NCSG Cites ICA in Request for ICANN Board Reconsideration of TMC Claims “Trademark + Fifty” Decision by Philip Corwin - 8 May, 2013, 10:17 am

On April 19, 2013 ICANN’s Non-Commercial Stakeholders Group (NCSG) filed a formal Request for Reconsideration with ICANN’s Board Governance Committee to review a unilateral staff decision to expand the scope of the Trademark Clearinghouse (TMC) claims service for new gTLDs. That decision would allow trademark owners to include up to 50 additional typographical variations of [...]

ICANN: Post-Delegation Dispute Resolution Procedures for New gTLDs: ICANN Seeks Service Providers for Registry Restriction DRP and Trademark PDDRP - 7 May, 2013, 12:31 pm

ICANN is issuing today two Requests for Proposals (RFPs) to identify potential providers of Registry Restrictions Dispute Resolution Procedure (RRDRP) services and Trademark Post-Delegation Dispute Resolution Procedure (Trademark PDDRP) services. These Post-Delegation Dispute Resolution Procedures have been developed to provide those harmed by a new gTLD Registry Operator’s conduct an alternative avenue to complain about [...]

.NG Booms On Reduced Prices But Still Outrageously Overpriced - 6 May, 2013, 10:33 pm

Registrations for Nigeria’s country code top level domain (ccTLD), .NG, have boomed compared to previous registration statistics following a dramatic cutting in the registration fee. But the ccTLD, along with many others, is still saddled with overpriced registration fees. Today registrations have passed the 30,000 mark, up from around 9000 in 2011 with a reduction [...]

On the Duality of Internet Domain Names: Propertization and its Discontents by Frederick M. Abbott - 4 May, 2013, 11:12 pm

Abstract: Domain names may have substantial economic or social value. They are often the object of dispute, whether based on allegations of abuse, or in contests over ownership. There is a recent judicial trend, particularly in the Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, toward characterizing domain names as “property” (and more specifically, “intangible property”) [...]

Updated Conditions Of Registration For .SE - 4 May, 2013, 10:27 pm

[news release] SE will be introducing updated conditions of registration (Terms and Conditions of Registration applicable for the top-level domain .se from June 3, 2013) for the purpose of simplifying and clarifying the rules and regulations. The new Terms and Conditions of Registration contains for example new wording concerning alternative dispute-solution procedures (paragraph 7) as [...]

.ME Announces Release Of Five Premium Domain Names - 4 May, 2013, 10:23 pm

[news release] The .ME Registry, operator of the .ME Internet extension, is releasing five exclusive, previously unreleased premium domain names: Around.ME, Hire.ME, Fund.ME, Find.ME and For.ME. The .ME Premium Domain Program is open for applications starting May 10, 2013 and is set to close June 15, 2013. These memorable .ME domain names are ideal for [...]

ICANN: Location Recommendations Now Being Accepted for ICANN’s 2015 Meetings in Africa, Latin America/Caribbean Islands, Europe - 4 May, 2013, 10:05 pm

ICANN is actively seeking locations for its three public meetings to be held 8-12 February 2015 in Africa, 21-25 June 2015 in Latin America/Caribbean Islands, and 18-22 October 2015 in Europe. Those in the geographic regions are invited to submit recommendations for specific locations to hold the events. These recommended venues, along with others in [...]

ICANN’s Global Empire Spreads To Latin America With Engagement Centre - 3 May, 2013, 11:44 pm

ICANN has announced they will be opening an engagement centre in Montevideo, Uruguay, as it opens offices in strategic locations around the globe. “The opening of this regional engagement centre is part of our growing effort to establish an ICANN presence in all parts of the globe,” said Fadi Chehadé, ICANN’s President and Chief Executive [...]

ICANN: Beta Testing for Pre-Delegation Testing to Begin in May - 3 May, 2013, 1:16 pm

In an effort to help applicants and their Registry Service Providers (RSPs) prepare for Pre-Delegation Testing (PDT), ICANN is inviting applicants to participate in a PDT practice round, known as Beta Testing. Beta Testing is strictly optional, and it will expose participants to all the required PDT tests that will be conducted during the official [...]

ICANN: Proposed Modification of GNSO Operating Procedures Concerning the Deadline for the Submission of Reports and Motions - 3 May, 2013, 1:11 pm

Purpose (Brief): The Generic Names Supporting Organization (GNSO) Council is proposing a modification of the GNSO Operating Procedures to make the deadline for the submission of reports and motions more precise and uniform. Current Status: As required by the ICANN Bylaws, a public comment forum is hereby initiated on the proposed changes. Next Steps: Following [...]

dtrade.com Launches Specialising In .AU Aftermarket - 3 May, 2013, 12:41 pm

A new broker, dtrade.com, has been established for selling or buying premium .AU domain names. The new aftermarket company is Australia’s newest high-end domain name broker, offering for sale some of Australia’s most premium category defining keyword domains including mate.com.au, bondibeach.com.au, creditcard.com.au and trading.com.au. According to a new report from Deloitte Access Economics, Australian domain [...]

.XXX Prices Slashed To .COM Prices In May - 3 May, 2013, 12:28 pm

ICM Registry, the registry for .xxx domain names, has announced the prices for TLD will be slashed to as low as $8.99 for registrations for up to ten years during the month of May. The registry is promoting this as the prices being slashed to .com prices. “With both Search.xxx and XXX.XXX showcasing and driving [...]

ICANN Webinar: Proposed Final 2013 Registrar Accreditation Agreement Overview - 1 May, 2013, 12:42 pm

Join ICANN Staff and members of the Registrar Negotiating Team for an update on the Proposed Final 2013 Registrar Accreditation Agreement that was posted for public comment on 22 April 2013. Webinar Details Date: Monday, 6 May 2013 Time: 15:00-16:30 UTC Adobe Connect: icann.adobeconnect.com/raa-dt You are invited to an overview of the proposed final 2013 [...]

ICANN: Post-Delegation Dispute Resolution Procedures for New gTLDs: ICANN Seeks Service Providers for Registry Restriction DRP and Trademark PDDRP - 1 May, 2013, 12:37 pm

ICANN is issuing today two Requests for Proposals (RFPs) to identify potential providers of Registry Restrictions Dispute Resolution Procedure (RRDRP) services and Trademark Post-Delegation Dispute Resolution Procedure (Trademark PDDRP) services. These Post-Delegation Dispute Resolution Procedures have been developed to provide those harmed by a new gTLD Registry Operator’s conduct an alternative avenue to complain about [...]

ICANN Nominating Committee Extends Deadline for Statements of Interest to 15 May - 1 May, 2013, 12:33 pm

In order to provide additional time for candidates to apply, ICANN‘s 2013 Nominating Committee (NomCom) has extended the deadline for Statements of Interest until 15 May 2013 at 23:59 UTC. The 2013 NomCom is actively seeking qualified candidates for the following key positions within ICANN: Three members of the Board of Directors of ICANN Three [...]

MEGA Limited appoints new CEO - 7 February, 2013, 9:16 pm

Today, interim CEO of MEGA Tony Lentino announced the appointment of former CEO of InternetNZ, Vikram Kumar as the new CEO of MEGA. Mr Lentino will maintain a seat as a Director with MEGA.

Australian Domain Registrar Powers Mega.co.nz - 18 January, 2013, 6:13 pm

As Mega prepares to launch their new cloud storage service on January 19, 2013, Instra Corporation – a global domain name registrar – is primed to provide expert product, billing and technical support services to mega.co.nz users in anticipation of dramatic new global demand for the Mega service.

Instra Corporation Announces .CO Accreditation - 13 April, 2012, 11:32 am

Offers a memorable, available and global option for its customers to find their ideal digital personality Instra just keeps getting better and better. Today Instra has announced it is one of the accredited registrar partners for the .CO extension. As one of the world’s top domain name providers, this is just another way to extend the [...]

FREE .Brand Package by Instra for Top Level Domains - 6 December, 2011, 7:21 pm

Instra Corporation, a global domain brand protection company, has launched its gTLD flagship website, http://www.newtlds.com. In a bid to attract the premium top level domain market, Instra CEO Tony Lentino is unveiling targeted TLD promotions in an aggressive new marketing campaign. “Our initiative is to offer free or reduced-cost Instra application processes for those [...]

.XXX Sunrise period commences September 7 2011 - 5 September, 2011, 11:31 am

The registry will be accepting live Sunrise applications starting September 7 2011. Applicants that hold an existing adult domain name or trademark should apply to register their brand during the sunrise period to ensure that they have the best possible chance of securing their name in the .XXX name space. Trademark holders that want to perform a [...]

.QA - Instra to become QATAR Registrar - 17 August, 2011, 9:43 am

Instra has become provisionally accredited Qatar registrar. We expect to become fully accredited in time for the Sunrise launch, which is expected in September 2011. As a foreign registrar, we will be providing registrations in the top level .QA name space. The .QA name space will be open to applicants worldwide, and it will be a great [...]

.XXX Launch dates announced - 25 July, 2011, 3:31 pm

ICM Registry has announced the official launch dates for the Internet’s newest sponsored TLD – .XXX. The Sunrise period will commence on September 7 2011 and will run through to October 28 2011. Members of the Sponsored Adult Community that have an existing Adult Domain name or Trademark will be given preference to register their brand in [...]

ICANN approves new gTLD program - 27 June, 2011, 3:33 pm

ICANN (Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers), who are the governing authority on domain names, have decided to approve a new program that will allow businesses and individuals to apply for their own top level domain name. This means that successful applicants will be able to own and maintain a gTLD (generic Top Level Domain) [...]

.AU Celebrates 25 years - 3 June, 2011, 3:40 pm

The Australian ICT, .AU Registrars, and the Australian Business Community yesterday celebrated 25 years of the .AU domain name. AusRegistry, the .AU Registry operator hosted the 25th celebration for .AU domain name at Melbourne Museum. The .AU domain name is widely recognised both nationally and internationally, as the name space that defines Australia’s online presence. The [...]

New TLDs Update - 13 May, 2011, 4:24 pm

ICANN have released the final draft of the New TLD handbook, which means that the New TLD program will be ready for launch very soon. There has however been a few recent developments that have further delayed the launch of the New TLD Program. We are optimistic that the regulatory requirements will be resolved, and we [...]