ICANN board assents to 2013 Registry agreement

Dr. Stephen Crocker, chair, ICANN board of directors

The board of directors of California-based Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) has approved the 2013 Registry Agreement, which tend to clear alleged hurdles in the introduction of new domain names.

ICANN Director of Global Media Affairs, Mr. Brad White, corroborated in a press statement made available to DigitalSENSE Business News, said  ICANN’s New generic Top-Level Domain (gTLD) programme has reached another milestone with this passage of the 2013 Registry Agreement (RA) by the board.

He also said that the new baseline agreement was approved by the New gTLD Programme Committee of the ICANN Board of Directors. 

Mr. White quoted a member of ICANN’s New gTLD Programme Committee, Mr. Chris Disspain, as saying that new gTLDs are now on the last part of its trip.

“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,” Disspain.

He highlighted some of the key points in the new Registry Agreement to include a Trademark Clearinghouse that will serve as a one-stop shop where trademark holders could protect their rights.

Also, he said, it 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.

In addition, he said, this agreement requires registry operators to have a single point of contact responsible for handling abuse complaints.

Remmy Nweke
... Making SENSE of digital revolution!