Cannot Understand Non-Latin Domain Name Endings?
From 16 November 2009, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) will take the first step in a long process to introduce the option of ending domain names in non-Latin characters with an aim to improving access for 800 million-plus Internet users in non-Latin script using countries. However, no-one can register domain names with the new endings yet, so keep your hairy shirt on. If you cannot understand non-Latin domain name endings, this article may help, but finding websites featuring Thai ladyboys is about to get a whole lot more difficult.
Under the new system, Country Code Top Level Domains (ccTLDs) such as .au, and generic Top Level Domains (gTLDs) such as .com, can obtain new endings known as ‘Internationalised Domain Names’ (IDNs) in languages such as Chinese, Hebrew or Cyrillic.
On that date, countries with a non-Latin native script may apply to ICANN for a ‘FASTTRACK’ IDN ccTLD so that the letters to the right of the dot can reflect that country’s name in the script of its official language. ICANN will evaluate these applications on a number of criteria. If ICANN’s filing and technical requirements are met by the application, including government and community support and country stability considerations, the relevant applicant nation will be fast tracked so that they can issue new IDN ccTLD registrations in the second quarter of 2010.
Following release of the IDNs, the country registries will separately determine their requirements under the new IDNs. So each one will have its own idea of the pricing of applications, of whether existing domain name holders of Latin-character domain names should have first dibs over the corresponding IDN and whether there will be sunrise periods to allow brand owners to register their brands with IDN ccTLDs first.
So what?
Registration requirements are likely to differ from country to country so you will need to monitor any potential IDN ccTLDs of interest to you. There are bound to be more scam emails concerning the new IDNs. You should check too that your monitoring service will pick up the new IDNs.
International companies and those doing cross-borders business will need to revisit their IP and domain name strategies to take IDNs into account. If a local language is important to you or a client, you should consider the filings that should be made once the system becomes operative.
Oh, and you might need to improve your Thai.
Nick Weston (Nick Weston is a Member of the World Intellectual Property Organization's (WIPO) Arbitration and Mediation Center's List of Arbitrators and Mediators and also the Center's Domain Name Panel).
