New gTLDs

Update: NGPC Accepts Nine Items of GAC Advice on New gTLDs

author portrait

June 13, 2013

By jbourne

ICANN’s New gTLD Program Committee (NGPC) is slowly working its way through the Governmental Advisory Committee’s (GAC) advice from Beijing, which made a number of recommendations about implementing the new gTLD program.

The NGPC met on June 4, 2013 and adopted a resolution accepting nine items, the first of the NGPC’s decisions on how to address the GAC’s Advice.

Among the items of GAC Advice that the NGPC accepted, are:

  • The GAC’s concern that religious terms are sensitive issues and that the applications for .ISLAM and .HALAL lack community involvement and support.
  • The GAC’s belief that singular and plural versions of gTLDs could lead to potential consumer confusion and the Board should reconsider its decision to allow both.

As part of the resolution, the NGPC also adopted a scorecard, which does the following:

1) lists the nine items of non-Safeguard Advice addressed by the NGPC;

2) indicates that the NGPC accepts each of those items of advice;

3) describes how ICANN will implement the advice.

The NGPC addressed three additional issues, including an applicant’s ability to change it’s applied-for string, protections for intergovernmental organizations, and public interest commitments.

Despite its progress, the NGPC has plenty of work still left on the GAC’s Advice. The approved resolution, for example, does not address the GAC’s recommended safeguards. The NGPC has scheduled three more meetings for June 11, 18, and 25 to address the safeguards and other remaining issues.

Stay tuned for more updates!

Share on Social

Author portrait

About jbourne