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> New gTLD Program

Open: October 24, 2008 (UTC)

Closed: December 8, 2008 (UTC) Extended to December 15, 2008 (UTC)

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 on the table below. After you send your message, you will receive an email message containing a confirmation link. You must click on the confirmation link in the message in order to complete the submission of your comment.

How to participate?

This public comment page exists to collect your input on the Draft Applicant Guidebook for new Generic Top-level Domains (gTLDs).

The Guidebook is available here in full as well as broken down into its six individual modules, providing seven discussion areas. You can either comment on the overall Guidebook or comment per module, by area of interest. Also, with each module’s discussion area, you will also find a list of papers that serve as explanatory memoranda to that particular module.

It’s important to point out that all materials are in draft form for public comment and review. The current public comment period will last for at least forty-five (45) days. As the materials become available in five (5) additional languages – Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian and Spanish - there will be an opportunity to comment in these additional languages for at least 45 days.

Since these are not the final documents, applicants should not rely on the details contained in the document since they remains subject to further consultation and revision.

Some areas of the new gTLD program remain under development. These include details on: the duration of each stage of the application; third party service providers that will be part of the evaluation panels and manage the dispute resolution; and fees in addition to the “evaluation fee” that will apply only to some applicants depending on the application path. These areas will be made available for public consultation in the near future.

ICANN expects to engage in a productive and robust dialogue with the Internet community through this consultative process. Staff will review all comments and provide a summary/analysis of comments to help production of the final Applicant Guidebook, to be released early 2009.

New GTLDs and the Internet

Openness Change Innovation

After years of discussion and thought, new generic top-level domains (gTLDs) are being expanded. They will allow for more innovation, choice and change to a global Internet presently served by only 21 generic top-level domain names. As a not-for profit corporation dedicated to coordinating the Internet's addressing system, ICANN is not doing this to add to its revenue.  An implementation plan is being developed with opportunities for public comment.  There will be processes for objections. There has also been detailed technical scrutiny to ensure the Internet's stability and security. There will be an evaluation fee but it will recover costs only (expenses so far, application processing and anticipated legal costs).

Promoting competition and choice is one of the principles upon which ICANN was founded. In a world with 1.5 billion Internet users (and growing), diversity, choice and innovation are key.  The Internet has supported huge increases in choice, innovation and the competition of ideas, and expanding new gTLDs is an opportunity for more.

Related Links and Resources:

• New gTLD Program webpage
• ICANN Similarity Assessment pre-production algorithm http://icann.sword-group.com/icann-algorithm/
• Cross Reference Applicant Guidebook to GNSO Policy Recommendations [PDF, 81K]
• Applicant Guidebook Diagram [PDF, 23K]
• Anticipated Timeline [PDF, 143K]
• Interactive Process Flow