[council] NC Warns Pre-Registration of Speculative New Domain Names Is Premature

[DNSO Secretariat <DNSO.Secretariat@dnso.org>]

  [ To: council@dnso.org ]
  [ To: ga@dnso.org, announce@dnso.org, subscribers to GA voting register ]
  
  [ from http://www.icann.org/announcements/icann-pr29sep00.htm ]

   DNSO Announcement
   29 September 2000

  ------------------------------------------------------------------------

   ICANN Update - Names Council Warns Pre-Registration of Speculative New
                         Domain Names Is Premature

  September 29, 2000 -- Commenting on the process for establishing new
  top-level domain names (TLDs) the Names Council of the Domain Name
  Supporting Organization (DNSO) emphasizes that no new TLDs have been
  selected as of this date and no one is authorized to pre-register
  names.

  Noting that some companies are claiming to offer pre-registration
  services to consumers who may wish to register in the new TLDs, the
  Names Council has issued the following statement. "The Names Council
  feels it is premature for companies to offer pre-registration services
  for domain names in speculative new TLDs. To date, no new TLDs have
  been selected and there is no guarantee that any particular
  organization will be authorized to take registrations for any
  particular TLD. The registration of names in new TLDs will be done on a
  fair basis, and the practice of pre-registration should not be
  encouraged."

  The Names Council statement was made following its meeting on the 21
  September 2000, at which the Council welcomed ICANN's initiative to
  invite proposals for new top level domains. With the application
  process well under way the Names Council considers it may be helpful to
  the Internet community to outline the process and its associated time
  line.

  Timeline for new TLDs

  At its meeting in July 2000 in Yokohama, Japan, the Board of the
  Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) adopted a
  plan to receive and evaluate proposals to operate or sponsor new TLDs.
  These names will complement existing TLDs such as ".com". No selections
  of any new TLD strings have yet been made, nor has any decision been
  made regarding the number that will be introduced. The application
  process will close on 2 October 2000 and ICANN will publish (via its
  web site http://www.icann.org) all applications soon afterward. Members
  of the Internet community will have at least a two-week period to
  comment on the proposals. ICANN then expects to enter into dialogue
  with a short-list of applicants to ensure that the growth of the
  Internet is undertaken in a stable and controlled manner.

  ------------------------------------------------------------------------