.blog

Status:	Proposed
Type:	Generic
Category:	Technology
Priority #:	191 - Radix (Personals TLD Inc.) 358 - Top Level Domain Holdings 713 - Donuts (Corn Shadow, LLC) 739 - Afilias 891 - Merchant Law Group LLP 1153 - BET Inc. 1285 - Google (Charleston Road Registry Inc.) 1607 - Top Level Design 1820 - Primer Nivel
More information:

.blog is a proposed new TLD in ICANN's new gTLD expansion program.

Current Applicants

1. Primer Nivel, partnering with Qinetics for registry services, CommunityDNS for DNS services, and NCC Group for data escrow.
2. Radix (Personals TLD Inc.), partnering with ARI Registry Services for backend registry functioning. Radix has applied for 31 new gTLDs.
3. Top Level Domain Holdings Ltd., using its own Minds + Machines subsidiary for registry services. Blog is one of 68 applications that the company has filed on its own behalf.
4. Top Level Design, submitted 10 total applications.
5. Afilias
6. BET Inc., John Kane of Afilias is listed as the contact person.
7. Google (Charleston Road Registry Inc.), The search engine giant applied for 101 new gTLDs.
8. Donuts (Corn Shadow, LLC), Donuts applied for a total of 307 new gTLDs and invested $56 million just for application fees.
9. Merchant Law Group LLP, Mr. Brendon James Ralfe is the main contact person for the company

Google

Google's application was issued a GAC Early Warning from the representative of Australia and GAC Chair, Heather Dryden. The warning system is noted as a strong recommendation on behalf of national governments to the ICANN Board that a given TLD application should be denied as it stands. Applicants are encouraged to work with objecting GAC members.

The warning states that the applicant is "seeking exlcusive access to a common generic string .. that relates to a broad market sector," which Ms. Dryden notes could have unintended consequences and a negative impact on competition.

Radix

Radix received a GAC Early Warning as an entire applicant, where each one of the applicants was flagged by the U.S. Government. This seems to be the only time a portfolio applicant had all of their applications warned. The issue does not deal with the technical capabilities or thematic content of their applications, but rather the inclusion of an email address associated with the US' Federal Bureau of Investigation. It seems that Radix included correspondence with this address as a recommendation with each of their applications.

Top-Level Domain

Governmental Advisory Committee. Considers and provides advice on the activities of ICANN as they relate to concerns of governments, particularly matters where there may be an interaction between ICANN's policies and various laws and international agreements or where they may affect public policy issues (ICANN Bylaws).