The slow and uncertain pace of ICANN's new gTLD application process is a major challenge for businesses interested in a new domain, according to BBC intellectual property lawyer Diane Hamer.
Referring to the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names And Numbers, Hamer said its application process for new gTLDs “makes it hard to get stakeholder engagement”.
The UK broadcaster, which has applied for the .bbc generic top-level domain, has encountered “many pitfalls along the way” and these “have been generated by ICANN to a large extent”, Hamer told delegates at The Institute of Trade Mark Attorneys (www.itma.org.uk) Spring Conference 2014 in Westminster.
“I think the Trademark Clearinghouse is extremely flawed, although they [ICANN] deserve credit for trying,” she added.
Looking ahead, Hamer said the second round of gTLD applications, beginning next year, will be all about brands. “Dot brands will be where the true innovation comes,” she said, along with the availability of non-Latin scripts.
Hamer said she was unaware how much the BBC has spent on the application process.
This article was first published on 21 March 2014 in World IP Review
ICANN, gTLD, BBC, ITMA, TMCH, brands, trademarks, diane hamer
