New gTLD Advisory
Advisory number: R1-A01-0051
Publication date: 19 March 2014
About this Advisory:
The Governmental Advisory Committee (GAC) issued Advice to the New gTLD Program Committee of the ICANN Board (NGPC) in its Beijing Communiqué [PDF, 156 KB], Durban Communiqué [PDF, 238 KB], and Buenos Aires Communiqué [PDF, 97 KB]. The NGPC has made substantial progress in addressing the issues raised by the GAC.
The GAC Advice included Advice on specific strings or applications and Advice on broad categories of strings (referred to as "Category 1" and "Category 2" strings). As the GAC Category 1 and Category 2 Advice have affected a large number of applications, we have been receiving questions about how individual applications are affected by the Advice and the respective implementation plans. The intent of this advisory is to provide applicants with information regarding how specific applications may be affected by the implementation framework for GAC Category 1 Advice.
GAC Category 1 Advice
In the Beijing Communiqué, the GAC advised the ICANN Board that "strings that are linked to regulated or professional sectors should operate in a way that is consistent with applicable laws." The GAC proposed specific safeguards that would apply to a broad category of strings related to "consumer protection, sensitive strings, and regulated markets." Applications for these strings were not eligible to proceed in the New gTLD Program until the Advice was addressed by the NGPC.
On 5 February 2014, the ICANN Board's New gTLD Program Committee (NGPC) adopted an implementation framework [PDF, 61 KB] for GAC Category 1 Safeguard Advice. Effective 12 February 2014, applicants subject to GAC Category 1 Advice are proceeding in the New gTLD Program once other eligibility criteria have been met.
The implementation framework classifies Category 1 strings as requiring one of three levels of safeguards:
- Regulated Sectors/Open Entry Requirements in Multiple Jurisdictions
- Highly Regulated Sectors/Closed Entry Requirements in Multiple Jurisdictions
- Special Safeguards Required
Safeguards consistent with the implementation framework will be added to Specification 11 of the Registry Agreement as public interest commitments for applications subject to GAC Category 1 Safeguard Advice. Please note that the additional safeguards included in Specification 11 are not negotiable terms.