Public Interest Commitments

Public Interest Commitments (PICs) as related to new gTLD applicants and the Registry Agreement they are to sign, is a term and creation directly from ICANN, first suggested on February 5th, 2013, in ICANN's revised new registry agreement that it opened for public comments.

PICs are voluntary amendments that applicants can create, sign, and undertake along with the general registry agreement in order to hold their registry operations to certain standards. They seem to originally have been developed as a way to allow applicants to appease GAC members that may be concerned about how their application stands as is, or how ICANN will be able to ensure a potential registry remains compliant with its aspirations and mandate as it defined in its summary of its proposed operations in the TLD application. As is, prior to PICs, there was no clear way of defining operating procedures when moving from the long form essays in the TLD application to the Registry Agreement.

For example, if an applicant expresses a desire to restrict registration to a certain group of professionals, such as doctors, lawyers, etc., the applicant can create a PIC to underline this and hold their future registry to that standard. If the applicant did not originally intend to create such restrictions as defined in its TLD application, but it has received communication from the GAC that the supporting organization intends to oppose their application to the ICANN Board without such language, then the PIC can be added as an appeal to those governments.

Timeline

It is a controversial topic that many applicants think was created quickly, with no outside input, and is presented in such a way that they feel compelled to make a decision without fully understanding the proposal. It seems to apply to a small subset of applicants, as only 145 of 1,409 strings were flagged by GAC Early Warnings, the primary target for PICs. The dispute resolution procedure, the Public Interest Commitment Dispute Resolution Process or PICDRP, has yet to be defined. Applicants were given one month, until March 5th, to submit their PICs. It seemed to conflict with other deadlines, such as the end of objection filling just a week later, so, "potential objectors would have to decide whether to file their objections based on PICs that have been published for just one week and that could be amended post-deadline."

ICANN CEO Fadi Chehadé noted around the imminent closing of the PIC submission date that this issue has the potential for pushing back the receipt of GAC advice and therefore the entire TLD implementation schedule, which is tightly fixed and aiming to recommend the first TLDs for delegation by April 23rd. ICANN will not recommend TLDs for implementation without the GAC's final advice, and the GAC seems to be placing a great import on the submission of PICs, to which the applicants remain wary.

Stakeholder Reactions

ICANN's Registry Stakeholder Group is very much opposed to the PICs and the rest of the proposed Registry Agreement, which includes provisions to only allow new registries to work with registrars that are party to their own new registrar accreditation agreement, which has yet to be settled upon. TLD applicants have argued that they are being used as a "wedge" to force registrars into signing a still non-existent agreement. The RySg has said, the Registry Agreement “contains so many serious and fundamental flaws that it should be withdrawn in its entirety." The U.S. Governement's National Telecommunications and Information Administration, from which ICANN is given its mandate and oversight, encouraged all applicants to submit PICs that related to verification of registration, the validity of Whois data, and help protect the "creative sector", a reference to content producers that are often subject to piracy on the Internet.

PICs Submitted

499 PIC specs were submitted. The following link out directly to the downloads for the respective PICs submitted:

1. .abogado - Top Level Domain Holdings Ltd., PIC
2. .academy - Donuts, PIC
3. .accountant - Famous Four Media, PIC
4. .accountants - Donuts, [PIC
5. .actor - Demand Media, PIC
6. .agency - Donuts, PIC
7. .airforce - Demand Media, PIC
8. .apartments - Donuts, PIC
9. .app - Donuts, PIC
10. .app - Famous Four Media, PIC
11. .app - Top Level Domain Holdings Ltd., PIC
12. .architect - Donuts, Donuts
13. .army - Demand Media, PIC
14. .art - Donuts, PIC
15. .art, Top Level Domain Holdings Ltd., PIC
16. .associates, Donuts, PIC
17. .attorney, Donuts, PIC
18. .auction, Donuts, PIC
19. .audio - Donuts, PIC
20. .auto - [[Donuts, PIC
21. .baby - Top Level Domain Holdings Ltd., [1]
22. .baby - Donuts, PIC
23. .band - Donuts, PIC
24. .bar - Demand Media, PIC
25. .bargains - Donuts, PIC
26. .baseball - Donuts, PIC
27. .basketball - Famous Four Media, PIC
28. .basketball - Donuts, PIC
29. .basketball - FIBA, PIC
30. .beauty - Donuts, PIC
31. .bet - Famous Four Media, PIC
32. .bet - Donuts, PIC
33. .bike - Donuts, PIC
34. .bingo - Famous Four Media, PIC
35. .book - Famous Four Media, PIC
36. .book - Donuts, PIC
37. .bradesco - Banco Bradesco S.A., PIC
38. .buzz - dotStrategy, PIC
39. .cam - Demand Media, PIC
40. .career - dotCareer LLC, PIC
41. .casino - Famous Four Media, PIC
42. .casino - dotBeauty LLC, PIC
43. .charity - Donuts, PIC
44. .charity - Famous Four Media, PIC
45. .cheap - Donuts, PIC
46. .city - Donuts, PIC
47. .claims - Donuts, PIC
48. .cleaning - Donuts, PIC
49. .clinic - Donuts, PIC
50. .clothing - Donuts, PIC
51. .cloud - Donuts, PIC
52. .club - Donuts, PIC
53. .coffee - Donuts, PIC
54. .college - Donuts, PIC
55. .community, Donuts, PIC
56. .company - Donuts, PIC
57. .computer - Donuts, PIC
58. .condos - Donuts, PIC
59. .consulting - Donuts, PIC
60. .contractors - Donuts, PIC
61. .cool - Donuts, PIC
62. .corp - Donuts, PIC
63. .construction - Donuts, PIC
64. .coupons - Donuts, PIC
65. .cpa - Donuts, PIC
66. .credit - Donuts, PIC
67. .creditcard - Donuts, PIC
68. .creditunion - CUNA, PIC
69. .cricket - Donuts, PIC
70. .cruise - Cruise Lines International Association Inc., PIC
71. .cruises - Donuts, PIC
72. .dance - Demand Media, PIC
73. .date - Donuts, PIC
74. .dating - Donuts, PIC
75. .deals - Donuts, PIC
76. .degree - Donuts, PIC
77. .delivery - Donuts, PIC
78. .democrat - Demand Media, PIC
79. .dental - Donuts, PIC
80. .dentist - Donuts, PIC
81. .design - Donuts, PIC
82. .diamonds - Donuts, PIC
83. .diet - Donuts, PIC
84. .digital - Donuts, PIC
85. .direct - Donuts, PIC
86. .directory - Donuts, PIC
87. .discount - Donuts, PIC
88. .doctor - Donuts, PIC
89. .dog - Donuts, PIC
90. .domains - Donuts, PIC
91. .download - Famous Four Media, PIC
92. .eco - Big Room Inc., PIC
93. .eco - Donuts, PIC
94. .ecom - Ecommerce Inc., PIC
95. .education - Donuts, PIC
96. .email - Donuts, PIC
97. .energy - Famous Four Media, PIC
98. .engineer - Donuts, PIC
99. .engineering - Donuts, PIC
100. .enterprises - Donuts, PIC
101. .equipment - Donuts, PIC
102. .estate - Donuts, PIC
103. .events - Donuts, PIC
104. .exchange - Donuts, PIC
105. .expert - Donuts, PIC
106. .exposed - Donuts, PIC
107. .express - Donuts, PIC
108. .fail - Donuts, PIC
109. .family - Donuts, PIC
110. .fan - Donuts, PIC
111. .farm - Donuts, PIC
112. .fashion - Donuts, PIC
113. .film - Donuts, PIC
114. .finance - Donuts, PIC
115. .financial - Donuts, PIC
116. .fish - Donuts, PIC
117. .fishing - Demand Media, PIC
118. .fitness - Donuts, PIC
119. .flights - Donuts, PIC
120. .florist - Donuts, PIC
121. .flowers - Donuts, PIC
122. .food - Donuts, PIC
123. .football - Donuts, PIC
124. .forsale - Donuts, PIC
125. .forum - Donuts, PIC
126. .foundation - Donuts, PIC
127. .free - Donuts, PIC
128. .fun - Donuts, PIC
129. .fund - Donuts, PIC
130. .furniture - Donuts, PIC
131. .flowers - Donuts, PIC
132. .futbol - Donuts, PIC
133. .fyi - Donuts, PIC
134. .gallery - Donuts, PIC
135. .games - Donuts, PIC
136. .garden - Donuts, PIC
137. .gay - Demand Media, PIC
138. .gcc - GCCIX WLL, PIC
139. .gecompany - GE GTLD Holdings LLC, PIC
140. .gifts - Donuts, PIC
141. .gives - Donuts, PIC
142. .glass - Donuts, PIC
143. .global - Donuts, PIC
144. .gmbh - Donuts, PIC
145. .gmbh - InterNetWire, PIC
146. .gold - Donuts, PIC
147. .golf - Donuts, PIC
148. .graphics - Donuts, PIC
149. .gratis - Donuts, PIC
150. .green - DotGreen Community Inc., PIC
151. .green - Demand Media, PIC
152. .gripe - Donuts, PIC
153. .group - Donuts, PIC
154. .guide - Donuts, PIC
155. .guru - Donuts, PIC
156. .halal - Asia Green IT System Bilgisayar San., PIC
157. .haus - Donuts, PIC
158. .health - DotHealth, LLC, PIC
159. .health - dot Health Limited, PIC
160. .health - Donuts, PIC
161. .healthcare - Donuts, PIC
162. .help, Donuts, PIC
163. .hiv - dotHIV gemeinnuetziger e.V., PIC
164. .hockey - Donuts, PIC
165. .holdings - Donuts, PIC
166. .holiday - Donuts, PIC
167. .home - Donuts, PIC
168. .hospital - Donuts, PIC
169. .hosting - Donuts, PIC
170. .hot - Donuts, PIC
171. .hotel - Donuts, PIC
172. .hotel - Famous Four Media, PIC
173. .house - Donuts, PIC
174. .idn - NameShop, PIC
175. .immo - Donuts, PIC
176. .immo - Top Level Domain Holdings Ltd., PIC
177. .immobilien - Demand Media, PIC
178. .inc - Donuts, PIC
179. .industries - Donuts, PIC
180. .institute - Donuts, PIC
181. .insurance - Donuts, PIC
182. .insure - Donuts, PIC
183. .international - Donuts, PIC
184. .investments - Donuts, PIC
185. .islam - Asia Green IT System Bilgisayar San., PIC
186. .jewelry - Richemont DNS Inc., PIC
187. .jewelry - Donuts, PIC
188. .juegos - Donuts, PIC
189. .kaufen - Demand Media, PIC
190. .kids - DotKids Foundation Limited, PIC
191. .kitchen - Donuts, PIC
192. .kiwi - Dot Kiwi Limited, PIC
193. .land - Donuts PIC
194. .latino - Top Level Domain Holdings Ltd., PIC
195. .law - Famous Four Media, PIC
196. .law - Donuts, PIC
197. .lawyer - Donuts, PIC
198. .lease - Donuts, PIC
199. .legal - Donuts, PIC
200. .lighting - Donuts, PIC
201. .limited - Donuts, PIC
202. .limo - Donuts, PIC
203. .living - Donuts, PIC
204. .llc - Top Level Domain Holdings Ltd., PIC
205. .llc - Donuts, PIC
206. .loan - Famous Four Media, PIC
207. .loans - Donuts, PIC
208. .london - Dot London Domains Limited, PIC
209. .love - Donuts, PIC
210. .ltd - Donuts, PIC
211. .luxe - Top Level Domain Holdings Ltd., PIC
212. .luxury - Donuts, PIC
213. .mail - Donuts, PIC
214. .mail - 1&1 Mail & Media GmbH, PIC
215. .maison - Donuts, PIC
216. .man - MAN SE, PIC
217. .management - Donuts, PIC
218. .map - Demand Media, PIC
219. .market - Donuts, PIC
220. .marketing - Donuts, PIC
221. .mba - Donuts, PIC
222. .med - Medistry, PIC
223. .med - HEXAP SAS, PIC
224. .media - Donuts, PIC
225. .medical - Donuts, PIC
226. .memorial - Donuts, PIC
227. .merck - Merck KGaA, PIC
228. .mobile - Donuts, PIC
229. .moda - Donuts, PIC
230. .mom - Demand Media, PIC
231. .money - Donuts, PIC
232. .money - Famous Four Media, PIC
233. .mortgage - Donuts, PIC
234. .moto - Demand Media, PIC
235. .movie - Famous Four Media, PIC
236. .movie - Donuts, PIC
237. .music - Famous Four Media, PIC
238. .music - Donuts, PIC
239. .music - Top Level Domain Holdings Ltd., PIC
240. .navy - Demand Media, PIC
241. .network - Donuts, PIC
242. .news - Donuts, PIC
243. .ninja - Demand Media, PIC
244. .now - Donuts, PIC
245. .nowruz - Asia Green IT System Bilgisayar San., PIC
246. .nrw - Minds + Machines, PIC
247. .online - Tucows, PIC
248. .online - Donuts, PIC
249. .ooo - INFIBEAM INCORPORATION LIMITED, PIC
250. .organic - Afilias, PIC
251. .pars - Asia Green IT System Bilgisayar San., PIC
252. .partners - Donuts, PIC
253. .parts - Donuts, PIC
254. .patagonia - Patagonia, Inc., PIC
255. .persiangulf -Asia Green IT System Bilgisayar San., PIC
256. .pets - Donuts, PIC
257. .phone - Donuts, PIC
258. .photography - Donuts, PIC
259. .photos - Donuts, PIC
260. .pictures - Donuts, PIC
261. .pizza - Top Level Domain Holdings Ltd., PIC
262. .pizza - Donuts, PIC
263. .place - Donuts, PIC
264. .plumbing - Donuts, PIC
265. .plus - Donuts, PIC
266. .poker - Donuts, PIC
267. .poker - Dot Poker LLC, PIC
268. .poker - dot Poker Limited, PIC
269. .productions - Donuts, PIC
270. .properties - Donuts, PIC
271. .property - Donuts, PIC
272. .property - Top Level Domain Holdings Ltd., PIC
273. .pub - Demand Media, PIC
274. .racing - Donuts, PIC
275. .racing - Famous Four Media, PIC
276. .radio - Donuts, PIC
277. .radio - BRS Media, PIC
278. .realestate - Top Level Domain Holdings Ltd., PIC
279. .realestate - Donuts, PIC
280. .realty - Donuts, PIC
281. .recipes - Donuts, PIC
282. .red - Donuts, PIC
283. .rehab - Demand Media, PIC
284. .reise - dotreise GmbH, PIC
285. .reisen - Donuts, PIC
286. .rent - Donuts, PIC
287. .rentals - Donuts, PIC
288. .repair - Donuts, PIC
289. .report - Donuts, PIC
290. .republican - Demand Media, PIC
291. .restaurant - Donuts, PIC
292. .restaurant - Demand Media, PIC
293. .review - Top Level Domain Holdings Ltd., PIC
294. .reviews - Donuts, PIC
295. .rip - Demand Media, PIC
296. .rocks - Donuts, PIC
297. .rodeo - Top Level Domain Holdings Ltd., PIC
298. .roma - Top Level Domain Holdings Ltd., PIC
299. .rugby - IRB Strategic Developments Limited, PIC
300. .rugby - Donuts, PIC
301. .rugby - Famous Four Media, PIC
302. .run - Donuts, PIC
303. .sale - Top Level Domain Holdings Ltd., PIC
304. .sale - Donuts, PIC
305. .salon - Donuts, PIC
306. .sap - SAP AG, PIC
307. .sarl - Donuts, PIC
308. .sarl - mySarl GmbH, PIC
309. .school - Donuts, PIC
310. .school - Top Level Domain Holdings Ltd., PIC
311. .schule - Donuts, PIC
312. .science - Top Level Domain Holdings, PIC
313. .search - Donuts, PIC
314. .security - Donuts, PIC
315. .services - Donuts, PIC
316. .shia - Asia Green IT System Bilgisayar San., PIC
317. .shoes - Donuts, PIC
318. .shop - Donuts, PIC
319. .shopping - Donuts, PIC
320. .show - Donuts, PIC
321. .singles - Donuts, PIC
322. .site - Donuts, PIC
323. .site - Top Level Domain Holdings Ltd., PIC
324. .ski - Donuts, PIC
325. .smart - SMART, PIC
326. .soccer - Top Level Domain Holdings Ltd., PIC
327. .soccer - Donuts, PIC
328. .social - Demand Media, PIC
329. .software - Donuts, PIC
330. .solar - Donuts, PIC
331. .solutions - Donuts, PIC
332. .spa - Donuts, PIC
333. .spa - Top Level Domain Holdings Ltd., PIC
334. .sports - Donuts, PIC
335. .srl - mySRL GmbH, PIC
336. .storage - Donuts, PIC
337. .store - [[Donuts[[, PIC
338. .store - Top Level Domain Holdings Ltd., PIC
339. .stream - Famous Four Media, PIC
340. .studio - Donuts, PIC
341. .style - Donuts, PIC
342. .style - Top Level Domain Holdings Ltd., PIC
343. .sucks - Momentous, PIC
344. .sucks - Donuts, PIC
345. .supplies - Donuts, PIC
346. .supply - Donuts, PIC
347. .support - Donuts, PIC
348. .surf - Top Level Domain Holdings Ltd., PIC
349. .surgery - Donuts, PIC
350. .systems - Donuts, PIC
351. .tax - Donuts, PIC
352. .taxi - Donuts, PIC
353. .taxi - Taxi Pay GmbH, PIC
354. .team - Donuts, PIC
355. .tech - Donuts, PIC
356. .tech - Top Level Domain Holdings Ltd., PIC
357. .technology - Donuts, PIC
358. .tennis - Donuts, PIC
359. .theater - Donuts, PIC
360. .tickets - Shubert Internet, Inc., PIC
361. .tickets - Accent Media Limited, PIC
362. .tickets - Donuts, PIC
363. .tienda - Donuts, PIC
364. .tips - Donuts, PIC
365. .tires - Donuts, PIC
366. .tools - Donuts, PIC
367. .tours - Donuts, PIC
368. .town - Donuts, PIC
369. .toys - Donuts, PIC
370. .trading - Donuts, PIC
371. training - Donuts, PIC
372. .tube - Latin American Telecom LLC, PIC
373. .tube - Donuts, PIC
374. .ummah - Ummah Digital Limited, PIC
375. .university - Donuts, PIC
376. .vacations - Donuts, PIC
377. .ventures - Donuts, PIC
378. .vet - Donuts, PIC
379. .viajes - Donuts, PIC
380. .video - Top Level Domain Holdings Ltd., PIC
381. .video - Donuts, PIC
382. .villas - Donuts, PIC
383. .vin - Donuts, PIC
384. .vip - Top Level Domain Holdings, PIC
385. .vip - Donuts, PIC
386. .vision - Donuts, PIC
387. .vodka - Top Level Domain Holdings Ltd., PIC
388. .vote - Donuts, PIC
389. .voyage - Donuts, PIC
390. .watch - Donuts, PIC
391. .watches - Richemont DNS Inc, PIC
392. .web - Donuts, PIC
393. .website - Donuts, PIC
394. .website - Top Level Domain Holdings Ltd., PIC
395. .wed - Atgron, Inc., PIC
396. .wedding - Donuts, PIC
397. .wedding - Top Level Domain Holdings, PIC
398. .win - Famous Four Media, PIC
399. .wine - Donuts, PIC
400. .work - Top Level Domain Holdings, PIC
401. .works - Donuts, PIC
402. .world - Donuts, PIC
403. .wow - Demand Media, PIC
404. .wtf - Donuts, PIC
405. .yoga - Donuts, PIC
406. .yoga - Top Level Domain Holdings Ltd., PIC
407. .zone - Donuts, PIC
408. .zulu - Top Level Domain Holdings Ltd., PIC
409. .онлайн - CORE, PIC
410. .рус - Rusnames Limited, https://gtldresult.icann.org/application-result/applicationstatus/applicationdetails/159 PIC]
411. .сайт - CORE, PIC
412. .بازار - CORE, PIC
413. .همراه - Asia Green IT System Bilgisayar San., PIC
414. .企业 - Donuts, PIC
415. .健康 - Stable Tone Limited, PIC
416. .公益 - CONAC, PIC
417. .商店 - Donuts, PIC
418. .娱乐 - Donuts, PIC
419. .慈善 - Zodiac, PIC
420. .手表 - Richemont DNS Inc., PIC
421. .政务 - CONAC, PIC
422. .政府 - Net-Chinese, PIC
423. .游戏 - Donuts, PIC
424. .珠宝 - Richemont DNS Inc., PIC
425. .网址 - Top Level Domain Holdings Ltd., PIC
426. .购物 - Top Level Domain Holdings Ltd., PIC
427. .通用电气公司 - GE GTLD Holdings, PIC

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).