The overall rules seem clear:

1) If you apply for an IDN ccTLD that is confusingly similar with an existing ccTLD, gTLD, or reserved name, then your request will be declined.

2) If you request an IDN ccTLD that is confusingly similar to a “validated” IDN ccTLD, then your request will be declined.

3) If you request an IDN ccTLD that is confusingly similar to another IDN ccTLD under evaluation, and yet not “validated”, then both request will be placed on hold until a solution is found.

4) If you request an IDN ccTLD that is confusingly similar to an applied-for gTLD string that has reached Board approval, and hence considered an existing TLD, then your request will be declined.

5) If you request an IDN ccTLD that is confusingly similar to an applied-for gTLD string, then both parties will be informed.

Validation, for the purpose of the Fast Track Process means that it has been established that the string is a meaningful representation of the corresponding country/territory name, and that it has successfully passed the DNS Stability Panel evaluation.

However, it is the notion of confusingly similar and exactly how it is established that two or more strings are so confusingly similar that they cannot co-exist in the DNS, that reasonably is raising questions.

As the Final Implementation Plan states, any such determination is on a case-by-case basis. However, it is probably useful to provide some insight into how the panel makes such a determination.

While the determination is done by the DNS Stability Panel, Fast Track participants should know that ICANN staff will provide them with concerns about confusability (if such is found) during the initial review of a Fast Track request. The requester then has the opportunity to either (i) change the string they requested, (ii) withdraw the request and resubmit at a later stage, or (iii) continue with the request as originally submitted.

Type styles, fonts, etc.

Issue: A sufficiently creative choice of type styles or the exploitation of information about scripts that a given user may be unable to display can result in one character (or a sequence of characters) in one script being visually confusable with one or more characters (or character sequence(s)) in another script.

The issue becomes even more serious for closely related scripts (for example, Greek/Latin/Cyrillic).

While we are aware of the issues, some level of risk must be accepted. These kinds of issues cannot be completely guarded against, especially as type styles and fonts (just like languages and scripts) evolve and change over time.

Instead, determining confusability is focused on issues that may arise from the basic geometry of characters that is preserved, to a greater or lesser degree, across a variety of fonts, styles, and formatting.

Two-character strings

Issue: Two-character strings that consist of Unicode code points in scripts such as the Latin, Greek, and Cyrillic script blocks are intrinsically confusable with currently defined or potential future country code TLD (ccTLD) strings based on the ISO 3166-1 alpha-2 codes.

This is particularly true when variations in font and presentation interface are considered. And it is not limited to the pairs of “visually confusable characters” identified in Unicode Technical Report #39. Those characters are based on Unicode Reference Fonts that are deliberately designed to reduce the potential for visual confusion.

Therefore, a very conservative standard is being used to assess applied-for strings that consist of two Greek, Cyrillic, or Latin characters, including a default presumption of confusability to which exceptions may be made in specific cases.

How are strings ranked?

The Fast Track Process recognizes the following rankings for requested two-character IDN ccTLD strings. The higher the rank the more likely the applied-for string as a whole presents a significant risk of user confusion.

[6] Both characters are visually identical to an ISO 646 Basic Version (ISO 646-BV*) character. [International Organization for Standardization, "Information Technology – ISO 7-bit coded character set for information interchange," ISO Standard 646, 1991.]

[5] One character is visually identical to, and one character is visually confusable with, an ISO 646-BV character.

[4] Both characters are visually confusable with, but neither character is visually identical to, an ISO 646-BV character.

[3] One character is visually distinct from, and one character is visually identical to, an ISO 646-BV character.

[2] One character is visually distinct from, and one character is visually confusable with, an ISO 646-BV character.

[1] Both characters are visually distinct from an ISO 646-BV character.

Some disagreement may arise in assessing whether a string is confusingly similar with existing ccTLDs, gTLDs, or applied-for strings. Thus, these rankings are for guidance only, and the DNS Stability Panel makes its assessment based on the rankings and on the expertise of the panelists. In difficult situations, the panel may conduct extended evaluations that also can include drawing on additional linguistic expertise.

The likelihood of user confusion presented by a given two-character IDN ccTLD string does not depend strictly on the individual confusability of each character, if considered separately. The assessment of “visually distinct” and “visually confusable” takes into account both the individual features of each character and their combined effect.

In general, a two-character IDN string at rank [4] or higher presents a significant risk of user confusion.

In general, a two-character IDN string at rank [3] or lower does not present a significant risk of user confusion.

What about confusable strings already in the DNS root zone?

Some have argued that we already have TLDs in the DNS root zone that could be considered confusingly similar, so there is no need to prevent future confusingly similar strings from being entered in the root zone as well. There is only one answer to such statement: Just because there are issues today does not mean that we should make it worse for the future!

Finally, thank you to the DNS Stability Panel for all their work in this area and for generating the rankings based on their professional experience and prelaunch training!

None of this information replaces or changes the information available and defined in the Final Implementation Plan for the IDN ccTLD Fast Track Process. It is merely an elaboration of that published information.

First, note that community support for a string is different and specifies different requirements than community support for the IDN ccTLD sponsoring organization.

• Support for the string is required in the String Evaluation step of the Fast Track Process.
• Support for the sponsoring organization is required later, during the String Delegation step of the Fast Track Process.
This separation in process means:

1. Evaluation of the desired string is completely separate and distinct from evaluation of the appropriate sponsoring organization for an IDN ccTLD.

2. The sponsoring organization does not need to be identified until the String Delegation step begins.

3. Only rarely would the same documentation be appropriate to demonstrate support for both a string and its sponsoring organization, as two different types of support are being required and evaluated.

• While the letters requesting string selection and support involve a requester stating preferences for a string, the letters involved in the delegation process are used to corroborate a selection process and a community consensus-building process for the proposed operator.

The community string support requirement specifically ensures that the Internet community takes part in the decision for a string.

This requirement is part of the Linguistic Process Validation in the Final Implementation Plan, as stated here:

That the received documentation of community support for the string(s) is satisfactory.
• This should be demonstrated in a similar manner as required for delegation requests, see Module 5, Appendix 2 for guiding information.

The nature of community support can, and is expected to, vary from country to country and between territories. Differences in cultures mean different ways of consulting Internet users, and hence different ways of gathering the necessary supporting material. Signed form letters are not considered adequate for participants to express their support.

Despite the difference in the approach taken, the selection of a string to represent a country or territory must be in the interests of the Internet user community of the country or territory. Thus, there should be dialogue in the country or territory about what string(s) should be selected to best support the local Internet community.

The following are examples of questions a requester may be asked. They enable staff to successfully complete the Linguistic Process validation.

In particular we are looking for information such as:

1. What kind of dialogue, outreach, survey or other types of events has taken place to select the string requested?

2. How was consensus reached on the requested string during such activities?

3. What alternative strings were considered and why were they rejected?

4. Was any opposition to the requested string received? If yes, which?

In evaluating these information elements, staff will put weight on a process that:

• Allows for people that do not have the same view to participate;

• Is open and consultative; and

• Allows differing points of view to be expressed.

In addition, it is helpful for a requester to provide a chronology or narrative of the process (not just the final decision), and at least a general description of who had access to, or was involved in, the event(s) at which the decision was reached.

• ICANN denying some countries/territories access to the Fast Track Process
• ICANN approving IDN ccTLDs
• The notion of pre-registrations in new TLDs

This blog post is intended to set the record straight on these matters.

Is ICANN denying access to the Fast Track Process?
Let me be very clear: The Fast Track Process for submitting requests for IDN ccTLD strings is available to all eligible countries and territories. Statements like ICANN has refused IDN ccTLDs to some countries are incorrect. ICANN encourages eligible countries and territories to participate in the process and submit their IDN ccTLD requests.

This is an exciting new opportunity for Internet users around the world, and we would like to see as many users being served by these new initiatives as possible and as are deemed useful.

ICANN also has a support function in place at idncctldrequest@icann.org for interested parties.

So far, ICANN has received 17 requests encompassing 10 languages. These numbers will be updated from time to time at http://icann.org/en/topics/idn/fast-track/.

To comply with the confidentiality requirements of the process, ICANN cannot disclose any additional information. We cannot state whether a particular request has been received, or how far along the process a request is. We understand that the public has a great deal of interest in potential future IDN ccTLDs, and therefore some requesting entities have elected to publicly disclose information about their requests.

However, the only time ICANN can make information available about a request is after it successfully passes the String Evaluation step.

What strings are ‘approved’ and what does it mean?
Four IDN ccTLD strings were recently announced as successfully completing the String Evaluation step of the Fast Track Process. These requests are associated with Egypt, the Russian Federation, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. The full announcement is here: http://icann.org/en/announcements/announcement-21jan10-en.htm.

However, passing the String Evaluation step is not the same as saying that ICANN approved these TLDs. These four entities must go through the final step in the Fast Track Process – String Delegation. The String Delegation step must be initiated by the respective country or territory, and that can only be done with requests that have successfully met the String Evaluation criteria. String Delegation follows the same ICANN IANA process that is used for ASCII-based ccTLDs, and thus String Delegation requests are submitted to IANA root zone management.

Only after String Delegation takes place will these TLDs be in the DNS root zone, and only then can resolutions requests against them be performed. In other words, this is when domains can be registered and used.

Has ICANN authorized pre-registration of TLD domain names?
ICANN has not authorized pre-registration of domain names in any potential future TLDs.

The reason is simple: There is no way to be sure that a certain string will become a TLD and hence available for domain name registration until all steps in the associated evaluation and delegation processes are successfully completed.

ICANN has previously posted warnings concerning speculative pre-registrations, and those warnings are still informative. You can review them at http://www.icann.org/en/announcements/icann-pr29sep00.htm

Thinking about this topic has been a wonderful exercise for me, particularly at the start of 2010. As most will know, 2009 was a milestone year for ICANN with the signing of the Affirmation of Commitments with the US Government which signaled, in large part, that ICANN has become a mature organisation and the multi-stakeholder model that supports our work is successful. The Board’s approval of the implementation plan for the IDN ccTLD Fast Track process was a huge step forward in bringing the Internet to those in the world who do not communicate in English.

So, looking forward to 2010 and what it holds in store for ICANN, from my perspective, is laid out in the attached speech. As world businesses, consumers, education providers, banking institutions and the like come to rely on the Internet for their day-to-day business activities and their day-to-day social networking, it becomes more incumbent on ICANN and our community to leverage our unique multi-stakeholder model to ensure that we preserve the security and stability of this precious and dynamic resource. It is also incumbent on us to protect the true magic of the Internet by ensuring that there is only one.

These are associated with: Egypt, the Russian Federation, United Arab Emirates, and Saudi Arabia.

See the full announcement here: http://icann.org/en/announcements/announcement-21jan10-en.htm

So what does that mean?

It means that these may now initiate the String Delegation process, which is the last step before the strings are actually in the DNS root zone and hence available for use.

The remaining 12 requests are still being processed and at ICANN we are very much looking forward to completing more requests as well as receiving additional new requests

Overall, the Fast Track Process has three main steps:

1) Preparation (by the requester in the country / territory). Community consensus is built for which IDN ccTLD to apply for, how it is run, and which organization will be running it, along with preparing and gathering all the required supporting documentation.

2) String Evaluation: incoming requests to ICANN in accordance with the criteria described above: the technical and linguistic requirements for the IDN ccTLD string(s). Applications are received through an online system available together with additional material supporting the process at http://www.icann.org/en/topics/idn/fast-track/

3) String Delegation: requests successfully meeting string evaluation criteria are eligible to apply for delegation following the same ICANN IANA process as is used for ASCII based ccTLDs. String delegation requests are submitted to IANA root zone management.

Подписание этого соглашения стало возможным благодаря недавно принятому решению Корпорации по присвоению доменных имен и номеров в Интернете (ICANN) о введении многоязычных доменных имен на языках, отличных от английского.

До настоящего времени имена указывались только по-английски (например, .org , .com). С 16 ноября – даты начала первого этапа плана – ICANN стала принимать заявки от представителей всех стран и территорий на новые коды на арабском, русском, китайском и других языках. Пользователи нелатинской письменности получат, таким образом, возможность доступа к адресам на их родном языке.

Генеральный директор ЮНЕСКО Ирина Бокова приветствовала инициативу ICANN по введению системы многоязычных доменных имен, заявив, что «ЮНЕСКО была последовательным сторонником этой меры. Интернет должен быть лингвистический многообразным, предоставляя возможность всем языковым группам использовать его уникальные возможности. Благодаря подписанному соглашению ЮНЕСКО и ICANN смогут работать вместе ради того, чтобы еще больше людей подключалось к этой информационной сети».

На сегодняшний день для более чем половины всех пользователей Интернета в мире английский не является их родным языком. Использование многоязычных доменных имен позволяет Интернету стать поистине глобальным и общедоступным.

Договор между ЮНЕСКО и ICANN охватывает целый ряд областей сотрудничества, открывая новые возможности для максимально большого числа пользователей из различных языковых групп. ЮНЕСКО привлечет к этому процессу своих специалистов в области лингвистики, проинформирует государства-члены о новых многоязычных доменных именах, будет содействовать участию компетентных учреждений системы ООН, организует рабочие группы с целью оказания поддержки полноценному участию развивающихся и наименее экономически развитых стран.

____
Источник: ООН

As of 00:00 UTC today – 4 days after the launch of the Fast Track Process we have new requests coming in.

The total number is 10 requests. They spread over 5 different languages.

Details about the process is at: http://www.icann.org/en/topics/idn/fast-track/

Please keep asking questions. Is there is anything we can explain better? The FAQ will be updated shortly to include everything you ask here as well.

The launch went smoothly. We have since monitored the system and everything is working.

As of 10pm Pacific time (15 November 2009) we have received:

- 6 requests from countries/territories
- representing 3 different languages

Following the IDN ccTLD Fast Track Final Implementation Plan, no additional details will be reported by ICANN – that is, until requests has been successfully processed.

That said, we will be providing additional stats (as the above) updates in regular time intervals.

No countries or territories has reported problems using the system, at this time.

All details for participants and access to the system is available directly from http://www.icann.org or directly at: http://icann.org/en/topics/idn/fast-track/

Inquiries for the system are to be submitted to idncctldrequest@icann.org

A quick note to participants:

When uploading supporting material, please note that each file must be limited to 10MB. If you have larger files, please indicate that in the text box provided, and send the files to idncctldrequest@icann.org We will try to find a better solution to this soon.

We are very much looking forward to receiving additional requests and processing everything, to make IDN ccTLDs a reality for Internet users around the world!

Instead I have decided to post the letter below. Samira is a real person She is a little girl from a village in a developing country. She has one thing in common with many others – she has no access to the Internet (they do have radio). But while her Internet problems start at a different place than IDNs, I am confident that IDNs at some point soon will make it easier for her to learn about the Internet and also make it easier for her to use it. Samira will have to wait for the postal delivery of this letter – but then there is nothing like getting that kind of mail too

Other than that I just like to say that I hope the Fast Track launch goes smoothly, and that it will work favorable for all participants. But most of all I hope that we with this launch will treat IDNs carefully and with the respect it deserves, and that we will continue to work together across time-zones and cultures, because afterall, what is the Internet if it does not work well for many years and users to come.

————————————-
Dear Samira,
Tomorrow is BIG BIG day for many people around the world and I decided to share it with you.

I know you have not seen the Internet yet, but as you grow up and you do, maybe you will recall this letter and an exciting time. What is the Internet? Well, it’s like this big box of information, pictures, games – you can read and also write about anything you like. it could be about peasants, your favorite food, toy, and you know what? You can even listen to the radio on the Internet. Only your imagination sets a limit for the Internet. Have you ever looked under water? It’s like an entire new world down there, so different than on land. The Internet is kind of like that – a different world – only bigger and it has information about under-water and land in it….anything you can imagine

And every page on this Internet has an address. You know, just like you know how to explain where you live. It is made that way so that I can tell you an address and you can then go to that address and read my letter to you, or look at a picture I placed there for you to see. All these addresses have only been able to be written in the Roman alphabet….yes sounds a little weird, but that is just all those letters you see me write here.

Guess what happens tomorrow? Countries around the world – your country too – will be able to get a new address on the Internet. The most exciting thing is that this new address can be in almost any letters you like. So you can use your own language for an address for you. Then your friends and family can use that address and see what you are putting on the Internet. So it will be easier for you and everyone you know to remember that address. I think you will be excited when you see how it works.

I know that even though you already know more than one language, you are soon going to begin learning English. English is the language I used to write this letter to you. Languages are so exciting and they change all the time. Sometimes it can be hard to keep up with, but I will tell you more about it in my next letter. Learning another language is amazing and it will help you communicate with people around the world. I have made so many friends around the world who all have helped make the Internet change the way I tried to describe to you. They have all taught me something important about life that I will never forget. But it would not have worked if we did not speak a little bit of the same language. So I really hope that you will be enjoying learning a new language.

You know how you can write your language both by using the Roman alphabet, and also the Arabic one? Well, this Internet change is almost the same thing – now these addresses can be in either alphabet too! And the coolest thing about it is that there is only one to decide which alphabet to use, and that it YOU! It is your choice for you and you alone!

But please keep that in mind when you start using the Internet. Let me know when that is and I will help you get your own address to a place on the Internet, in your language. But remember that I am not able to read or write your language (although I wish) so it may be a little bit difficult for me in the beginning and I will need your help.

With the very best wishes to you and many many others in the next generation of Internet users. I know I am together with many people around the world when I say that I can’t wait to see what you will use it for and how you will change it over time too….

Here is a quick rundown of ICANN-related events and information for participating both in person and remotely.

Open Forum

There are two main sessions from the ICANN perspective. On Sunday 15 November, at 9.30 to 11.00am local time in Room 1 (Sinai), ICANN will be running an open forum that will cover the organization’s latest developments, including the new Affirmation of Commitments, the recently approved “fast track” for IDN Internet extensions, the new generic top-level domain process, and other topics.

If you not attending the conference in person, the session will be audiocast and you will be able to send in interventions via email and through a chat function on the IGF site.

Critical Internet Resources

Then, on Monday 16 November, there will be a main session on Managing Critical Internet Resources in the main room from 9.30am to 12.30pm.

This event will be webcast and, again, you will be able to send in questions via email and through chatrooms.

Participating Remotely

Links to the webcasts, audiocasts and chatrooms will be posted on the IGF’s webpage at http://www.intgovforum.org.

There are also a number of “remote hubs” around the world that comprise local meetings where participants are able not only to watch the webcast of the IGF but also to interact with the meeting.

Those participating will also be able to discuss the themes covered by the IGF from a local perspective with others from their own region. The Forum serves as a stimulus or a starting point for the debate of local issues and implications and for the development of a network of interested people in every region.

For more information go to: http://www.igfremote.com/

Other sessions

Apart from those two main sessions, there are a range of other sessions that may be of interest to ICANN community members. These include:

Monday 14.00-15.30 (Room 2, Red Sea): Best practices in ccTLD Policy and Operations management Resources

Monday 14.30-16.00 (Room 3, Suez Canal): Managing Internet Addresses: Global and regional viewpoint

Tuesday 11.00-12.30 (Room 2, Red Sea): Domain Name Use: Theft, Threats & Solutions

Tuesday 14.30-17.30 (Room 4, Nile Valley): Securing Cyberspace: Strategy for the Future

Tuesday 15.00-18.00 (Main room): Internet Governance in the light of WSIS Principles

Wednesday 9.00-12.30 (Room 3, Suez Canal):Code of good practice on participation, access to information and transparency in Internet governance

Wednesday 14.00-15.30 (Room 4, Nile Valley): Arabic Script IDNs: Challenges and Solution

Full schedule

You can view the full IGF meeting schedule online at: http://www.intgovforum.org/cms/2009/sharm_el_Sheikh/WorkshopSchedule.html