Internet-Draft Simon Higgs
Category: Informational Higgs America
Expires May 31, 1997 November 1996
Top Level Domain Classification and Categorization
< draft-higgs-tld-cat-03.txt >
Status of this Memo
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Abstract
This document replaces RFC 1591, with all the guidelines and
procedures updated and modified in the light of experience.
This document describes the types of the top level domains (TLD),
and introduces new TLD classes. It also introduces new TLD names to
expand and take some pressure off the international commercial
namespace (.COM).
This document suggests some ideas for the management of the
establishment of new top level domains, some procedures for domain
name registries, and some constraints on top level domain names. The
guidelines and these policies are subject to revision at the
direction of the IANA. The newdom, iahc-discuss and shared-tld
mailing lists will be discussing these issues and may provide advice
to the IANA about possible revisions.
This document can be considered the base set of operational
guidelines in use by all top level domain administrators and domain
name registries. Additional guidelines may be imposed within a
specific TLD's charter, or by a particular registry as appropriate.
This document does not attempt to provide a direct solution for
preventing or resolving the domain name or trademark conflicts we
have recently witnessed, but it does create a foundation where
domain name conflict solutions can have maximum effect.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Domain Name Space
2.1 The History of Domain Names
2.2. The Top Level Structure
2.3 Political decisions
2.4 TLD Classes
2.4.1. Shared TLD Class
2.4.2. Specialized TLD Class
2.4.3. Private TLD
3. Top Level Domain Creation
3.1 Delegation
3.2 Top Level Domain Policy
3.3 TLD Charters
3.4 Registry's Failure To Enforce Charter
4. Rights to Names
4.1 What is a Trademark?
4.2 Domain Names and Trademarks
4.3 Generic Elements Of A Domain Name
4.4 Domain Name Disputes
4.5 Trademarks, Domain Names, and Directory Services
5. Registry Selection
5.1 Shared TLD Class
5.2 Specialized TLD Class
5.3 Private TLD Class
6. Expanding the Top Level Domain Space
6.1 Existing International Generic Top Level Domains
6.1.1 NET
6.1.2. ORG
6.1.3. COM
6.2. Existing Private Top Level Domains
6.2.1. GOV
6.2.2. MIL
6.3 Existing Specialized Domains
6.3.1. EDU
6.3.2. INT
6.4 Existing ISO 3166 Country Domains
6.5 Existing Infrastructure TLDs
6.6 New Top Level Domains
6.6.1. From the public applications process
6.6.2. International Trademark Schedule of Goods
and Services
7. Appeals
8. Security Considerations
9. Acknowlegements
10. Author's Address
1. Introduction
This document provides some information on the structure of the
names in the Domain Name System (DNS), specifically the top-level
domain names; and on the administration of those domains. The
Internet Domain Name Board (IDNB) is the overall authority for
Domain Names. The Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA) is the
overall authority for the IP Addresses, and many other parameters,
used in the Internet. The International Ad Hoc Committee (IAHC) is
an international multi-organization effort for specifying and
implementing policies and procedures relating to iTLDs." It is
tasked with resolving assignment and management aspects of
international Top Level Domain Names (iTLD).
The day-to-day responsibility for the assignment of IP Addresses,
Autonomous System Numbers, and most top and second level Domain
Names are handled by Internet Registries (IR).
The Internet is partly being driven by commercial market forces
using domain names to identify corporate business units which are
known to the public as "brand names"). This document covers the
framework necessary to define the purpose, function, delegation, and
use of new top level domains.
Several factors need to be addressed such as why the TLD exists in
the first place, who accepts registrations for the TLD, and what
special purpose (if any) the TLD serves.
This document defines the structure for the creation of new top
level domains, and introduces new top level domains that are
designed to reduce naming conflicts in the .COM zone.
2. Domain Name Space
2.1 The History of Domain Names
The history of domain names can be found in [RFC 1034]. Domain name
implementation and specification can be found in [RFC 1035].
2.2. The Top Level Structure
In the Domain Name System (DNS) naming of computers there is a
hierarchy of names. The root of system is unnamed. There are a set
of what are called "top-level domain names" (TLDs). These are
identified either by ISO-3166 two letter country codes, or generic
TLDs, whose naming indicates the category of organization that is
found there.
Under each TLD may be created a hierarchy of names. Generally,
under the generic TLDs the structure is very flat. That is, many
organizations are registered directly under the TLD, and any further
structure is up to the individual organizations.
The domain name space is a tree structure:
. (un-named root)
|
---------------------------------------------------------
| | | | | | | |
.COM .EDU .NET .ORG .GOV .US .UK [other TLDs]
|
USPTO
|
WWW
The above example describes the internet host ..
where GOV is the US government top level domain, USPTO is the
domain used by the US Patent and Trademark office, and the WWW
identifies that organization's host (computer) that functions as
their web server.
In the country TLDs, there is a wide variation in the structure, in
some countries the structure is very flat, in others there is
substantial structural organization. In some country domains the
second levels are generic categories (such as, AC, CO, GO, and RE),
in others they are based on political geography, and in still
others, organization names are listed directly under the country
code. The organization for the US country domain is described in
RFC 1480.
As an example of a country domain, the US domain provides for the
registration of all kinds of entities in the United States on the
basis of political geography, that is, a hierarchy of
...US. For example,
"IBM.Armonk.NY.US". In addition, branches of the US domain are
provided within each state for schools (K12), community colleges
(CC), technical schools (TEC), state government agencies (STATE),
councils of governments (COG), libraries (LIB), museums (MUS), and
several other generic types of entities (see RFC 1480 for details).
The country code domains (for example, FR, NL, KR, US) are each
organized by an administrator for that country. These administrators
may further delegate the management of portions of the naming tree.
These administrators are performing a public service on behalf of
the Internet community.
2.3 Political decisions
The political decisions about the top levels of the tree
originated in [RFC-920], with current information in this document.
The current policy for the top level and second level domains is
discussed in [RFC-1032]. [RFC-1178] describes the choices in
naming a host. MILNET conversion issues are covered in [RFC-1031].
2.4 TLD Classes
Top level domains can be divided into three groups. There are those
which are Shared (non-exclusive), and which can be served by
multiple competing registries. There are those that may need to be
served by a single registry that has the necessary expertise to
address specific industry issues, and there are a very small number
of private TLDs which are required to serve single large
organizations.
2.4.1. Shared TLD Class
The Shared TLD Class contains TLD's in which all second level
domain name registrations are performed by multiple competing
registries. Unless specifically documented otherwise in the TLD's
charter, it is expected that all newly delegated TLDs will be in
this class. Existing TLDs may be delegated by IANA into this
class as well.
2.4.2. Specialized TLD Class
The Specialized TLD Class describes TLDs that are industry-
specific, or where a high-level of domain name control is needed.
These TLD's are operated by a single registry. Registration is
only open to organizations within the specific areas defined in
the TLDs charter. These TLDs could represent specific
industries, other closely defined market niches, or top level
country domains. A registry must be able to constructively
address industry specific issues in the context of running a TLD
registry.
An example of an existing TLD in this class is .INT which is
closely controlled and is only open to International Treaty
Organizations. Registry duties are handled by the ITU in
accordance with a policy authorized by IANA.
2.4.3. Private TLD
In certain rare instances, it may be possible for a qualifying
internationally known organization to be identified on the
Internet by its own exclusive TLD. All second and third level
domain name registrations are performed within the organization.
The organization is the sole trustee of the TLD, and all disputes
arising from domain name delegation are the organizations
responsibility.
An example of an existing TLD in this class is .MIL., which is
exclusively operated by, and for, the United States military.
3. Top Level Domain Creation
3.1. Delegation
The Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA) is responsible
for the overall coordination and management of the Domain Name
System (DNS), and especially the delegation of portions of the
name space called top-level domains. Most of these top-level
domains are two-letter country codes taken from the ISO standard
3166.
Internet Registries (IR) are selected and designated to handle
the bulk of the day-to-day administration of the Domain Name
System. While all requests for new top-level domains must be sent
to the Internic (at hostmaster@internic.net), the application
process is being handled by the IAHC and is currently in review.
The full application process for a new TLD will be documented in
a forthcoming memo.
3.2. Top Level Domain Policy
The following policy applies to all TLDs.
The policy concerns involved when a new top-level domain is
established are described in the following. Also mentioned are
concerns raised when it is necessary to change the delegation of
an established domain from one party to another.
Most of these same concerns are relevant when a sub-domain is
delegated and in general the principles described here apply
recursively to all delegations of the Internet DNS name space.
In the past, a new top-level domain was created and its
management delegated to a "designated manager" all at once. This
was because each TLD was managed by a single registry. In order
to open competition in the area of domain registrations, it may
be necessary for each TLD to be managed by a group of trustees
made up from the management of each registry serving that TLD.
The major concern in selecting trustees for a domain is that the
management be able to carry out the necessary responsibilities,
and have the ability to do an equitable, just, honest, and
competent job.
3.2.1. The key requirement is that for each domain there be a
trustee for supervising that domain's name space. In the
case of TLDs that are country codes this means that there is
a manager that supervises the domain names and operates the
domain name system in that country. In the case of domains
managed by multiple registries this function is handled by a
group of trustees made up of a single member from each
participating registry.
The trustees must, of course, be on the Internet. There must
be Internet Protocol (IP) connectivity to the nameservers and
email connectivity to the management and staff of each of the
trustees.
There must be an administrative contact and a technical
contact for each domain. For TLDs that are country codes at
least the administrative contact must reside in the country
involved. For TLDs administered by multiple IRs, an
administrative and technical contact must be listed from each
registry. Second and third level domains may have additional
contacts, such as billing contacts if applicable.
3.2.2. These designated authorities are trustees for the delegated
domain, and have a duty to serve the community.
The designated manager is the trustee of the top-level
domain for both the nation, in the case of a country code,
and the global Internet community.
Concerns about "rights" and "ownership" of domains are
inappropriate. It is appropriate to be concerned about
"responsibilities" and "service" to the community.
3.2.3. The designated trustees must be equitable to all groups that
request domain names.
This means that the same rules are applied to all requests,
all requests must be processed in a non-discriminatory
fashion, and academic and commercial (and other) users are
treated on an equal basis. No bias shall be shown regarding
requests that may come from customers of some other business
related to the manager -- e.g., no preferential service for
customers of a particular data network provider. Trustees may
not be involved with non-IANA appointed business ventures
involving domain name speculation activities such as
hoarding, or the reselling of "popular" domain names. There
can be no requirement that a particular mail system (or other
application), protocol, product, or service be used in order
to obtain a domain name.
There are no requirements on subdomains of top-level domains
beyond the requirements on higher-level domains themselves.
That is, the requirements in this document are applied
recursively. In particular, all subdomains shall be allowed
to operate their own domain name servers, providing in them
whatever information the subdomain manager sees fit (as long
as it is true and correct).
3.2.4. Significantly interested parties in the domain should agree
that the designated trustees are the appropriate parties.
However, it is also appropriate for interested parties to
have some voice in selecting the designated trustees. For
TLDs served by multiple registries, the management of the TLD
will be delegated to a group of trustees comprised of one
member from each participating IR.
The IANA tries to have any contending parties reach agreement
among themselves, and generally takes no action to change
things unless all the contending parties agree; only in cases
where the designated trustees have substantially mis-behaved
would the IANA step in.
There are two cases where the IAHC may establish a new TLD
and delegate only a portion of it: (1) there are contending
parties that cannot agree, or (2) the applying party may not
be able to represent or serve the whole country. The later
case sometimes arises when a party outside a country is
trying to be helpful in getting networking started in a
country -- this is sometimes called a "proxy" DNS service.
The IDNB will act as a review panel for cases in which the
parties can not reach agreement among themselves. The IDNB's
decisions will be binding.
3.2.5. The trustee must do a satisfactory job of operating the DNS
service for the domain.
That is, the actual management of the assigning of domain
names, delegating subdomains and operating nameservers must
be done with technical competence. This includes keeping the
IRs (in the case of top-level domains) or other higher-level
domain management advised of the status of the domain,
responding to requests in a timely manner, and operating the
database with accuracy, robustness, and resilience.
There must be a primary and a secondary nameserver that have
IP connectivity to the Internet and can be easily checked
for operational status and database accuracy by the IR, the
IAHC and the IANA.
In cases when there are persistent problems with the proper
operation of a domain, the delegation may be revoked, and
possibly delegated to another designated manager, or group of
trustees.
3.2.6. For any transfer of the designated manager trusteeship from
one organization to another, the higher-level domain manager
(the IANA in the case of top-level domains) must receive
communications from both the old organization and the new
organization that assure the IANA that the transfer is
mutually agreed, and that the new organization understands
its responsibilities.
It is also very helpful for the IANA to receive
communications from other parties that may be concerned or
affected by the transfer.
3.2.7. Country Codes
Neither the IAHC, nor the IANA is in the business of
deciding what is and what is not a country.
The selection of the ISO 3166 list as a basis for country
code top-level domain names was made with the knowledge that
ISO has a procedure for determining which entities should
be and should not be on that list.
3.3. TLD Charters
Each new TLD must be created with an identifiable purpose. A
written charter will identify and explain the function and
purpose of each TLD.
In the case of the Specialized and Corporate TLD classes
(described below), the corporation or organization acting as
the registry will be responsible for creating the TLD's charter.
This will be part of the TLD application process. Guidelines
for charter creation will be made publically available by IANA.
The following items must be identified in the charter:
3.2.1 Registration procedure, documenting all steps
3.2.2 Service guarantees required in the operation of that TLD
3.2.3 Error resolution policy (including any refund policy)
3.2.4 Dispute policy (including any refund policy)
3.2.5 Procedure for dealing with domain name and trademark
conflicts.
3.4. Registry's Failure To Enforce Charter
In processing registrations, each registry must observe the
procedures laid out in the charter for each TLD. Should a
delegated registry be unable or unwilling to enforce a TLD
charter, then at the IDNB's discretion, the authority to accept
or process registrations for that TLD would be removed, and the
TLD would be assigned to another registry.
4. Rights to Names
This document recognizes that the use of the domain name space has
changed since it was first introduced. This change was not brought
about by conscious choice or any one person, but the change in the
demographics of the internet population as a whole.
As the internet population increases, and the demographic changes
from an academic to a consumer population, more importance is placed
on the identity of the source of goods or services on the internet.
There is no trademark status attached to a domain name when it is
issued, but, through its use, a domain name can aquire secondary
meaning in the eyes of the internet consumer. As such, the legal
status of a domain name, taken on a domain by domain basis, may
include the form of a trademark.
Many of the problems regarding domain names as trademarks arise
because they incorporate terms that have already aquired secondary
meaning outside the internet. Certain words or phrases already have
associations with products or services in the minds of consumers.
One of the questions this poses is whether an existing trademark
gives any entitlement to a domain name. The answer is not clear, and
probably will never be entirely clear. New businesses started on the
net with a similar domain name but that do not compete with an
existing trademark holder have already faced litigation. Others in
the same position have not.
4.1. What is a Trademark?
In Bruce Lehman's (Commissioner of the US Patent and Trademark
Office) own words:
"A trademark is nothing more than official recognition of
something that already exists. It is the consumer's perception
that something is in fact a trade name. It is from this perception
that names can acquire secondary meaning through their use, and in
doing so, come to be understood by the consuming public as the
source of a particular good or service. If the name cannot be
recognized as the source of a particular good or service, then
that name is not a trademark. For example, a person's name is not
a trademark. But, if a person goes into business using a
particular name, that name might become a trademark.
"The trademark law, unlike the patent law and the copyright law,
exists to serve the consumer, not to serve the interests of the
trademark owner. The primary operating principle of it is that the
consumer is not supposed to be confused by a plethora of different
products all bearing what appear to be similar names.
"When the consumer thinks of a name, he knows that he's getting
something that comes from the source he identifies traditionally
as being that name. So if the letters that make up the name have
acquired, in the minds of consumers, the reputation that they
represent products in a given field (that only come from that one
company), then the name has become a trademark." [END QUOTE]
Two points must be kept in mind when understanding trademark
issues on the internet: (a) domain names are and must be unique,
and (b) trademarked names are not necessarily unique (and there
are many examples of non-unique trademarks).
There are no international trademarks. There is no official
international registry of world wide trademarks. Trademarks may be
registered per country or per State/Province/Territory (for
example, the United States offers trademark regisstrations on a
per state basis). The World Intellectual Property Organization
offers an international arbitration service on such matters.
4.2. Domain Names and Trademarks
It seems inevitable that a trademark holder will want a domain
name that reflects the name of the trademark held.
There are "strong" trademarks that are registered in many
countries and are vigorously defended. These may come close to
being unique.
There are many "not so strong" trademarks that may be regional or
business sector specific (for example, United Air Lines and United
Van Lines, or the Acme Brick Company and the Acme Electric
Corporation).
There are two conflicting goals of different trademark holders
with respect to domain names: (a) to protect their trademarks
against infringement, and (2) to have access to the domain name
system to use their trademarks in a domain name.
Trademark infringement is the use of a trademarked name in a way
that may confuse the consumer about the source or quality of a
product or service. For strong trademarks there may also be
infringement if the use of a trademarked name dilutes the value of
the trademark.
Holders of not so strong trademarks want the ability to use their
trademarked name in a domain name while some other holder of the
same mark for a different purpose also can use their trademarked
name in a domain name. These people would say it is essential to
create additional top-level domains to permit fair access to
domain names by holders of not so strong trademarks.
The number of not so strong trademarks far exceeds the number of
strong trademarks and that the domain name system should provide
for the needs of the many rather than protecting the privileges of
the few. It is because of this need that the top level domain
space must be expanded beyond the currently used TLDs.
It may be prudent, in the case of the Specialized TLD Class, that
they implement a very restrictive TLD charter. For example, it may
be a requirement that the domain applicant is in possesion of an
internationally recognized in a particular area (such as
International Treaty Organizations registered under .INT).
4.3. Generic Elements Of A Domain Name
It should be noted that certain generic elements, such as the top
level domain suffix, should not infer any special status, nor
should common prefixes such as www, ftp, gopher, or similarly used
common nmemonics. In special circumstances, it may be possible
that a combination of domain name elements (also known as an
atomic string) is allowed, but this can only be decided by a duly
appointed trademark examiner at the time of a trademark
registration, or by a decision made by a court of law. In either
case, this can only be done on an individual domain by domain
basis in exactly the same manner as names used outside of the
internet.
4.4. Domain Name Disputes
It is the responsibility of the applicant to be sure he is not
violating anyone else's trademark. Each IR must include a
statement to this effect in any registration template.
In case of a dispute between domain name registrants as to the
rights to a particular domain name, the registration authority
shall have no role or responsibility other than to provide the
contact information to both parties. In any dispute where the IR
is named in any lawsuit, the IR should file an "Interpleader"**
before the court, agreeing to abide by the ruling of that court.
If the dispute is between parties in different countries, the
World Intellectual Property Organization international arbitration
service should be used to settle such matters. Until such a time,
the IR is obligated to provide uninterrupted service of the domain
in the root database.
** Interpleader - The IR informs the court that if the court
will please decide who is entitled to the domain name, and
if the court will please let the IR know, then the IR will
delegate the domain name to the correct party.
4.5. Trademarks, Domain Names, and Directory Services
The domain name space was never intended to be a directory
service, and this document does not describe a method of indexing
the name space. It must be acknowledged however, that by
identifying the source of goods or services, the domain name space
becomes, in the eyes of the consumer, a limited form of directory
service that can assist in the location of a particular good or
service on the internet.
5. Registry Selection
The function of the registry is to support and maintain the TLD(s)
that it is responsible for, by meeting the TLD's charter. It is
important to understand that the registries serve the TLD's, and not
the other way around. Therefore registries must be selected to meet
the needs of each TLD.
New registries (IRs) will be selected by the IAHC, and delegated
TLDs to manage. Registrations are accepted on a first come first
served basis.
The registry application process is described in another document.
All registries must comply with the following guidelines:
5.1. Shared TLD Class
Each Shared TLD must be operated by multiple
registries. Each registry is responsible for registering
secondary domains in a competitive marketplace alongside other
registries.
The following criteria must be met:
5.1.1. the registry must be approved by the IAHC
5.1.2. the registry has the ability to operate at least two
TLD nameservers
5.1.3. the registry's whois/rwhois database, and any database
information shared with other registries in accordance
with the terms and conditions of delegation is accessible
on a 24/7 basis
5.1.4 payment of a set up fee and annual license fee to operate
each TLD (proceeds go to a fund administered by ISOC for
the maintenance and upkeep of critical internet
components, such as the root nameservers)
5.1.5. the registry must observe and enforce the charter of
each TLD
5.2. Specialized TLD Class
Each Specialized TLD is operated by a single registry who is
granted a monopoly status within a specific TLD category,
and is responsible for registering all secondary domains.
The following criteria must be met:
5.2.1. the registry must be approved by the IAHC
5.2.2. the registry displays direct expertise in the chosen area
of business and is able to constructively address issues
in the context of running a TLD registry
5.2.3. the registry must have the ability to operate at least
two TLD nameservers
5.2.4. the registry's whois/rwhois database, and any database
information shared with other registries in accordance
with the terms and conditions of delegation is accessible
on a 24/7 basis
5.2.5. payment of a set up fee and annual license fee to operate
the TLD (proceeds go to a fund administered by ISOC for
the maintenance and upkeep of critical internet
components, such as the root nameservers)
5.2.6. the registry must observe and enforce the charter of
each TLD
5.3. Private TLD Class
Each Private TLD is operated by a single organization
who has exclusive use of the TLD. It is that organization's
responsibilty for all registrations under this TLD, including a
charter.
The following criteria must be met:
5.2.1. the organization must be approved by the IAHC
5.2.2. the registry must have the ability to operate at least
two TLD nameservers
5.2.3. the registry's whois/rwhois database, and any database
information shared with other registries in accordance
with the terms and conditions of delegation is accessible
on a 24/7 basis
5.2.4. payment of a set up fee and annual license fee to operate
the TLD (proceeds go to a fund administered by ISOC for
the maintenance and upkeep of critical internet
components, such as the root nameservers)
5.2.5. the organization is responsible for observing and
enforcing its own charter
6. Expanding the Top Level Domain Space
The top level namespace is divided up by category. These categories
contain either the geographical location (by country), or a brief
description of the type of entity registering a domain name.
In order to expand the top level, and lighten the load on the
existing TLDs (most notably .COM), a category naming scheme is
needed to avoid, or at the very least, limit the number of potential
disputes in the domain name space. By allowing organizations to
obtain and use domain names within their specific area of business,
two companies with the same business name can operate domain names
on the internet without causing confusion to the consumer in exactly
the same way they would outside the internet. By placing each
company under a top level domain that describes its business
category, it will be easier to determine that ., the
hamburger company, is not ., the gas station chain. The
mapping scheme is primarily designed to protect the consumer from
fraud by describing the area of business and to establish an
identity of the source of goods and services provided over the
internet. It does not provide any trademark recognition or status.
It is completely impractical to infer any kind of trademark
ownership to an assigned domain name at the time it is issued.
Domain names issued still have to aquire that secondary meaning
through use, and through its ability to determine the source of
the goods and services provided, in order for a trademark to be
recognizable or assigned by a trademark authority.
Some companies say, "So what? We'll go and register under every
TLD." The answer is in the TLD charter described above and the
obligation of each registry to enforce that charter. If a TLD's
category/description is for soap, a company should only be able to
register in that category if it has a legitimate soap business. If a
company has a chemical division, and an oil division, they can
legitimately be in two TLDs provided that each presence is
distinguishable from the other. If the company is large enough to
fill all the categories, maybe it should think of removing itself
from this part of the namespace and apply for its own TLD.
Provisions for this are also described above.
6.1. Existing International Generic Top Level Domains
These iTLDs are generic top level domains which are open to general
registration. They are currently delegated to the InterNIC by the
authority of the IANA. These domains are expected to be delegated
to multiple registries when the current InterNIC contract expires.
6.1.1 NET
Registrations are limited to NIC and NOC computers,
administrative computers, and network node computers. Customers
of network providers should have domain names of their own (not
in the NET TLD).
6.1.2. ORG
Registrations are limited to organizations that don't fit
anywhere else. Non-government organizations may fit here.
6.1.3. COM
Registrations are limited to Commercial entities, i.e. businesses
and companies.
6.2. Existing United States-Only Single Organization Domains
These iTLDs are single organization top level domains which are only
open to registration within the body of the applicable organization.
6.2.1. GOV
Delegation of the GOV zone is described by RFC 1816, and is under
authority of the US Federal Networking Council (FNC).
Registrations are limited to US Federal government agencies.
State and local agencies are registered under the .US country
TLD.
6.2.2. MIL
Delegation of the MIL domain is under the authority of the DDN
NIC. Registrations are limited to the US Military. This is a
Private TLD.
6.3. Existing Specialized Domains
These iTLDs are specialized top level domains which are open to
limited registration by organizations defined within a specific
category. There is a perceived need to keep a tight reign on
registrations within the applicable category, and so these domains
are only delegated to one registry at a time.
6.3.1. EDU
Delegation of the EDU domain is under the authority of the FNC
and is currently delegated to the NSF which has contracted to the
InterNIC for registration. Registrations are limited to 4 year
colleges and universities. Schools and 2-year colleges should be
registered in the country domains.
Over time, the FNC and NSF may decide to use other delegation
models, such as those described here for non-governmental zones.
Some people (Americans and non-) feel that EDU should be
restricted to US institutions. That is outside the scope of this
document.
7.3.2. INT
This domain is for organizations established by international
treaties, or international databases. This is a Specialized TLD.
6.4. Existing ISO 3166 Country Domains
The top level country domains follow ISO 3166. There are a few
exceptions to this group (some of which are based upon UPU codes):
UK = United Kingdom (the GB domain is obselete)
AC = Ascension Island
GG = Guernsey
IM = Isle of Man
JE = Jersey
This small extension of the rules by the IANA seemed to greatly
offend a very small number of people, and seemed to be no big deal
to many others. A key point to keep in mind is that the IANA did
not choose the codes or make up the list, it extended the set of
allowed codes to another list provided by the ISO 3166 maintenance
agency.
These domains have, in the major part, been delegated to national
naming registries. Any delegation of these TLDs is undertaken by the
Internet Assigned Number Authority (IANA), in accordance with the
policies described previously in this document.
It is good practice for these delegated TLD registries to publicly
document the applicable management policies and further delegation
procedures for these national domains, as, for example, RFC 1480
does for the US domain.
6.5. Existing Infrastructure TLDs
TLDs such as IN-ADDR.ARPA and INT are under the authority of the
IANA and may be delegated to others, e.g. IN-ADDR.ARPA is currently
delegated to the InterNIC for day-to-day management. They are
created for technical needs internal to the operation of the
internet at the discretion of the IANA in consultation with the
IETF. These are Specialized TLDs.
6.6. New Top Level Domains
These iTLDs are generic top level domains which are open to general
registration within their class. They are not currently delegated
to any registry. These domains are expected to be delegated by the
IAHC under the authority of the IANA in a seperately documented
application process.
6.6.1. New top level domains from the public applications
process
The following new TLDs will be created from requests processed
by the IAHC. Names in this category are expected to be 4 or 5
letters long to distinguish them from ISO-3166 domains and other
existing TLDs. Suggestions include a mandatory TLD for those
offering sexual-based services (this will allow parental
filtering via DNS of all TCP/IP services within the TLD), as
well as a TLD for private individuals with home networks.
[The names are not yet finalized. Neither is their TLD class.
Ideally, each will be shared by several registries, but some may
be delegated either to the Specialized or Private TLD class, or
to a meta-registry for a brief period.]
[Insert new TLDs/iTLDs here]
6.6.2. New top level domains based upon the International
Trademark Schedule of Goods and Services
The following new TLDs are based upon the International Trademark
Schedule of Goods and Services. IT IS USED AS A TEMPLATE ONLY.
THERE IS NO DIRECT MAPPING OF EXISTING TRADEMARKS, FUTURE
TRADEMARKS, OR OTHER INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY.
It is still possible for conflicts to occur. Two organizations
that do not directly compete in a way to confuse the consumer can
both be registered under the same category under the same name
outside of the internet. This is especially true in the
international realm where companies can have identical names and
never meet to compete geographically. However, this is an area
where, after a year of many folks on the internet asking, the
experts continually say there is no solution readily at hand.
This also addresses a problem faced by most companies. Faced with
one home page, those areas fighting for attention include the
annual report to shareholders, PR & press releases, assorted
company divisions publishing their business-to-business
information, as well as the main consumer presence (tech.
support, product info, online upgrades, etc.). This mapping
scheme could, in theory, allow each business unit to establish
its own internet presence without competing against other
internal company resources or outside competitors.
The names are not yet finalized. Neither is their TLD class.
Ideally, they will be shared by several registries, but initially
they may be delegated to a meta-registry for a brief period.
Names in this category are expected to be 4 or 5 letters long to
distinguish them from ISO-3166 domains and other existing TLDs.
.CHEM Chemicals used in industry, science and photography, as
well as in agriculture, horticulture and forestry;
unprocessed artificial resins, unprocessed plastics;
manures; fire extinguishing compositions; tempering and
soldering preparations; chemical substances for
preserving foodstuffs; tanning substances; adhesives
used in industry.
.PNT Paints, varnishes, lacquers; preservatives against rust
and against deterioration of wood; colorants; mordants;
raw natural resins; metals in foil and powder form for
painters, decorators, printers and artists.
.SOAP Bleaching preparations and other substances for laundry
use; cleaning polishing, scouring and abrasive
preparations; soaps; perfumery, essential oils,
cosmetics, hair lotions; dentifrices.
.FUEL Industrial oils and greases; lubricants; dust absorbing,
wetting and binding compositions; fuels (including motor
spirit) and illuminants; candles, wicks.
.PHAR Pharmaceutical, veterinary and sanitary preparations;
dietetic substances adapted for medical use, food for
babies; plasters, materials for dressings; material for
stopping teeth, dental wax; disinfectants; preparations
for destroying vermin; fungicides, herbicides.
.IRON Common metals and their alloys; metal building
materials; transportable buildings of metal; materials
of metal for railway tracks; non-electric cables and
wires of common metal; ironmongery, small items of metal
hardware; pipes and tubes of metal; safes; goods of
common metal not included in other classes; ores.
.PWTL Machines and machine tools; motors and engines (except
for land vehicles); machine coupling and transmission
components (except for land vehicles); agricultural
implements; incubators for eggs.
.HDTL Hand tools and implements (hand operated); cutlery;
side arms; razors.
.DATA Scientific, nautical, surveying, electric, photographic,
cinematographic, optical, weighing, measuring,
signalling, checking (supervision), life-saving and
teaching apparatus and instruments; apparatus for
recording, transmission or reproduction of sound or
images; magnetic data carriers, recording discs;
automatic vending machines and mechanisms for coin
operated apparatus; cash registers, calculating
machines, data processing equipment and computers;
fire-extinguishing apparatus.
.ARTI Surgical, medical, dental and veterinary apparatus and
instruments, artificial limbs, eyes and teeth;
orthopedic articles; suture materials.
.UTIL Apparatus for lighting, heating, steam generating,
cooking, refrigerating, drying, ventilating, water
supply and sanitary purposes.
.VEHI Vehicles; apparatus for locomotion by land, air or
water.
.ITAR Firearms; ammunition and projectiles; explosives;
fireworks. Goods regulated under the International
Traffic In Arms Regulations.
.GEMS Precious metals and their alloys and goods in precious
metals or coated therewith, not included in other
classes; jewelry, precious stones; horological and
chronometric instruments.
.MUSIC Musical instruments. Record companies. Musical groups
and orchestras.
.PRINT Paper, cardboard and goods made from these materials,
not included in other classes; printed matter,
bookbinding material; photographs; stationery;
adhesives for stationery or household purposes;
artists' materials; paint brushes; typewriters and
office requisites (except furniture); instructional
and teaching material (except apparatus); playing
cards; printers' type; printing blocks.
.PLAS Rubber, gutta-percha, gum asbestos, mica and goods
made from these materials and not included in other
classes; plastics in extruded form for use in
manufacture; packing, stopping and insulating
materials; flexible pipes, not of metal.
.DERM Leather and imitations of leather, and goods made of
these materials and not included in other classes;
animal skins, hides; trunks and travelling bags;
umbrellas, parasols and walking sticks; whips,
harness and saddlery.
.LOAM Building materials (non-metallic); non-metallic rigid
pipes for building; asphalt, pitch and bitumen;
non-metallic transportable buildings; monuments, not
of metal.
.FURN Furniture, mirrors, picture frames; goods (not
included in other classes) of wood, cork, reed, cane,
wicker, horn, bone, ivory, whalebone, shell, amber,
mother-of-pearl, meerschaum and substitutes for all
these materials, or of plastics.
.UTEN Household or kitchen appliances, utensils and containers
(not of precious metal or coated therewith); combs and
sponges; brushes (except paint brushes); brush-making
materials; articles for cleaning purposes; steel wool;
unworked or semi-worked glass (except glass used in
building); glassware, porcelain and earthenware not
included in other classes.
.ROPE Ropes, string, nets, tents, awnings, tarpaulins, sails,
sacks and bags (not included in other classes); padding
and stuffing materials) except of rubber or plastics);
raw fibrous textile materials.
.YARN Yarns and threads, for textile use.
.TXTL Textiles and textile goods, not included in other
classes; bed and table covers.
.WEAR Clothing, footwear, headgear.
.CRAFT Lace and embroidery, ribbons and braid; buttons, hooks
and eyes, pins and needles; artificial flowers.
.FLOOR Carpets, rugs, mates and matting, linoleum and other
materials for covering existing floors; wall hangings
(non-textile).
.GAMES Games and playthings; gymnastic and sporting articles
not included in other classes; decorations for
Christmas trees.
.FOOD Meat, fish, poultry and game; meat extracts; preserved,
dried and cooked fruits and vegetables; jellies, jams,
fruit sauces; eggs, milk and milk products; edible oils
and fats.
.COND Coffee, tea, cocoa, sugar, rice tapioca, sago,
artificial coffee; flour and preparations made from
cereals, bread, pastry and confectionery, honey,
treacle; yeast, baking-powder; salt, mustard; vinegar,
sauces (condiments); spices; ice.
.AGRI Agricultural, horticultural and forestry products and
grains not included in other classes; live animals;
fresh fruits and vegetables; seeds, natural plants and
flowers; foodstuffs for animals, malt.
.DRINK Mineral and aerated waters and other
non-alcoholic drinks; fruit drinks and fruit juices;
syrups and other preparations for making beverages.
.ALCO Alcoholic beverages.
.BUSI Advertising; business management; business
administration; office functions.
.FINA Insurance; financial affairs; monetary affairs; real
estate affairs.
.CONST Building construction; repair; installation services.
.TELCO Telecommunications.
.TRVL Transport; packaging and storage of goods; travel
arrangement.
.TREAT Treatment of materials.
.ARTS Education; providing of training; sporting and
cultural activities.
7. Appeals
An appeals process has yet to be defined, and will appear in a
later draft. IANA is accepted as the appeals body for the purpose
of this draft.
8. Security Considerations
There are no known security considerations beyond those already
existent in the DNS.
9. Acknowlegements
This document includes much of the material in RFC1591 which it is
designed to replace. It also includes issues discussed in several
mailing lists, most notably (iahc-discuss@iahc.org),
(newdom@iiia.org), (newdom@ar.com), (newdom@vrx.net),
(domain-policy@internic.net), and (shared-tld@higgs.net).
It also contains material from the "Delegation of iTLDs" draft by
Randy Bush, Brian E. Carpenter, and Jon Postel which appears to have
expired.
USPTO Commissioner Bruce Lehman's quote in Section 4 is from an
interview by the author in 1993. The original interview can be found
at http://www.higgs.org/simon/lehman.html.
Some additional passages are taken from Jon Postel's current domain
name registry draft.
The International Trademark Schedule for Goods and Services has been
bent, folded, spindled and mutilated in order to devise new TLD
categories without the limitations imposed by issuing doman names
with a specific trademark status.
Additional ideas were stolen from Dave Collier-Brown's
(davecb@hobbes.ss.org) draft-collier-brown-itld-exper-00.txt
Valuable feedback, review, and inspiration have been provided by:
Bill Manning (bmanning@isi.edu), Carl Oppedahl (carl@oppedahl.com),
Karl Denniger (karl@mcs.net), Michael Dillon (michael@memra.com),
Dan Burk (dburk@osf1.gmu.edu), Greg Woods (woods@most.weird.com),
Rick H. Wesson (wessorh@ar.com), and finally the IAHC (since this
document will end up grovelling before them).
Perry Metzger (perry@piermont.com) also gets a special mention for
his delightfully jovial banter. As do Paul Vixie (paul@vix.com)
and Eugene Kashpureff (ekashp@alternic.net) for their fine show of
camaraderie.
Many others have contributed in one way or another. I am grateful
to the many people that have refused to have their name associated
with this draft, or point out that "it'll never work!"
10. Author's Address
Simon Higgs
Higgs America
P.O. Box XXXX
XXXXXXXX, XX XXXXX-XXXX
Phone: XXX-XXX-XXXX
Fax: XXX-XXX-XXXX
Email: XXXXX@XXXXX.XXX
This document expires May 31, 1997
