.charity

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

.charity is a new generic top level domain name (gTLD) applied for in ICANN's New gTLD Program.

Current Applicants

The applicants are:

1. Donuts (Corn Lake, LLC), a start-up registry operator that applied for 307 new gTLDs, each via a different LLC. This applicant submitted a Public Interest Commitment, which can be downloaded here.
2. Famous Four Media (Spring Registry Limited), a company based in Gibraltar represented by Geir Rasmussen, it has applied for 61 new gTLDs. This applicant submitted a Public Interest Commitment, which can be downloaded here.

GAC Early Warning

Both applicants for .charity were 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 .charity warnings note that the TLD refers to a regulated market sector but notes there are not sufficient protection mechanisms designed to prevent consumer harm.

IO Objection

ICANN's Independent Objector (IO) filed a Community Objection against the .charity string. The IO is an appointed authority on international law whose role is to object to strings on the grounds of Community harm and Limited Public Interest were detailed in the applicant guidebook. His objections are official objections and are funded by ICANN, though his office is otherwise independent. Reasons for the specific case against .charity were not initially given, but the community objection generally argues that the TLD faces opposition or is contrary to a significant portion of a community which it purportedly aims to serve. The IO must determine: That the community is a clearly delineated community; that there is a strong association between the community and the string applied for; there is a strong association between the segment of the community on whose half we objects and the string itself; and he must determine that the TLD would produce a significant material detriment to this sizable portion of the community.

He also objected to Famous Four Media's competitive application for the same string, and the Chinese IDN version that translates as "charity", .慈善, which was submitted by Zodiac.

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).

Top-Level Domain

Internationalized Domain Name