eCommerce World Retailers and Commercial Connect, LLC Call on ICANN to Issue TLDs By "Name Space" Groupings

LOUISVILLE, Ky., Oct. 11, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- The following is being released by Duane Morris Government Strategies LLC:

ECommerce World Retailers (ECWR.net) and Commercial Connect, LLC, have challenged the Internet Corporation of Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) to adhere to its founding principle of issuing top line domains (TLDs) based solely on Name Space groupings.  ICANN currently has some 1814 active applications under review for new TLDs.

"From the very beginning, ICANN recognized that the only way to prevent confusion is to limit the number of TLDs available," says Richard Last, spokesperson for the eCommerce World Retailers community, a Commercial Connect board member, and head of the Digital Retailing Program at the University of North Texas at Denton.

"Historically, the organization has required that TLDs represent an established community; for example, college and university web addresses end in .edu and not-for-profits should use .org.  This has been extraordinarily helpful to consumers, especially with the explosion of web sites we've seen in recent years.  They instantly know 'who's what' by their TLD address.  It has protected the structure and stability of the internet."

Last says that by adhering to this one TLD per Name Space, there might only be a total of 60 TLDs issued.  But he is concerned that ICANN officials could be abandoning this defining principle, particularly in the fast-growing e-commerce arena.

"ICANN's 2012 Applicant Handbook states that in the review process, all proposed TLDs would be categorized by Name Space.  This means that in the eCommerce arena, TLDs applicants such as .shop, .store, .buy, .supplies and .services would all be grouped together and after a thorough review, only one TLD for the eCommerce Name Space would be awarded. 

"However, in its review of over 1800 applications, the Name Similarity Panel found only four applications for non-identical TLDs they deemed to be similar or confusing," Last continues.  "We find that hard to believe.  Either the Name Similarity Panel was not instructed properly on how to review and group by Name Space, or worse yet, ICANN is abandoning its long held belief that Internet names should be sacred and sparse. Either way could prove disastrous.

"We at eCommerce World Retailers and Commercial Connect are formally requesting that ICANN adhere to their founding principles, core values and mission by being restrictive and conservative as to how new TLDs are delegated" states Last.  "If this means that the Name Similarity Panel must reconvene and re-review the applications properly, so be it.  More TLDs will only create confusion and chaos." 

Last points out that Commercial Connect initially applied for the eCommerce .shop TLD back in 2000.  "It is the only eCommerce applicant to make it through the entire ICANN process in 2000 without being denied.   Yet to date, it has still not been awarded the .shop TLD." 

"Right now, there are approximately 38 other applicants and variations for eCommerce TLDs before ICANN," Last says.  "Only one claims to represent community.  Community, transparency, security and stability are all concepts conveyed in Commercial Connect's .shop application.  These principles are solely missing in all of the others." 

"Community applications have historically been ICANN's preference to delegating TLDs," he continues.  "We believe it should remain the central determinant in awarding the eCommerce TLD.  After over 13 years of waiting for delegation, there is no reason to delay the approval of .shop TLD to the community applicant representing the eCommerce community."

SOURCE Duane Morris Government Strategies LLC