The Inquisitr » icann

Countries Not Using Roman Alphabet Offered Domain Names In Own Language, Script

AHN — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 05:28:25 +0000

Marina del Rey, CA (AHN) – Internet regulators will meet in Seoul Friday to decide if countries would be allowed to use their own alphabet and scripts in creating Web addresses.

If the plan is approved, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) will start accepting applications for domain names written in language other than the Roman alphabet and script next month.

ICANN had been wary of allowing some countries to adopt their own domain name systems (DNS) fearing it might fragment the Internet and make Web addresses invisible to others who use the prevailing DNS. Other Web addresses are written in different language but the country code remains in Roman alphabet.

However, ICANN recognizes the fact that not all Internet users speak in Latin-based languages.

ICANN will allow countries to test country code Top-Level Domains (ccTLDs) by Nov. 16 depending on the outcome of Friday’s meeting.

Chinese, Arabic, Korean, Japanese, Greek, Hindi, Hebrew and Russian have been among the languages that cannot be used in a ccTLD or full e-mail address.

Internet Says Goodbye To .YU Websites

AHN — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 21:45:51 +0000

The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), the body that oversees much of how the world wide web interacts, will say goodbye to .yu, the country code for the former nation of Yugoslavia.

ICANN, which oversees the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA), put an end to .yu domains in 2006, phasing them into Serbia and Montenegro (.cs) and even further into Serbia (.rs) and Montenegro (.me).

This isn’t the first time real-world politics have impacted the Internet. After the U.S.S.R. fell, the Soviet Union’s home on the web became a set of independent domains (.ru / .by / .ua). In East Timor, independence changed the domain from .tp to .tl.

ICANN steps up and yanks EstDomains’ accreditation

Steven Hodson — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 22:05:45 +0000

In a move that could signal a shift in ICANN policy the organization which controls the top level domains has pulled the accreditation of EstDomains. The European hosting provider has been under fire recently from the security community for allegedly providing a safe haven for the likes of spammers, malware authors and assorted other bad types.

Apparently anti-spam activists and security experts have been trying to tell anuone who would listen for the last couple of months that TstDomains was closely linked to Intercage/Atrivo; a hosting company now out of business, but had been listed as one of the more active hosters of spam and malware. ICANN says the loss of accreditation is the result of EstDomains president, Vladimir Tsastsin, being convicted in Estonia for crimes including money laundering and credit card fraud

Be advised that the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) Registrar Accreditation Agreement (RAA) for EstDomains Inc. (Customer No. 919, IANA No. 832) is terminated. Consistent with subsection 5.3.3 of the RAA, this termination is based on your status as President of EstDomains and your credit card fraud, money laundering and document forgery conviction.

Currently ICANN is looking for another registar; or registars, to take over the hundreds of thousands of domains that EstDomains managed. Their termination will go into effect on November 12th.

Get Ready for Limitless Domain Names

JR — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 18:35:46 +0000

The Internet’s regulating organization has just approved a proposal to create an unlimited number of customized top-level domains. That means URLs will no longer be restricted to .com, .net, or .us-style suffixes; instead, anyone can apply to have any letter combination become a reality.

Snagging a new name won’t be a simple procedure, however: ICANN will first require proof of a “business plan and technical capacity,” meaning you have to have thousands of dollars of server and router-type equipment to get through. A thorough review process will then make sure the suffix is not offensive and does not infringe on anyone’s intellectual property. The names are also expected to cost a minimum of $100,000 and as much as half a million, so the rush may not be as widespread as some have feared.

The change will go into effect next year, with registration opening in April and the first new names going live toward the end of the year. Once approved, nearly anything could be possible — .microsoft, .mcdonalds, .tech — you name it.

The ruling comes right as current domain registration is hitting a new landmark. Go Daddy has just reached an Internet growth record, becoming the first registrar with 30 million domain names under its belt.

The registration of RulesOfSaving.com pushed the company over the line today. It’s a milestone in a strong year for domain registrations: Go Daddy alone says it’s now registering, renewing, or transferring about one domain name per second, with a whopping 72 percent predicted increase in sales this year compared to last. The trend, its execs say, represents positive news for the entire web-based business industry.

“These numbers really demonstrate how the Internet is alive and well, even in these rough financial times,” Bob Parsons, Go Daddy CEO and founder, commented.

One can only assume the introduction of custom top-level domains will lead to even more growth in 2009 — even if the added activity is limited to big business.