ROUNDTABLE
THE NEW gTLDs: ASK THE EXPERTS
The application period for ICANN’s new generic top-level domains initiative opens in January. Before what may prove to be the most momentous change to the Internet since its inception, T
BI &
invited six experts to discuss the developments at HoganLovells LLP’s London office. Let’
s start with a question that people often assume is simple, but one that is rarely asked: what are the new gTLD’
s for?
Nick Wenban-Smith (NWS): Te official answer is, it’s to increase choice for anyone who has the money and technical capacity and energy to go through the consensus policy processes.
David Taylor (DT): Te new gTLD programme was approved by the ICANN board in June 2008, and it is since then that the noise has been growing. However, it’s always been the role of ICANN to expand the TLD space and what’s happening hasn’t come out of nowhere. Tere have been previous launches of new gTLDs in 2000 and 2004, and we’ve just had .xxx, which
has been hanging around for a decade. So new gTLDs have been launching over the last decade, the big difference was in June 2008, with the plan to open up the domain name system to an unlimited number, so we may be looking at 200 to 2,000 coming along in the space of a few years. Te biggest concern for brand owners is doing it in a measured and controlled manner. If it’s a free-for-all, it could get problematic.
NWS: ICANN doesn’t really explain why there’s an unlimited expansion. Perhaps no-one can think of a fairer way.
DT: Market delivery and market forces will mean it will find its own level, which is why ICANN doesn’t know how many there will be: 100, 1,500 or 3,000? No one knows.
If it is supposed to be for everyone, is it clear who will actually end up using it in practice?
Lorna Gradden (LG): It’s not clear yet, but there are a lot of indications that brands will be much more represented than anyone. Te idea was much more in terms of increasing diversity in the Internet space. I think ICANN’s view was it would be more community and geographic-
Alexander Carter-Silk, partner and head of IP, technology and commercial, Speechly Bircham LLP. Alexander Carter- Silk has 25 years’ experience of advising on contentious and non-contentious IP and technology matters. As head of the firm's trademark, designs and brand practice, Carter-Silk is a market leader in the licensing, sponsorship and franchising of IP rights, as well as the protection of copyright design rights and trademarks. He also advises on advertising and marketing regulation and reputation management, including privacy and defamation.
Alexander Carter-Silk
Andy Churley, marketing director for NetNames, Envisional and Indom, Group NBT. An experienced marketing and product professional, Andy Churley has spent 20 years in the fields of reputation and brand risk, IT security and knowledge management. His responsibilities include marketing and leading Group NBT’s new gTLD programme, management of strategic alliances and technology trending on brand and domain related issues. With years spent working with leading brands on mitigation of brand and domain risk, Churley joined Group NBT to apply his knowledge and experience in the field of brand management to customers determined to protect their brands online.
16 Trademarks Brands and the Internet Volume 1, Issue 1
Lorna Gradden, director of operations, Com Laude. Lorna Gradden has been working in domain name management since 1994, having co-founded Net Searchers with Nick Wood. Aſter Net Searchers was sold, Gradden joined VeriSign DBMS in 2003 as head of client management for EMEA. At Com Laude, Gradden is responsible for order fulfilment, registry relationships and information systems.
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