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ICANN to finalise new top-level domains
Melbourne: New top-level domains came a step closer to reality Tuesday when the agency that oversees Internet addresses authorised the completion of negotiations for the unsponsored top-level domains .name, .pro, .biz and .info. At a quarterly meeting of the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers in Melbourne this week, the organisation's board discussed finalizing agreements for new top-level domains, the fate of registrar VeriSign, and the difficulties surrounding international domains. ICANN adopted seven new domain name suffixes in November in an attempt to expand the previous list of top-level domains, including .com, .net and .org. The organisation has concentrated its efforts to get the new unsponsored domains-.name, .pro, .biz and .info-up and running as quickly as possible. Tuesday's decision should mean progress will soon be made on the sponsored top-level domains: .aero, .coop and .museum. The unsponsored domain agreements include a one-year preparation period, a five-year operation term, and a possible one-year extension. They also provide clauses that would make an appropriate financial adjustment - in the event of a change of registry operator-to cover overhanging registrations, late-term investments, and so on. Some ICANN board members said they felt the agreements could be improved, particularly in regard to separation of registry and registrar. But they said the perceived need for prompt action overrode these concerns. A registrar, such as Register.com, sells domain names to the public. A registry charges registrars to add domain names to a central database, which it alone controls. Afilias, the consortium chosen to run the .info domain, said in a statement that it welcomed the board's resolution. It will begin a registration period to trademark holders as early as the second quarter of 2001; open registration for the public is expected to commence approximately 45 days later.RegistryPro, which plans to launch the .pro domain-initially for medical practitioners, lawyers and accountants-by the third quarter, also welcomed the progress. "Today's decision has moved RegistryPro, as well as the other registries, further along the path to bringing more choice and more competitive product offerings into the domain industry," interim CEO Sloan Gaon said in a statement. Waiting on VeriSign
In addition, the ICANN board on Tuesday deferred its decision on its agreement with VeriSign and registries for the .com, .net and .org domains. Earlier this month, the company said it would cede control of the .org and .net suffixes to maintain rights to its registry for .com. The board has two options. In arrangement with India.CNET.com Copyright © 2001 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
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