Following a relatively quiet summer season, ICANN just published a modified version of the gTLD Applicant Guidebook on September 19, 2011.

Dreyfus & associes was present at the Parisian global awareness meeting dedicated to new gTLDs organized by ICANN.

This new guide is indented to specify various points decided during the Singapore meeting dated June 20, 2011 and more particularly confirms that applications for new gTLDs are planned to be accepted from January 12 to March 29, 2012. Application will have to be completed and the tax procedure paid by April 12, 2012 at midnight.

New list of prohibited terms

The modified version of the guide adds new terms to the list of prohibited terms that won’t be available for application, in particular those of the International Olympic Committee and the International Red Cross, as listed below:

International Olympic Committee
OLYMPIC OLYMPIAD OLYMPIQUE
OLYMPIADE OLYMPISCH OLÍMPICO
أوﻟﻴﻤﺒﻴﺎد أوﻟﻴﻤﺒﻲ OLIMPÍADA
奥林匹克 奥林匹亚 奧林匹克
奧林匹亞 Ολυμπιακοί Ολυμπιάδα
올림픽 올림피아드 Олимпийский
Олимпиада

International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement 1B
REDCROSS REDCRESCENT REDCRYSTAL
REDLIONANDSUN MAGENDDAVIDADOM REDSTAROFDAVID
CROIXROUGE CROIX-ROUGE CROISSANTROUGE
CROISSANT-ROUGE CRISTALROUGE CRISTAL-ROUGE
CRUZROJA MEDIALUNAROJA מגן דוד אדום
CRISTALROJO Красный Крест Красный Полумесяц
لالهلا رمحألا رمحألا بيلصلا Красный Кристалл
紅十字 اﻟﻛرﻳﺳﺗﺎﻟﺔ اﻟﺣﻣراء ءارمحلا ةرولبلا
红十字 紅新月 红新月
紅水晶 红水晶

Enlarged list of reserved country names

In addition to the country names defined in the ISO 3166-1 list, other variations have been included in the applicant guidebook essentially to cover territory names included in the corresponding two-character ISO code. For instance, the .gp code corresponding to Guadeloupe also applies to La Désirade, Marie-Galante and Les Saintes whose names will not be available for applicants.

It is worthwhile to note that .us corresponding to the United-States will also cover the name “America”.

Background screening on the candidates

This new application guide also contains information on the background screening on the candidates and the corresponding time frame (10 years). ICANN is in discussions with INTERPOL to identify ways in which both organizations can collaborate in background screenings on candidates and on potential supplemental investigations.

GAC warning

The new application guide specifies the content of the advices and warnings emitted by the GAC (Government Advisory Committee) in relation to some applications. ICANN also specifies how these advices and warnings should be or not taken into account.

No developments on rights protection mechanisms

The new guide does not contain any information on right protection mechanisms. Neither the Trademark Clearing House mechanisms have been specified, nor the organization that will be in charge of its management.

The new gTLD program is now fully launched and it will be possible for the first candidates to file their application in about 100 days. ICANN expects to receive several hundred applications, which will undoubtedly change the Internet landscape.

Click here to download the pdf version of this document