[council] ICANN Board Approves 2013 Registry Agreement

[Glen de Saint Géry <Glen@xxxxxxxxx>]

https://www.icann.org/en/news/announcements/announcement-03jul13-en.htm
Last Contractual Hurdle Cleared in the Introduction of New Domain Names
ICANN Board Approves 2013 Registry Agreement
3 July 2013

ICANN's New generic Top-Level Domain (gTLD) program has reached another 
milestone with passage of the 2013 Registry 
Agreement<http://newgtlds.icann.org/en/applicants/agb/agreement-approved-02jul13-en.pdf>
 [PDF, 809 KB] (RA).

The new baseline agreement was approved by the New gTLD Program Committee of 
the ICANN Board of Directors.

"New gTLDs are now on the home stretch," said Chris Disspain, a member of 
ICANN's New gTLD Program Committee. "This new Registry Agreement means we've 
cleared one of the last hurdles for those gTLD applicants who are approved and 
eagerly nearing that point where their names will go online."

Among the key points in the new Registry Agreement:

 *   Includes a Trademark Clearinghouse that will serve as a one-stop shop 
where trademark holders can protect their rights.
 *   Provides for a process for a rapid, efficient way to take down infringing 
domain names.
 *   Provides a procedure where trademark rights holders can assert claims 
directly against a registry operator for domain name abuse if that operator has 
played an active role in the abuse.
 *   Requires registry operators to have a single point of contact responsible 
for handling abuse complaints.

"We're getting to the point now where new gTLD applicants can see the finish 
line," said Akram Atallah, President of the ICANN's Generic Domains Division. 
"Much like the 2013 Registrar Accreditation Agreement approved by the Board 
last week, this new Registry Agreement is the culmination of input from a wide 
range of stakeholders and marks a dramatic improvement over the previous 
baseline agreement."

The New gTLD Registry Agreement is intended to enhance the security and 
stability of the Domain Name System while bolstering competition in domain name 
industry. The security provisions include:

 *   A requirement that registry operators implement Domain Name System 
Security Extensions (DNSSEC), reducing so-called "man-in-the-middle" attacks 
and spoofed DNS records.
 *   A requirement of enhanced WHOIS service at the registry level with a 
common interface, and more rapid search capabilities, facilitating efficient 
resolution of malicious activities.

"This isn't just a gradual step forward," said Atallah. "This is a major move 
that translates to far greater security protections."

To read the 2013 Registry Agreement, go here: 
http://newgtlds.icann.org/en/applicants/agb/agreement-approved-02jul13-en.pdf 
[PDF, 809 KB]


Glen de Saint Géry
GNSO Secretariat
gnso.secretariat@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
http://gnso.icann.org