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Rights Protection Mechanism Requirements Published

30 September 2013

Today ICANN published the final Rights Protection Mechanism (RPM) Requirements for new gTLD registries, putting in place a key part of the New gTLD Program that enables trademark holders to protect their rights during the Domain Name System expansion.

View the final RPM Requirements [PDF, 167 KB].

A set of trademark protections were developed by the ICANN community for incorporation into the New gTLD Program and include both trademark claims and sunrise services, which are required for all new gTLDs. These final RPM Requirements are part of all Registry Agreements and include practical details of implementing sunrise services and claims services processes.

A draft version of the RPM Requirements was published in April 2013 for community discussion and input. ICANN requested and considered input to this document on multiple occasions. This final version reflects significant changes based on stakeholder input received during the ICANN meeting in Beijing in April, an open consultation conference call attended by more than 50 participants in April, comments provided by various individuals and stakeholder groups in May and June, continuing discussions during the ICANN meeting in Durban in July, and a formal public comment period during August and September.

The feedback received encompassed a range of views, and ICANN has carefully weighed the inputs from all stakeholders to arrive at a balanced outcome that supports the objectives of effective TLD launches with robust trademark protections.

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