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Tag: .com

  • ICANN Seeking Public Comment On .Com Registry Renewal

    ICANN, or the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers, entered into the .com Registry Agreement between themselves and Verisign in 2006. This allowed Verisign to operate the .com top-level domain for a number of years. If allowed to go forward, Versign would be in charge of .com domains once again for years to come.

    In the spirit of transparency, ICANN is inviting the public to submit their thoughts on the renewal of the .com agreement. The current agreement will end on November 30 of this year, so they ask that all comments be submitted before April 26.

    The major changes between the 2006 agreement and the proposed agreement for 2012 is a pretty hefty list. There’s a lot here, but it’s more important to read it yourself and form an opinion on it.

    Changes to Modernize the 2006 Agreement

    1.1. Functional and Performance Specifications revised to:

    1.1.1. Require support for IPv6: registry operator will accept IPv6 addresses as glue where applicable, and will offer IPv6 access to the Shared Registration System (e.g., EPP), Whois, and DNS servers.

    1.1.2. Require removal of orphan glue records in connection with malicious conduct: consistent with advice from ICANN’s Security and Stability Advisory Committee, registry operator will remove a orphan glue records so they can’t be used to support malicious conduct.

    1.1.3. Require support for DNSSEC: registry operator will implement Domain Name System Security Extensions (DNSSEC) to sign its TLD zone files and accept public-key material from child domain names in a secure manner; providing the ability to authenticate the data published in the DNS.

    1.1.4. Require publication of registry abuse contact information: registry operator will provide its accurate contact details including a valid email and mailing address as well as a primary contact for handling inquiries related to malicious conduct in the TLD.

    1.1.5. Require the parties to periodically negotiate in good faith regarding implementation of new escrow, Whois and technical specifications: registry operator and ICANN agree to engage in good faith negotiations, at least once every eighteen months, regarding possible implementation of new RFCs related to Data Escrow, Whois, and other Technical and Functional Specifications.

    1.1.6. Require compliance with IDNA and IDN guidelines: registry operator will comply with the latest technical standards regarding Internationalized Domain Names, follow the ICANN IDN implementation guidelines, and publish its IDN tables with IANA.

    1.1.7. Allow ICANN to use multiple monitoring locations for DNS and to monitor TCP queries: allows ICANN to implement a new Service Level Agreement monitoring system (also to be used for new gTLDs) to monitor DNS service from registry operator.

    1.2. Whois: added a provision (in Appendix 5) requiring adoption of a replacement of the WHOIS protocol, if and when it is standardized in the IETF. It is expected that this new protocol will support internationalized domain names and data, standardized query, response, and error handling, etc.

    1.3. Monthly Reports Specification: revised monthly report format (Appendix 4) to include more data.

    1.4. Audit: added provision giving ICANN broad contractual audit rights to facilitate contractual compliance efforts.

    Changes to Align with Other Large Registry Agreements

    2.1. Service Level Agreement: enhance performance specification, comparable to the performance specifications required in the .net registry agreement

    2.2. Threats to Security and Stability: added new provision that would allow the registry operator to temporarily prevent the registration of one or more names in the TLD in order to respond to an imminent threat to the security and/or stability of the TLD or the Internet.

    2.3. Use of Traffic Data: clarified that the use of traffic data would be limited to “thin” registry model data even if registry were to follow the “thick” registry model.

    2.4. Prohibition on Universal Wildcard Functions: clarification that prohibition on “SiteFinder” or other universal wildcard functions does not prohibit provision of name service or any other non-registry service for a domain or zone used for other than registration services.

    2.5. Indemnification of ICANN: added broad indemnification rights in favor of ICANN.

    Other Changes

    3.1. Registry Fees: replaced lump sum quarterly fee with a fee based on $0.25 per transaction in the TLD. This is a substantial increase in Verisign’s contribution.

    3.2. Cooperation with Compliance Actions Against Registrars: added a provision requiring the registry operator to implement ICANN ordered registrar suspensions to facilitate ICANN’s contractual compliance efforts.

    3.3. Price Caps: no substantive changes to price cap and price increase provision; agreement updated to reflect the current fee cap of $7.85.

    You can read the entire proposed 2012 agreement here. This is important stuff, so become informed and let ICANN know what you think. This is your chance to have a voice in regards to how the Internet works.

  • Tea Party Domain Could Bring Millions For Canadian Band

    The American political group The Tea Party have www.teaparty.org. Various branches of the group also have www.teapartypatriots.org and www.teapartyexpress.org – all of which rank high in Google search.

    But the most coveted domain name, the one that many will stumble upon while searching for The Tea Party, is teaparty.com. And no Tea Party group owns that domain.

    The owners of that domain are a Canadian rock band called The Tea Party.

    The Tea Party (band) is a trio out of Windsor, Ontario that have released eight albums through record label EMI. They formed in 1990 and played all the way up until 2005, scoring a number #1 song on the Canadian charts with “Heaven Coming Down.” They have sold over 1.6 million records worldwide. They reformed this year, only to find that the “Tea Party” name had spawned a whole new meaning during the years of their hiatus.

    It’s obvious that the band has been at one end of a lot of confusion since The Tea Party (politics) burst onto the scene. As you can see from the lead image above, the landing page to their site, teaparty.com, says “No politics…Just Rock and Roll.”

    (image)

    The Tea Party (Official)No politics….Just Rock & Roll(image) 6 hours ago · 118 likes · 22 comments

    (image)

    The band told Bloomberg Businessweek that the confusion has not been good, even though it draws a ton of people to their site. “So much damage has been done to our name by the political movement that we’re considering selling,” says the bassist, Stuart Chatwood.

    They say that last year, they began to get offers from political groups and investors – all wanting to purchase their domain name. The domain, teaparty.com, not only ranks on the front page of Google searches for “tea party” but is the default address that most people would type into the URL bar if they were looking for tea party information.

    Analysts say that with the political climate as it is and the name recognition of The Tea Party (politics), the teaparty.com domain could easily go for well over $1 million.

    That’s a pretty big payday for a domain registered in 1993. The largest amount of money ever paid for a domain was $13 million paid for sex.com.

    The band admits that their politics swing left, saying –

    We’ve considered lending the name to Stephen Colbert or Jon Stewart to have them dispel some of the stuff that the Tea Party says. As Canadians we’re somewhat sensitive to all the criticism of socialized medicine.

    But they add, “We’ve got families.”

    As November 2012 approaches, there is no telling what some organized interest might be willing to pay to snatch up such a valuable domain.

    Here’s their #1 Canadian hit, “Heaven Coming Down.” According to Wikipedia, they were dubbed “Moroccan Roll” due to their middle eastern influences.

  • ICANN Votes to Open the Domain Name Floodgates

    Internet domain name overlords ICANN (Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers) have voted on and approved today to open up the world of domain endings to include just about anything a person’s heart desires. The margin was 13-1 with two abstaining.

    Generic top-level domains (gTLDs) are currently limited to 22 across the internet. They include your basic .com, .org and .net as well as some more specific endings you have probably seen around the interwebs like .uk and .eu.

    Now, the ICANN will be lifting almost all the restrictions on gTLDs.

    Not only will domain registers be able to choose almost any word in the English language, but the ICANN will also approve domain names in any sort of characters – like Cyrillic or Kanji.

    The implications of this decision are far-reaching, as not only will products and trademarks become suitable gTLDs, but so will basic, generic words. Large corporations are no doubt already scrambling to figure out strategies for the new domain names. Some of the first of these new gTLDs you see may very well be ones like .coke, .apple or even product names like .camry or .bigmac.

    Or what about the generic terms? Which companies will be the first ones to register domains like .computer, .phone or .car? Imagine all the restaurants who would love to grab .food. TacoBell.food? McDonalds.food?

    It will most likely be corporations filing for these new domain names, as there will be a charge of $185,000 to apply. This high cost should prevent your average Joe from just collecting inventive domain names.

    “Today’s decision will usher in a new Internet age,” said Peter Dengate Thrush, Chairman of ICANN’s Board of Directors. “We have provided a platform for the next generation of creativity and inspiration.”

    Not everyone agrees with this sunny outlook of creativity. According to Reuters, the lone dissenter in the vote has some major concerns about the lifting of restrictions. Dengate Thrush thinks that more time is needed to discuss the plan with government officials. He is afraid that something like .nazi could incense some groups around the world.

    Nevertheless, ICANN will start accepting applications for these new gTLDs on January 12th, 2012. This application period will run until April 12th.

    I, for one, am curious to see just how creative these gTLDs can be. I can only imagine the interesting ones that will emerge from the XXX world.