(Dieser Artikel ist auch in deutscher Sprache verfügbar)

During its 32nd International Public Meeting in Paris of 22-26 June, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) approved the proposal to expand the world's Domain Name System.

Dr Paul Twomey, ICANN's president and CEO, said in a statement: "The Board today accepted a recommendation from its global stakeholders that it is possible to implement many new names to the Internet, paving the way for an expansion of domain name choice and opportunity. (...) The potential here is huge. It represents a whole new way for people to express themselves on the Net. It's a massive increase in the 'real estate' of the Internet."

"This was an extremely successful meeting that will be remembered as a milestone in the development of the Internet. (...) New generic Top Level Domains and Internationalized Domain Names (IDNs) will open up the Internet and make it look as diverse as the people who use it," said Peter Dengate Thrush, ICANN's Board Chairman.

Presently, users have only a limited range of 21 top-level domains (TLDs) to choose from, such as .com, .org or .info. ICANN authorises the launch of every new TLD, the launch being made by an ICANN-approved registry and the domain names being sold by registrars. With the new proposal, applicants for new TLDs can select their domain name themselves and operate as a registry and they can use the names for their own purposes or offer them for sale to third parties through registrars. Applicants from anywhere in the world will have a "limited application period" and the applications will go through an evaluation process, expected to last nine months. Although trade marks will not be automatically reserved, owners will benefit of an objection-based mechanism to consider their arguments for protection. Offensive names will also be subject to an objection-based process "based on public morality and order" as stated by ICAAN.

A final version of the implementation plan must be approved by the ICANN Board before the new process is launched. It is intended that the final version will be published in early 2009 and applications for new names are planned to be available in the second quarter of 2009.

On the same occasion, at a meeting before the private network administration session, Suzanne Sene, a US government representative, said the Governmental Advisory Committee (GAC) wanted ICANN to organize new studies of the use and misuse of Whois data about the owners of Internet domains and pay for these studies. There is no common agreement yet on a Whois model, the debate between rights holders and the data-protection authorities having lasted long on providing more security for the Whois databases which list the owners of domains.

Representatives of US crime-fighting authorities as well as some European counterparts have frequently expressed the opinion that access to Whois data should be granted to those having a "justified interest" claiming that online spammers or swindlers could be investigated properly only by a completely free access to the databases, without the knowledge of the parties involved and without a court order. As a result, many proxy servers, whose data are recorded in Whois instead of those of clients appeared in US.

Following the introduction of some barriers to the publication of extensive information about domain owners, the British Nominet gives private users an opt-out to remove their personal data from the publicly accessible Whois database. And after many debates, EU registrars registering generic TLDs such as .info and .com benefit from derogation from the ICANN regulations by submitting a clear request on the part of their own authorities, which however, has not been achieved yet.

Internet administrators in dispute over data protection for domain owners (24.06.2008)
http://www.heise.de/english/newsticker/news/109882

ICANN backs custom domains, gives brand-owners nightmares (27.06.2008)
http://www.out-law.com/page-9214

ICANN Concludes Successful 32nd Meeting in Paris (26.06.2008)
http://www.icann.org/en/announcements/announcement-3-26jun08-en.htm

Biggest Expansion in gTLDs Approved for Implementation (26.06.2008)
http://www.icann.org/en/announcements/announcement-4-26jun08-en.htm