ICANN

ICANN / Recently Commented

WLS & Recourse to the DOC

ICANN's recently posted "Seventh Status Report" states: "ICANN's Board of Directors voted 14-1 to take no action in response to the request, on the grounds that the decision to allow the Wait-Listing Service to be offered was not a threat to competition...".

Several firms that currently offer competing services have signaled (pdf) that they are not in agreement with this assessment. more

Is WLS the Right Mechanism to Protect Consumers?

The claim that the *only* way that reliable wait listing can be done by *the* registry is not true. The registrars could, as a technical matter, if they chose to do so, "wrap" the registry with a new entity that mediates all acquisitions and releases. Whether this accords with ICANN's hyper intricate contractual scheme or with laws against restraint of trade, I don't know.

Personally I consider WLS to be contrary to the idea that a contract contains an implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing - it seems to me that WLS violates that implied covenant - It is as if my doctor is selling contracts on parts of my body should I die while under his care. more

Domain Registrars File Lawsuit Against ICANN

Members of the Domain Justice Coalition filed a lawsuit today requesting a temporary restraining order and other relief against ICANN to block the implementation of a domain name Wait Listing Service (WLS). The WLS was proposed by VeriSign, Inc. (pdf) and approved by ICANN in federal court in Los Angeles. The suit challenges ICANN's failure to comply with its internal decision-making process requirements when it approved implementation of the WLS in the face of opposition from domain name registrars, resellers and consumers. more

ICANN Approves At-Large Framework for Latin America

The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) recently launched organizing of the individual Internet user community (At-Large) for increasing global participation and representation in ICANN. Under a framework approved by ICANN's Board of Directors, local and regional groups may now form in Latin America to involve their members in critical issues that effect their use of the Internet's domain name system. more

Pool.com Launches ICANN Lawsuit Against WLS

Pool.com has launched a lawsuit challenging the right of the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) to proceed with a monopolistic new Wait List Service (WLS) this fall.

In a Statement of Claim filed in the Ontario Superior Court of Justice, Pool.com states that the new "WLS proposed by ICANN and Verisign Inc. will have the immediate and total effect of ending all competition among Registrars for dropped or deleted domain names" in the rapidly developing backordering industry. Pool.com seeks a court injunction preventing ICANN from proceeding with the WLS, a declaration that ICANN's actions constitute intentional and wrongful interference with Pool.com's trade and commercial prospects, as well as significant damages.  more

ICANN Submits Seventh Annual Report

ICANN has just submitted its seventh status report under ICANN/US Government Memorandum of Understanding to United States Department of Commerce (DoC) titled: "Report by ICANN to United States Department of Commerce Re: Progress Toward Objectives of Memorandum of Understanding". The report provides a review of recent ICANN developments including... more

National Academy of Science and the Domain Name System Controversy

The National Academy of Science (NAS) has been brought into the controversy over the future development of the Internet and its domain name system, a controversy recently fueled by the creation of ICANN. The US Congress under Public Law 105-305 mandated that the NAS undertake a study of the domain name system, which is to include options for its development, and the potential impact of the various alternatives. The $800,000 expenses for the study are to be funded by the National Science Foundation and the US Department of Commerce. more

Do We Need The New Top-level Domains?

After a long and exhaustive process it was finally decided by ICANN to introduce seven new top level domains in December. Well, they are not really introduced yet because the United States Government has the final word and they have not approved of them yet. Did you understand what I just wrote - the United States Government decides what names you can have on the Internet? more

Bangla Is on ICANN’s Script List. Where Are the Applicants?

ICANN's 2026 new gTLD round attracted no Bangla-script applications, despite supporting 27 scripts. Application data reveals limited South Asian participation and a sharp decline in internationalized domain applications compared with 2012. more

Who Still Governs Africa’s Internet Resources?

Cloud Innovation's reappearance in AFRINIC's Mauritian membership register raises questions about governance, judicial oversight and institutional independence. The author calls for transparent records, scrutiny of conflicts of interest and an orderly end to receivership. more

Low IDN Applications Raise Concerns for ICANN’s 2026 New gTLD Round

Only 21 internationalized domain name applications were submitted in ICANN's 2026 new gTLD round, raising government concerns about linguistic diversity and the accessibility of the domain expansion program. more

ICANN Names Three Independent Objectors to Review 2026 New gTLD Applications

ICANN has appointed three independent objectors for the 2026 new-gTLD round, establishing a mechanism to challenge applications on public-interest and community grounds, with safeguards against institutional interference. more

ICANN Board Approves IDN Country-Code Domain Policy, Rejects Risk-Appraisal Provisions

ICANN has approved most of its new internationalized country-code domain policy, rejecting provisions for additional risk assessments of confusingly similar strings. Implementation and bylaw amendments remain pending. more

What ICANN’s Contention Sets Reveal About New gTLD Values

ICANN's Reveal Day list holds 263 contention sets. With private deals banned this round, any set that reaches an ICANN auction will end in a public price. The 2012 auctions show why the number of bidders is a weak guide to that price. more

ICANN87 in Bali Puts DNS Abuse and New gTLD Implementation in Focus

ICANN87 in Bali brings DNS abuse mitigation, registrant protections and the next gTLD round into focus as policymakers examine implementation challenges affecting domain registries, registrars and Internet users. more

Industry Updates

Radix Announces Radix Deux: 46 Primary Applications in ICANN’s Next gTLD Round

1,600 Applications Later: What’s Next for the New gTLD Round?

Momentum Builds as the New gTLD Application Window Enters Its Final Weeks

Why Operational Readiness Will Define the Next Generation of TLDs

What Running .CA and .NL Taught Us About Building Better Registry Infrastructure

Making the Most of the 2026 New gTLD Application Round

DotBrands and the 2026 ICANN New gTLD Round: Strategic Control at the DNS Layer

How Brands Can Prepare for the New GTLD Program

BRG to Share .Brand TLD Updates and Insights for Applicants at ICANN81 in Istanbul

eco Provides Recommendations for the Effective Use of ICANN’s Registration Data Request Services (RDRS)

Thoughts on RDRS for Brand Owners

Advocacy and Recommendations from the Brand Registry Group on gTLDs, Closed Generics, and IDN Policies

Recommendations to Expedite the Next Round of Top-Level Domains

10 Years of Radix and New gTLDs: An Interview with CEO Sandeep Ramchandani

Brand Registry Group .brand Brief, ICANN75