.attorney

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Status:	Delegated
Manager:	Donuts
Registry Provider:	Demand Media
Type:	Generic
Category:	Professional
PIC Submitted:	Download Here

.attorney is a gTLD that was proposed in ICANN's New gTLD Program. The applicant and now Registry Operator is Donuts (Victor North, LLC). Their application succeeded and was delegated to the Root Zone on 31 May 2014.

Background

GAC Early Warning

The application was 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 warning notes that the TLD refers to a regulated market and that there are not currently sufficient protection mechanisms detailed in the application to protect against consumer harm.

Proposed Registration Policies

Excerpted from Response to Question 18:
"This TLD is a generic term and its second level names will be attractive to a variety of Internet users. Making this TLD available to a broad audience of registrants is consistent with the competition goals of the New TLD expansion program, and consistent with ICANN’s objective of maximizing Internet participation. Donuts believes in an open Internet and, accordingly, we will encourage inclusiveness in the registration policies for this TLD. In order to avoid harm to legitimate registrants, Donuts will not artificially deny access, on the basis of identity alone (without legal cause), to a TLD that represents a generic form of activity and expression.

The .ATTORNEY TLD will be attractive to registrants with a connection to lawyers, attorneys-in-fact (non-lawyer representatives), or the legal profession. This is a broad and diverse group. It may include practicing attorneys in various jurisdictions, but also would include law schools, paralegals, legal support companies (e.g., companies involved in legal research, discovery, temporary legal services, software and other legal tools, etc.), legal periodicals, and many others. Importantly, it could be a place of expression related to the legal profession. We will operate the .ATTORNEY TLD in the best interests of registrants in all jurisdictions who approach the TLD from a variety of perspectives and in a legitimate and secure manner.

DONUTS’ APPROACH TO PROTECTIONS 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."

Contract Signed

On 20 March 2014 Donuts received a Registry Agreement signed by ICANN for .attorney after passing all the required processes needed to become a Registry Operator for the string.

Delegation and Availability

.attorney was delegated to the Root Zone of the DNS on 31 May 2014, completing the successful application for the string.