Public Comment
Introduction of Two-Character Domain Names for .LUXURY, .WANG, XN--3BST00M, XN--6QQ986B3XL, XN--CZRU2D, XN--45Q11C, .BUILD, .REN, .PIZZA, .RESTAURANT, .GIFTS, .SARL, XN--55QX5D, XN--IO0A7I, and 20 TLDs associated with Top Level Domain Holdings Limited
Open Date
23 July 2014 23:59 UTC
Close Date
13 August 2014 23:59 UTC
Staff Report Due
3 September 2014 23:59 UTC
Brief Overview
To obtain community input on the proposed amendments to the Registry Agreements of several registry operators. The proposed Amendments are to implement a new registry service, submitted through the Registry Services Evaluation Process (RSEP), that would permit the introduction of two-character domain names for registration in the new gTLD namespace.
Section I: Description and Explanation
Specification 5 (Schedule of Reserved Names), Section 2 of the New gTLD Registry Agreement addresses reservations of two-character labels. As provided in Specification 5:
All two-character ASCII labels shall be withheld from registration or allocated to Registry Operator at the second level within the TLD. Such labels may not be activated in the DNS, and may not be released for registration to any person or entity other than Registry Operator, provided that such two-character label strings may be released to the extent that Registry Operator reaches agreement with the related government and country-code manager of the string as specified in the ISO 3166-1 alpha-2 standard. The Registry Operator may also propose the release of these reservations based on its implementation of measures to avoid confusion with the corresponding country codes, subject to approval by ICANN.
The New gTLD registry operators listed below submitted requests to ICANN through the Registry Services Evaluation Process (RSEP) to release certain two-character labels. In total, the requests concern 34 New gTLDs. Implementation of the proposal would require an amendment to the Exhibit A, Approved Services of the respective Registry Agreements, which are being posted for public comment.
Proposal | TLD | Registry Name | Documents |
---|---|---|---|
2014039 | Multiple TLDs* | Top Level Domain Holdings Limited | Top Level Domain Holdings Limited Request 21 July 2014 [PDF, 15 KB] |
2014037 | xn--55qx5d xn--io0a7i |
Computer Network Information Center of Chinese Academy of Sciences | Computer Network Information Center of Chinese Academy of Sciences (China Internet Network Information Center) Request 17 July 2014 [PDF, 16 KB] |
2014035 | pizza restaurant gifts sarl |
Binky Lake LLC | Binky Lake, LLC Request 11 July 2014 [PDF, 16 KB] |
2014034 | ren | Beijing Qianxiang Wangjing Technology Development Co., Ltd. | Beijing Qianxiang Wangjing Technology Development Co., Ltd. Request 11 July 2014 [PDF, 15 KB] |
2014031 | build | Plan Bee, LLC | Plan Bee, LLC Request 10 July 2014 [PDF, 18 KB] |
2014029 | wang xn--3bSt00M xn--6qQ986B3xL xn--czRu2D xn--45Q11C |
Zodiac Registry Limited | Zodiac Registry Limited Request 30 June 2014 [PDF, 15 KB] |
2014028 | luxury | Luxury Partners, LLC | Luxury Partners, LLC Request 27 June 2014 [PDF, 18 KB] |
*Note: Top Level Domain Holdings Limited has submitted one RSEP request for 20 gTLDs.
As part of these requests, each registry operator described the two-character domain names that it would offer for registration. These RSEP requests were posted for public information on the Registry Service Evaluation Process webpage, available at https://www.icann.org/resources/pages/rsep-2014-02-19-en.
See below for a summary of each RSEP request:
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Multiple Top Level Domain Holdings Limited TLDs – On 21 July 2014, ICANN posted for public information a request made by Top Level Domain Holdings Limited (on behalf of twenty Top Level Domain Holdings Limited operated TLDs). The proposal requests the release of two-character domains while reserving the two-letter domains that correspond to the two-letter country code names. The request applies to the following TLDs: .abogado, .bayern, .beer, .budapest, .casa, .cooking, .country, .fashion, .fishing, .garden, .horse, .luxe, .miami, .nrw, .rodeo, .surf, .vodka, .wedding, .work, and .yoga. Among these twenty (20) TLDs, .bayern and .nrw are affiliates of Top Level Domain Holdings Limited, while the remaining eighteen (18) of them are operated by Top Level Domain Holdings Limited.
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xn--55qx5d, xn--io0a7i – On 17 July 2014, ICANN posted for public information a request made by Computer Network Information Center of Chinese Academy of Sciences (China Internet Network Information Center) (CNNIC) (on behalf of two CNNIC operated TLDs). The proposal requests the release of all two-character ASCII labels that do not appear on the ISO 31661-1 alpha-2 list and for which there is no corresponding country-code operator. If ICANN approves this proposal, CNNIC notes that all the released two-character ASCII labels will be equitably provided to any potential registrants as other normal labels.
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.pizza, .restaurant, .gifts, .sarl – On 11 July 2014, ICANN posted for public information a request made by Binky Lake, LLC (on behalf of four Donuts, Inc. operated TLDs). The proposal requests the release of all two-character ASCII labels that do not appear on the ISO 3166-1 alpha-2 list and for which there is no corresponding government or country-code operator. To avoid user confusion with the two-character country codes, the registry operator noted in its RSEP that "the release of these two-character ASCII labels poses no risk of confusion with any country-code. Therefore, the restrictions placed on this set of two-character ASCII labels are unwarranted and should be lifted forthwith."
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.ren – On 11 July 2014, ICANN posted for public information a request made by Beijing Qianxiang Wangjing Technology Development Co., Ltd. The proposal requests the release of all two-character ASCII labels that do not appear on the ISO 31661-1 alpha-2 list and for which there is no corresponding country-code operator. The registry operator noted in its RSEP request that "As permitted under Specification 5, Section 2, Registry Operators may propose the release of the two-character ASCII label reservations where there is the ability to avoid confusion with the corresponding country codes, subject to approval by ICANN. We are not seeking an amendment to the Registry Agreement; rather we seek approval from ICANN in the form of a written waiver stating that .REN Registry Operator is permitted to make available for registration those two-character ASCII labels that do not appear on the ISO 3166-1 alpha-2 list and for which there are no corresponding country-code operators."
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.build – On 10 July 2014, ICANN posted for public information a request made by Plan Bee, LLC. The proposal requests the release of all two-character ASCII labels that do not appear on the ISO 31661-1 alpha-2 list and for which there is no corresponding country-code operator. The registry operator noted in its RSEP request that "Should ICANN approve this proposed service, Plan Bee will implement responsible measures to introduce these attractive and memorable labels into the marketplace while protecting the interests of any potentially impacted third parties. If ICANN grants this proposal, none of the two-character labels included in this specific proposal and released by Plan Bee would match existing country codes. Thus, this proposal at this time precludes the existence of country-code-matching labels in the .BUILD namespace, eliminating the possibility that the names released by Plan Bee might be confused with existing country codes."
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.wang, xn--3bSt00M, xn--6qQ986B3xL, xn--czRu2D, xn--45Q11C –On 30 June 2014, ICANN posted for public information a request made by Zodiac Registry Limited (on behalf of five Zodiac Registry Limited operated TLDs). The proposal requests the release of all two-character ASCII labels that do not appear on the ISO 3166-1 alpha-2 standard and for which there is currently no corresponding government or country-code. The Registry Operator requested for the proposed amendments to include additional two-character domain names to the initially proposed domain name list.
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.luxury – On 27 June 2014, ICANN posted for public information a request made by Luxury Partners, LLC. The proposal requests the release of all two-character ASCII labels that do not appear on the ISO 31661-1 alpha-2 list and for which there is no corresponding country-code operator. The registry operator noted in its RSEP request that "Should ICANN approve this proposed service, Luxury Partners will implement responsible measures to introduce these attractive and memorable labels into the marketplace while protecting the interests of any potentially impacted third parties. If ICANN grants this proposal, none of the two-character labels released by Luxury Partners would match existing country codes. This commitment precludes existence of country-code-matching labels in the .LUXURY namespace, eliminating the possibility that the names released by Luxury Partners might be confused with existing country codes."
As provided by the Registry Services Evaluation Policy, ICANN has undertaken a preliminary determination on whether the proposals might raise significant competition, security or stability issues. ICANN's preliminary review (based on the information provided) did not identify any such issues for these requests.
To note, in its 27 March 2014 Singapore Communiqué, the GAC noted that it "discussed the Brand Registry Group proposal for a streamlined process under an addendum to the Registry Agreement for the approval of country names and 2-letter and character codes at the second level." The GAC stated that it "has no major concerns about brand owners seeking approval for such names," but that the approval should be "done directly with the countries concerned rather than through a GAC-level operational process." The GAC noted that "individual GAC members could assist with proposals relevant to their particular country if requested," and the GAC suggested that "consideration be given to establishing a register of countries that do not require individual requests to be made." The GAC will be informed of this public comment period. Subsequent to the GAC's Singapore Communiqué, on 8 August 2014, the GAC Chair submitted a letter to the ICANN Board noting that some GAC members have raised concerns regarding the RSEP requests to release two-character labels, and as a result the GAC "intends to consider the matter at its next meeting during ICANN 51." The GAC requested that the Board take this timing into account as it considers the RSEP requests, and to continue to keep the GAC appraised of similar requests.
Section II: Background
In 2006, .name requested for a limited release of reserved two-character names which ICANN staff performed an initial technical evaluation, and referred the matter to the Registry Services Technical Evaluation Panel (RSTEP) process. The RSTEP panel considered the security and stability impacts of the proposal, which focused on unexpected responses being received from the DNS for both existing and non-existing domains, as well as simply user confusion where the idea of two letter second-level domains is unfamiliar. Based on the report of the RSTEP Panel, internal experts and other public comments, there were no significant security and stability issues related to introduction of the proposal, and the board adopted a resolution on 16 January 2007 to authorize ICANN to amend the .name Registry Agreement to implement the proposed registry services.
From 2007 to 2012, ICANN processed various RSEP proposals related to the release of two-character labels for 11 TLDs (.jobs, .coop, .mobi, .biz, .pro, .cat, .info, .travel, .tel, .asia, and .org).
On 12 June 2014, a similar public comment period regarding six RSEP proposals and amendments for the introduction of two-character domain names was opened. The six RSEP proposals are for the following 148 gTLDs: .kred, .best, .ceo, .wiki, .globo, and 143 Donuts, Inc. operated TLDs (Note: Binky Lake, LLC has submitted a RSEP request on behalf of Donuts, Inc. for 143 gTLDs.). The public comment forum for these six requests can be found here: https://www.icann.org/public-comments/two-char-new-gtld-2014-06-12-en.
On 8 July 2014, a similar public comment period regarding six more RSEP proposals and amendments for the introduction of two-character domain names was opened. The six RSEP proposals are for the following twelve gTLDs: .deals, xn--fjq720a, .city, .xyz, .college, .gop, .trade, .webcam, .bid, .healthcare, .world, and .band. The public comment forum for these six requests can be found here: https://www.icann.org/public-comments/two-char-new-gtld-2014-07-08-en.
On 19 August 2014, a similar public comment period regarding four more RSEP proposals and amendments for the introduction of two-character domain names was opened. The four RSEP proposals are for the following four gTLDs: .sohu, .immo, .saarland, .club. The public comment forum for these four requests can be found here: https://www.icann.org/public-comments/two-char-new-gtld-2014-08-19-en
On 12 September 2014, a similar public comment period regarding five more RSEP proposals and amendments for the introduction of two-character domain names was opened. The five RSEP proposals are for the following five gTLDs: .jetzt, .global, .neustar, .kiwi, .berlin. The public comment forum for these five requests can be found here: https://www.icann.org/public-comments/two-char-new-gtld-2014-09-12-en
Section III: Relevant Resources
- RSEP Webpage: https://www.icann.org/resources/pages/rsep-2014-02-19-en
- RSEP Policy:https://www.icann.org/resources/pages/policy-bd-2012-02-25-en
- Board Resolution (16 Jan 2007): https://www.icann.org/resources/board-material/prelim-report-2007-01-16-en
- RSTEP Report (4 Dec 2006): https://www.icann.org/en/system/files/files/rstep-gnr-proposal-review-team-report-04dec06-en.pdf [PDF, 785 KB]
- Multiple Top Level Domain Holdings Limited TLDs RSEP Request: Top Level Domain Holdings Limited Request 21 July 2014 [PDF, 15 KB]
- xn--55qx5d, xn--io0a7i RSEP Request: Computer Network Information Center of Chinese Academy of Sciences (China Internet Network Information Center) Request 17 July 2014 [PDF, 16 KB]
- .pizza, .restaurant, .gifts, .sarl RSEP Request: Binky Lake, LLC Request 11 July 2014 [PDF, 16 KB]
- .ren RSEP Request: Beijing Qianxiang Wangjing Technology Development Co., Ltd. Request 11 July 2014 [PDF, 15 KB]
- .build RSEP Request: Plan Bee, LLC Request 10 July 2014 [PDF, 18 KB]
- .wang, xn--3bSt00M, xn--6qQ986B3xL, xn--czRu2D, xn--45Q11CRSEP Request: Zodiac Registry Limited Request 30 June 2014 [PDF, 15 KB]
- .luxury RSEP Request: Luxury Partners, LLC Request 27 June 2014 [PDF, 18 KB]
- Letter from the GAC regarding requests for release of two-character labels as second level domains in New gTLDs [PDF, 58 KB] (8 August 2014)
Section IV: Additional Information
- Multiple Top Level Domain Holdings Limited TLDs Proposed Amendment [PDF, 103 KB]
- .bayern Proposed Amendment (affiliate of Top Level Domain Holdings Limited) [PDF, 103 KB]
- .nrw Proposed Amendment (affiliate of Top Level Domain Holdings Limited) [PDF, 103 KB]
- xn--55qx5d Proposed Amendment [PDF, 95 KB]
- xn--io0a7i Proposed Amendment [PDF, 95 KB]
- .pizza Proposed Amendment [PDF, 79 KB]
- .restaurant Proposed Amendment [PDF, 79 KB]
- .gifts Proposed Amendment [PDF, 79 KB]
- .sarl Proposed Amendment [PDF, 79 KB]
- .ren Proposed Amendment [PDF, 98 KB]
- .build Proposed Amendment [PDF, 96 KB]
- .wang Proposed Amendment [PDF, 90 KB]
- xn--3bSt00M Proposed Amendment [PDF, 90 KB]
- xn--6qQ986B3xL Proposed Amendment [PDF, 91 KB]
- xn--czRu2D Proposed Amendment [PDF, 91 KB]
- xn--45Q11C Proposed Amendment [PDF, 91 KB]
- .luxury Proposed Amendment [PDF, 83 KB]
Comments Closed
Report of Public Comments