.green

Status:	Active
Type:	Generic
Category:	Industry
Priority #:	159 - The DotGreen Community, Inc. 640 - Top Level Domain Holdings 791 - Afilias 893 - Demand Media (United TLD Holdco Ltd.)
More information:

.green is an active TLD in ICANN's New gTLD Program. The extension made general availability March 24, 2015.

Current Applicant

• Afilias

Partnership with DotGreen Community, Inc.

In September 2014 it was announced that Afilias had partnered with DotGreen Community Inc. to provide the .green TLD. DotGreen had previously withdrawn from the contention ahead of the private auction that resulted in Afilias winning the string. Afilias will provide the technical backend for the Registry while the DotGreen Community will market the TLD. The companies have also partnered with EarthShare to provide a portion of the profits to sustainability programs around the world.

Former Applicants

• The DotGreen Community, Inc., the organization is led by Annalisa Roger, co-founder and co-Chair of the San Francisco Regional Chapter of ISOC. It is associated with the Dot Green Foundation. This applicant submitted a Public Interest Commitment, which can be downloaded here.

In an interview, Ms. Roger confirmed that .green has many supporters from the environmental community and the internet industry. She explained that .green means many things, and is about encouraging sustainable, humanitarian, and ecological progress; and represents a worldwide movement that is better served by the proposed TLD. She also welcomed the competition and choice created through other proposed environmental TLDs, like .eco.

DotGreen Withdrawl

The DotGreen Community, Inc announced on Oct 11, 2013 that the company withdrew their application for the .green string. The startup was facing a 4-way private or ICANN auction, which it stated was not in the financial means nor in the interests of the company.

• Top Level Domain Holdings Ltd., one of 68 applications the company filed on their own behalf. This applicant submitted a Public Interest Commitment, which can be downloaded here.
• Demand Media (United TLD Holdco Ltd.). This applicant submitted a Public Interest Commitment, which can be downloaded here.

Private Auction

A private auction occurred in February 2014 in which Afilias won the rights to .green over remaining applicants TLDH and Demand Media. The price of the auction was not disclosed but was assumed to be a few million US dollars.

TLDH & $15mm Auction Funding

On February 26 2013, Top Level Domain Holdings Ltd. announced that it had entered into a funding agreement worth $15 million to be used in the case of auction for a specific unnamed TLD. The investor will not receive ownership of the TLD but a share of future revenues. TLDH did not name the TLD that the funds are directed for, and it is in 11 head to head contentions and 12 featuring more than one contender.

GAC Early Warning

The Representative of the Czech Republic issued a GAC Early Warning to all applicants but The DotGreen Community, Inc.. 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 Cezh warning is of the belief that none of the other 3 applicants are prepared to act in the global public interest with the .green TLD, and can not aid and be a part of the green, sustainable movement as the The DotGreen Community, Inc.. The warning regards the latter's application as highly respected and widely supported, and the others as seemingly disinterest attempts by portfolio applicants. "These 3 applicants are applying for .green as a TLD string amongst many others they are are applying for. They are probably less prepared than Dot Green Community, Inc. to play an active participatory role in the Green movement of community in either a local or global manner. They are not recognized by leaders in the Green Movement, as evidence that there were no positive comments of supports issued for their applications.

European Commission Communiqué

The European Commission flagged all applicants for .green outside of ICANN's defined remediation processes.

Just after ICANN's GAC issued its Early Warnings, which are advice given from one GAC member country to an applicant warning it of potential issues within its application, the European Commission issued a letter to all applicants within the new gTLD program. The letter highlights 58 applications that "could raise issues of compatibility with the existing legislation .. and/or with policy positions and objectives of the European Union." It notes a desire to open a dialogue with each offending applicant.

The Commission specifically notes that this objection is not a part of the GAC Early Warning process, and goes on to note that "the Commission does not consider itself legally bound to [ICANN] processes," given that there is not legal agreement between the two bodies.

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).