Contracting Invitation Requests or CIR are invitations sent to new TLD applicants that have passed initial evaluation (IE) and are ready to continue the process of registering a new gTLD. ICANN uses CIR invitations to gain more information about the registry including: points of contact, proof of a continued operations instrument (COI), disclosure of cross-ownership interests, and any modifications to data in previous applications.[1] In order for an application to be considered eligible for a CIR, it must meet specific criteria, such as being active.[2] An applicant will not receive a CIR if the new gTLD is under objection, in contention, or has received a GAC early warning.[2] Additionally, if the gTLD is considered at high risk for name collision or has active changes pending, it will not qualify for a CIR invitation.[2] During the CIR process, registries may apply for a Code of Conduct (COC) exemption. In order to qualify, a registry operator must show:
- “(i) all domain name registrations in the TLD are registered to, and maintained by, Registry Operator for the exclusive use of Registry Operator or its Affiliates,
- (ii) Registry Operator does not sell, distribute or transfer control or use of any registrations in the TLD to any third party that is not an Affiliate of Registry Operator, and
- (iii) application of this Code of Conduct to the TLD is not necessary to protect the public interest."[3]
CIR Review
After the CIR is submitted, it is checked for completeness and subject to a substantive review. Although ICANN processes CIRs by their priority number, any problems or errors found will result in a more lengthy CIR process and follow up procedure.[2]