View source for Antony Van Couvering

{{People
|portrait   = AntonyVanCouveringPortrait.JPG
|caricature = AntonyVanCouvering_Caricature.jpg
|affiliation= Minds + Machines
|country    = USA
|email      = 
|website    = http://www.mindsandmachines.com/blog/ 
|twitter    = antonyvc
|facebook   = http://www.facebook.com/antonyvc 
|linkedin   = 
|userbox    = {{Template:UBX-RYSG-C}} {{Template:UBX-RRSG-C}} {{UBX-CARD51}}
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'''Antony Van Couvering''' is the CEO of [[Minds + Machines]].<ref>[http://www.elliotsblog.com/antony-van-couvering-named-ceo-of-top-level-domain-holdings-8224 elliotsblog]</ref> He is also the CEO of [[Top Level Domain Holdings]], which is the parent company of [[Minds + Machines]],<ref>[http://www.mindsandmachines.com/about/mm-team/ About Minds + Machines]</ref> and an applicant for 92 gTLDs in [[ICANN]]'s [[New gTLD Program]].<ref>[http://www.tldh.org/2012/06/gtld-application-update-92-applications-submitted/ gTLD application update: 92 applications submitted, tldh.org]</ref>

Van Couvering played a significant part in the early days of the creation of [[ccTLD]]s and subsequent ccTLD governance issues under the ICANN structure. He also chaired the meeting in Singapore which gave birth to the [[DNSO]] (later the [[GNSO]]) of [[ICANN]].<ref>[http://www.circleid.com/members/1478/ Circle ID profile]</ref>

In a letter dated December 8th, 2011, Antony Van Couvering, along with twenty-seven other domain name industry representatives, wrote to Sen. John Rockefeller and Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison to support [[ICANN]]'s new gTLD program, in response to the [[ICANN#New_gTLD_Senate_and_House_of_Representatives_Hearings|Senate Hearings]] taking place on the same day. They supported ICANN's argument that the program would be innovative and economically beneficial and noted that the program took a diverse group of international stakeholders years to develop.<ref>[http://domainincite.com/new-gtld-industry-pleads-with-senators/ New gTLD industry pleads with senators, domainincite.com]</ref> The  letter can be found [http://domainincite.com/docs/Senate-Letter-ICANN-Expansion-of-Top-Level-Domains-08.DEC.2011.pdf here].

== Career History ==
* He has been working in the domain name industry since 1996<ref>[http://www.mindsandmachines.com/about/mm-team/ mindsandmachines.com about]</ref>
* He founded the company [[NetNames]] in 1997 and then sold it to [[NetBenefit]].<ref>[http://www.circleid.com/members/1478/ Circle ID]</ref>
* He founded the company [[NameEngine]] in 1999, working with clients such as  American Express, Bridgestone-Firestone, Citibank, Colgate-Palmolive, Goodyear, Intel, Kodak, and Viacom, and with IP law firms including Fross Zelnick, Ladas & Parry, and Brown Raysman.<ref>[http://www.circleid.com/members/1478/ Circle ID]</ref>
* He sold [[NameEngine]] to [[Verisign]] in 2001 and then worked at [[Verisign]] till 2004.<ref>[http://www.mindsandmachines.com/about/mm-team/ mindsandmachines.com about]</ref>
* Antony has started and managed several [[ccTLD]]s, including [[.tm]], [[.as]], [[.bt]], and [[.pw]]
* Working under the direction of Jon Postel, he played a role in the reformation of the [[.us]] domain.
* He was head of the Policy Advisory Body under the old [[gTLD-MoU]].
* He was the Chairman of the board of directors of [[DomainsBot]].com.<ref>[http://www.linkedin.com/in/antonyvc linkedin]</ref>

== Education ==
Antony received a Bachelor's degree in Comparative Literature from Columbia College in New York City. 

== Publications ==
* This is the document he wrote as a proposal to modify the [[.us]] domain. [http://www.ntia.doc.gov/ntiahome/domainname/VanCouvering.htm Read Online]
* While working at [[NameEngine]], he did research about Value Protection Index. [http://www.namesatwork.com/wp-content/NameEngine500.pdf Read Online]

==Videos==
: {{#ev:youtube|kNthYovFJjk}}

Van Couvering is interviewed by [[Gray Chynoweth]] at [[ICANN 42]] in Dakar, Senegal, on the topic of what's next in the New [[gTLD]] Process.

== References ==
{{reflist}}


[[Category:USA]]
[[Category:Private Sector - Domain Name Industry]]