.architect

Status:	Proposed
Type:	Generic
Category:	Professional
More information:

.architect is a proposed TLD in ICANN's New gTLD Program. The applicant is Donuts (Spring Frostbite, LLC).

The application was issued 2 GAC Early Warnings, from the representatives of the Australian and French governments. The Australian warning notes that the TLD is tied to a regulated market and that the application does not promise sufficient mechanisms to protect from consumer harm. 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 French representative also warned the related .archi as a architect-centric domain.

Application Details

The TLD will be an open TLD with no restrictions limiting it to a defined group within the architect community or only architects themselves.
Excerpt from Response Question 18:
"No entity, or group of entities, has exclusive rights to own or register second level names in this TLD. There are superior ways to minimize the potential abuse of second level names, and in this application Donuts will describe and commit to an extensive array of protections against abuse, including protections against the abuse of trademark rights.

We recognize some applicants seek to address harms by constraining access to the registration of second level names. However, we believe attempts to limit abuse by limiting registrant eligibility is unnecessarily restrictive and harms users by denying access to many legitimate registrants. Restrictions on second level domain eligibility would prevent law-abiding individuals and organizations from participating in a space to which they are legitimately connected, and would inhibit the sort of positive innovation we intend to see in this TLD. As detailed throughout this application, we have struck the correct balance between consumer and business safety, and open access to second level names.

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).