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Open: 15 April 2011

Closed: 15 May 2011

The Applicant Guidebook documents the ICANN implementation of the GNSO policy recommendations for New gTLDs. It is a comprehensive guide for applicants describing the program's requirements and evaluation process. The Applicant Guidebook has been developed and improved through extensive public review and input from specialized working groups, supporting organizations and advisory committees. Each draft of the Applicant Guidebook has been accompanied by extensive public comment analyses, explanatory memoranda and independent reports that describe the bases and reasoning leading to the current version. This version of the Applicant Guidebook has been prepared based upon community feedback and the recent consultations between ICANN's Board of Directors and the Governmental Advisory Committee.

In the matrix below you will find the Applicant Guidebook – April 2011 Discussion Draft, six Explanatory Memoranda on various relevant issues identified as part of the Board/GAC consultations, the summary and analysis of public comment on the prior Applicant Guidebook, and the most recent ICANN response to the GAC Indicative Scorecard.

How to participate?

The Applicant Guidebook – April 2011 Discussion Draft is available here in its entirety as well as in the six individual modules. You can either comment on the overall guidebook or comment per module, by area of interest.

The public comment period will last for thirty (30) days. As the materials become available in additional languages there will be an opportunity to comment.

You may also view Summaries & Analyses from previously closed public fora.

To submit a comment, send a message to the email address that corresponds to the issue on which you would like to comment as indicated in the table below. Once we have received your message, we will send you an email containing a confirmation link. You must click on the confirmation link in that message in order to complete the submission of your comment.

New gTLD Applicant Guidebook – April 2011 Discussion Draft Presented in "Tracked Changes"	Email Comments	View Comments
New gTLD – April 2011 Discussion Draft [PDF, 6.18 MB]	-	View
Module 1	-	View
Introduction to the gTLD Application Process [PDF, 775 KB]
Module 2	-	View
Evaluation Procedures [PDF, 491 KB]
Key Content
Evaluation Criteria [PDF, 594 KB]
Module 3	-	View
Dispute Resolution Procedures [PDF, 415 KB]
Key Content
New gTLD Dispute Resolution Procedure [PDF, 126 KB]
Draft ICDR Fees [PDF, 23 KB]
Draft ICDR Rules [PDF, 30 KB]
Draft WIPO Fees [PDF, 13 KB]
Draft WIPO Rules [PDF, 27 KB]
Module 4	-	View
String Contention Procedures [PDF, 401 KB]
Module 5	-	View
Transition to Delegation [PDF, 238 KB]
Key Content
Base Agreement & Specifications [PDF, 2.01 MB]
Uniform Rapid Suspension [PDF, 371 KB]
Trademark Clearinghouse [PDF, 407 KB]
Post Delegation Dispute Resolution (PDDRP) [PDF, 323 KB]
Registry Restriction Dispute Resolution (RRDRP) [PDF, 232 KB]
Module 6	-	View
Application Terms & Conditions [PDF, 98 KB]

GAC Indicative Scorecard

Revised ICANN Notes on: the GAC New gTLDs Scorecard, and GAC Comments to Board Response - clean [PDF, 275 KB]

Revised ICANN Notes on: the GAC New gTLDs Scorecard, and GAC Comments to Board Response - redline [PDF, 396 KB]

GAC Indicative Scorecard - GAC Comments on the Board Reponse to the GAC Scorecard following San Francisco meeting [PDF, 144 KB]

Explanatory Memos	Email Comments	View Comments
Trademark Protection (Trademark Claim and Sunrise Services & the requirements for demonstrating "use") [PDF, 284 KB]	-	View
GAC and Government Objections: Handling of Sensitive Strings; Early Warning [PDF, 354 KB]
Exemptions to Objection Fees for Governments [PDF, 331 KB]
Root Zone Scaling [PDF, 286 KB]
Market and Economic Impacts [PDF, 480 KB]
Registry-Registrar Separation [PDF, 400 KB]
Summary of Changes to Registry Agreement (new | 5 May 2011) [PDF, 400 KB]

Supporting Material

Proposed Final Applicant Guidebook Summary & Analysis (version 5) [PDF, 1.11 MB]