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New gTLD Draft Explanatory Memoranda

ICANN has Posted Draft Explanatory Memoranda for the New gTLDs

On October 21st, 2008 ICANN posted four documents making up a group called the New gTLD Program Explanatory Memoranda. These documents are to help explain a number of issues with the new gTLD application/guidebook that ICANN plans to release shortly before their November 2nd, 2008 conference in Cairo, Egypt.

The first document is titled "Resolving String Contention - A Complete Lifecycle Including String Contention Resolution". This documents key points include:
- summary of the string contention process
- how confusingly similar applied-for gTLDs are identified and are grouped together
- how string contention is resolved when there is one or more community based applicant
- how contention not resolved through negotiation or evaluation must be resolved by other means
DOWNLOAD HERE: Draft Resolving String Contention Memorandum

The second document is titled "Proposed Process for Geographic Name Applications". This documents key points include:
- how goverment or authority support is neede for country, territory, county or state applications
- how city name gTLDs require same support unless used generically or as a brand name
- applications for the same city names will require applicants to resolve contention themselves
- objections available for misappropriation of language and people descriptions
- IDN strings will be evaluated by linguistic panels
DOWNLOAD HERE: Draft Proposed Process for Geographic Name Applications Memorandum

The third document is titled "Update to DNS Stability Paper - Additional Technical Criteria Requirements, Including IDNs". This documents key points include:
- label requirements including length and characters
- ASCII string compliance to RFC 1035 & RFC 2181
- non-ASCII string compliance with RFC 3490 (IDNs)
- IDN TLDs must meet ICANN's Guidelines for the Implementation of International Domain Names
- requirements and specifications for the use of the IDNA protocol may change
DOWNLOAD HERE: Draft Update to DNS Stability Paper Memorandum

The final document is titled "Protection of Rights of Others in New gTLDs". This documents key points include"
- objection process for rights holders that proposed gTLD infringes legal rights
- registry agreements must outline mechanisms for claims after delegation and operation begins
- applications will outline proposed rights protection mechanism for second-level domains
- second-level domains must comply with ICANN's Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy
DOWNLOAD HERE: Draft Protection of Rights Memorandum

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