ID: Top Level Domain Classification and Categorization draft 4

Internet-Draft                                              Simon Higgs
Category: Informational                                   Higgs America
Expires Nov 30, 1997                                           May 1997

            Top Level Domain Classification and Categorization
                    < draft-higgs-tld-cat-04.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 Private 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 mark 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 Private TLD 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

      These TLDs are from public applications submitted to IANA via
      "hostmaster@internic.net".
    
      6.6.2.  IAHC Shared-TLDs

      The IAHC has defined seven (7) gTLDs*. All are in the Shared-TLD
      Class and are between 3 and 5 letters long to distinguish them
      from ISO-3166 domains and other existing TLDs. It is unfortunate
      that these TLDs define similar flat-name spaces that will duplicate
      many of the conflicts currently visible in .COM, but this is beyond
      the scope of this memo.
      
      .FIRM    businesses, or firms
      
      .STORE   businesses offering goods to purchase

      .WEB     entities emphasizing activities related to the WWW

      .ARTS    entities emphasizing cultural and entertainment activities

      .REC     entities emphasizing recreation/entertainment activities

      .INFO    entities providing information services

      .NOM     those wishing individual or personal nomenclature
                      
      * [There is a legal suit pending over the IAHC's right to use the name
      .WEB. There is another dispute over the IAHC's right to use .ARTS.
      Obviously, neither domain can be implemented by the correct party
      until this is sorted out]
      
      6.6.3.  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 recommended that
      these TLDs be of the Shared-TLD Class in order to allow open
      competition in a non-flat namespace.

      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 Nov 30, 1997