New gTLDs: Getting to the Next Round
GDD Summit | 17 May 2016
Session Agenda
1
2
3
Overview of Current
Work
Discussion:
New gTLD Overall
Issues / Demand for
additional New
gTLDs?
Work Tracks
4
5
6
What are the Key
Issues?
(15 min)
Path Forward to
Address Key Issues
Questions?
| 2
Overview of Current Work
Karen Lentz, ICANN
Reviewing the New gTLD Program
ProgramReviews
•  ICANNsupportsstudiesandanalysistoinformmul5stakeholderassessment
oftheProgram'sprogresstowarditsgoals
•  EnablesICANNtocapturemul5plestakeholderexperiencesinthelaunch
andopera5onoftheProgramandapplythoselessonslearnedmoving
forward
PolicyDevelopment
•  GNSOisresponsibleforrecommendingsubstan5vepoliciesrela5ngto
gTLDs
•  Nowconduc5ngworkonpossiblepolicychanges:
•  NewgTLDSubsequentProceduresPDPwillevaluatetheexperiencesof
the2012roundandproposepolicyrecommenda5ons,ifnecessary,for
changestosubsequentprocesses.
•  ReviewingRightsProtec5onMechanisms(inAllgTLDs)PDPwillto
reviewanddeterminewhethermodifica5onstoexis5ngRPMsare
needed.
| 4
CCT Review Team
Work and Inputs
2014
Independent
Reviews
2015
2016
ICANN Meetings
49
Competition, Choice, and Trust
(CCT) Review Team
q  Consumer/Registrant
Surveys
q  Economic Studies
þ  Rights Protection
Mechanisms
þ  Program
Implementation
q  DNS Abuse
q  Trademark Clearinghouse
q  CDAR Root Stability
New gTLD Subsequent
Procedures PDP
Rights Protection
Mechanisms PDP
50
51
52
53
Policy Development
Processes (PDPs)
54
Current Quarter
55
56
57
2017
58
59
2018
60
61
62
63
New gTLD Overall Issues
Jeff Neuman, Valideus USA
Charter
•  OriginalPolicyRecommenda5ons:Astheoriginalpolicyrecommenda5onsas
adoptedbytheGNSOCouncilandICANNBoardhave“beendesignedto
produceasystemizedandongoingmechanismsforapplicantstoproposenew
top-leveldomains”,thosepolicyrecommenda5onsremaininplacefor
subsequentroundsoftheNewgTLDProgramunlesstheGNSOCouncilwould
decidetomodifythosepolicyrecommenda5onsviaapolicydevelopment
process.
•  IssuestoAddress:
•  Clarifying,amendingoroverridingexis5ngpolicyprinciples,
recommenda5ons,andimplementa5onguidance;
•  Developingnewpolicyrecommenda5ons;
•  Supplemen5ngordevelopingnewimplementa5onguidance
| 7
Impressions of the 2012 Round?
“Attheendofthefirstapplica3onround,whenallthe
applica3onshavebeendealtwith,willthegTLDprogramlook
morelikeanexerciseinwastedresourcesthananimportant
cyberspaceinnova3on?”
-- Looking Back on the First Round of New gTLD Applications: Implications for the
Future of Domain Name Regulation by Jacqueline D. Lipton,
https://www.cigionline.org/sites/default/files/gcig_no31web.pdf
| 8
Overall Questions
•  ShouldthereinfactbenewgTLDsubsequentproceduresandifnot,whatare
thejus5fica5onsforandramifica5onsofdiscon5nuingtheprogram?
•  Predictability:Howcanchangestotheprogramintroduceda\erlaunch(e.g.,
digitalarchery/priori5za5onissues,namecollision,registryagreementchanges,
publicinterestcommitments(PICs),etc.)beavoided?
•  Compe55on,ConsumerTrust,andConsumerChoice:Didtheimplementa5on
meetordiscouragethesegoals?–CCTReviewTeam.
•  CommunityEngagement:Howcanpar5cipa5onfromthecommunitybebe_er
encouragedandintegratedduringthepolicydevelopmentprocess,
implementa5on,andexecu5on?
•  TLDDifferen5a5on?Brands,Geos,Communi5es–Doesonesizefitall?
•  Applica5onOrder:ShouldtherebeaBrandroundbeforeothers?
| 9
Should there be Additional New gTLDs?
Yes
•  In1999thecommunitycameto
consensusthatthereshouldbenew
gTLDstos5mulatecompe55on
•  HavingnewgTLDswoulds5mulate
innova5on
•  Expecta5onthattherewillbenewgTLDs
sodidn'tapplyinthefirstround
•  Couldbeviewedasan5-compe55venot
togoforward;couldbeacompe55ve
disadvantageifthereisnotanewround
forthosewhodidnotapplyinthefirst
round.
•  Addi5onalbrandscouldhelppropelthe
currentlevelofregistra5onsand/or
success
•  TopromotemorediversityinnewgTLDs
•  Tofurtherenhanceconsumerchoice,
consumertrust,andcompe55on
No
VS
•  NewgTLDshasbeenaplaygroundfor
rampantfraudandabusefortrademark
holdersandothers.
•  ToomanyTLDsarefailing.
•  NumbersofRegistra5onsshowfailureof
newgTLDs.
•  Issueoffuturedemandgiventhesecond
leveldomainsthatareavailable
•  Wedon'thaveasuccessbartosay
whetheragivenmetricis/isnota
success
•  Domainsboughtforspecula5ve
purposesnotuse
•  Applicantsgamedthesystemtoget
aroundbackgroundchecks
| 10
Should we Add New gTLDs in “Rounds”?
Rounds (Pros)
•  Predictabilityofcycles
•  Morecosteffec5veifevalua5onproceduresareextensiveandrepe55ve
•  Rightsholders(includingRegistries)donothavetobeontheirtoescon5nuously,watchingfor
newapplica5ons.
•  Iden5calapplica5ons-conten5onsets--areeasiertomanage.Alsoarguablymorefairtohave
conten5onsetsratherthanfirstcome,firstserved.
•  Globalrulesandboardac5onscanaddressallnewapplicantspriortoaround.Soroundsallow
forconsistencyinrules.
•  Roundsteeuptheapplica5onsforauc5onsbe_erthanacon5nuingopenapplica5onwindow.
•  Roundsallowforsubsequentreviewsandacycleofimprovement.
Rounds (Cons)
• 
• 
• 
• 
Ar5ficial5mebarriers
Addinglatency,increasing5metomarket
Createsar5ficialdemandandar5ficialscarcity
Timingbetweenroundsmayleaduptoar5ficialpentupdemand
| 11
If not Rounds, Then What?
Brainstorm Ideas
| 12
Work Streams
Work Stream 1: Process / Support/Outreach:
•  ApplicantGuidebook(AGB):IstheAGBtherightimplementa5onoftheGNSO
recommenda5onsforallpar5es(ROs,RSPs,EscrowProviders)?
•  ClarityofApplica5onProcess:Howcantheapplica5onprocessavoiddeveloping
processesonanas-neededbasis(e.g.,clarifyingques5onprocess,change
requestprocess,customersupport,etc.)
•  Accredita5onPrograms:Asthereappearstobealimitedsetoftechnicalservice
andEscrowproviders,wouldtheprogrambenefitfromanaccredita5onprogram
forthirdpartyserviceproviders?Ifso,wouldthissimplifytheapplica5onprocess
withasetofpre-qualifiedproviderstochoosefrom?
•  Systems:HowcanthesystemsusedtosupporttheNewgTLDProgram,suchas
TAS,CentralizedZoneDataService,Portal,etc.bemademorerobust,user
friendly,andbe_erintegrated?
•  Applica5onFees:Evaluateaccuracyofcostes5matesand/orreviewthe
methodologytodevelopthecostmodel.
•  SupportforApplicantsFromDevelopingCountries
| 14
Work Stream 2: Legal / Regulatory
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
ReservedNamesListandMechanismforRelease
BaseRegistryAgreement/Differen5a5on?
PICs?Isthistherightswaytoimplementrestric5ons?
RegistrantProtec5ons
ContractualCompliance
Registry/RegistrarSepara5on
RegistrarNon-Discrimina5on
TLDRollout
2ndLevelRPMs–[RightsProtec5onMechanismsPDP]
GlobalPublicInterest/GACAdvice/Safeguards
IGO/INGOProtec5ons
ClosedGenerics
| 15
Work Stream 3: String Contention / Objections &
Disputes
•  FreedomofExpressionvs.GACAdvice,community
processesandreservednames
•  StringSimilarityEvalua5ons(effec5ve?Fair?Efficient?)
•  Objec5ons–Reviewrulesaroundstanding,fees,
consolida5on,consistencyofoutcomes?Appeals?
OversightoverProcess/
•  RoleofIndependentObjector
•  AccountabilityMechanisms
•  CommunityApplica5onsandCommunityPriority
Evalua5ons
| 16
Work Stream 4: Internationalized Domain Names
Interna5onalizedDomainNamesandUniversal
Acceptance:Considerhowtoencourageadop5onof
gTLDs.EvaluatewhetherrulesaroundIDNsproperly
accountedforrecommenda5onsfromIDNWG.Determine
andaddresspolicyguidanceneededforthe
implementa5onofIDNvariantTLDs.
| 17
Work Stream 5: Technical & Operations
•  SecurityandStability:Weretheproperques5onsaskedtominimize
therisktotheDNSandensurethatapplicantswillbeabletomeet
theirobliga5onsintheregistryagreement?
•  Shouldtherebenon-scoredques5onsandifso,howshouldtheybe
presented?
•  Werethepropercriteriaestablishedtoavoidcausingtechnical
instability?
•  ApplicantReviews:Technical/Opera5onalandFinancial:Were
FinancialandTechnicalcriteriadesignedproperlytoallowapplicants
todemonstratetheircapabili5eswhileallowingevaluatorstovalidate
theircapabili5es?
•  NameCollision:Whatmeasuresmaybeneededtomanagerisksfor
2012-roundgTLDsbeyondtheir2yearanniversaryofdelega5on,or
gTLDsdelegatedpriortothe2012round?
| 18
What are the Key Issues
That Must be Resolved Prior
to Additional New gTLDs?
What is the Path Forward?
Questions