On 30 September, a highly prescriptive Memorandum of Understanding between the US Department of Commerce and ICANN expired. It has now been replaced by lighter arrangements intended to end definitely by 2009. The European Commission has been working for several years on a system of internet governance entrusted fully to the private sector without government interference in the internet's day-to-day management. see also ICANN : Internet control 'nears autonomy' (BBC).

• UK - British politician falls victim to cybersquatters (Reuters)
  The leader of Britain's Conservative Party has fallen victim to cybersquatters and some people trying to access his Internet blog have found themselves entering the world of a little-known Australian poet. David Cameron, modernizing leader of the opposition party, launched his blog www.webcameron.org.uk over the weekend in a bid to appeal to younger voters and revamp the image of his party. But the party did not take the precaution, common in such circumstances, of securing the domains of similar Web site names including www.webcameron.info and www.webcameron.co.uk.

Issue no. 366 - 3 September 2006

• ICANN - Net's ruling body renews US links (BBC)
  The US looks set to maintain its role as ultimate supervisor of the net's addressing systems until 2011. The US Department of Commerce has signed a five-year deal with administrative body Icann that renews the body's role overseeing net domains.

Issue no. 365 - 15 August 2006

• EU - Thousands of EU net names frozen (BBC)
  Thousands of website names ending in the .eu suffix have been suspended by the body that administers the domain. Brussels-based EURid froze 74,000 domain names which it believes have been stockpiled by a syndicate of registrars who intend to sell them on. The process, known as 'warehousing', is not permitted by EURid which is suing 400 registrars for breach of contract.

Issue no. 364 - 7 July 2006

• ICANN - New WHOIS definition survives Marrakech meeting (Internet Governance Project)
  For now, it appears that the new, more technically focused and privacy-friendly definition of the purpose of Whois survived the Marrakech meeting. The U.S. Government and the copyright and law enforcement interests mounted a major onslaught against the GNSO action, using the Governmental Advisory Committee (GAC) as their pressure point. But it became clear during a lively GAC-GNSO open meeting that there is no unity among goverments on this issue.

Issue no. 361 - 23 May 2006

• ICANN - A low point (Susan Crawford)
  The decision by ICANN's board, which voted 9-5 to reject the XXX contract, represents a low point for ICANN. I am a member of ICANN's board, and I voted in favor of the agreement. Policies as to the use of domain names, as opposed to the registration of domain names, are not appropriate subjects for ICANN decisionmaking. By keeping such a short leash on ICM's development of its policy organization, which will in turn make decisions about the use of names at the second level, ICANN may be getting into dangerous territory. We should not run the risk of turning ICANN into a convenient chokepoint for the content-related limitations desired by particular governments around the world. see also .XXX and Conservative Groups by Patrick Vande Walle.

• ICANN - Appeal and lawsuit over .xxx rejection (out-law.com)
  The company that called for a .xxx domain on the internet has asked ICANN to reconsider its decision to reject the bid. ICM Registry is also suing the US Government for access to documents that it hopes will prove political interference. ICANN's board rejected ICM's proposal by nine votes to five on 10th May. But ICM filed a request for reconsideration, arguing that the decision was 'based on inaccurate information about the written statements of various governments concerning .xxx'.

• ICANN - US Renews Contract for Oversight Of Internet (Washington Post)
  The Bush administration plans to renew its exclusive contract with the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), the U.S.-based nonprofit group that oversees key technical matters governing how computers communicate over the Internet.

• ICANN approves .tel domain (ZDNet UK)
  Internet regulator ICANN has approved the creation of the .tel domain, the company that proposed the domain announced. Telnic, which proposed .tel to ICANN in 2000, said the domain will give individuals and businesses a naming and navigation structure for the Internet communications space.

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