The first .ASIA sunrise opens in less than a month's time. Domaines.Info recently met with the registry to get the latest details on the launch of Asia's own Internet suffix.
Frome left to right, Bart Lieben (Deloitte), Edmon Chung (CEO, DotAsia) and Leona Chen (Registrar Relations, DotAsia).
Edmon Chung has probably spent more time on a plane in recent weeks than you and I have in our own homes. DotAsia's CEO is on a world tour that's taken him to America, France, England, Canada and many Asian countries.
Along with Leona Chen, DotAsia's Director of Registrar and Community Relations, and Bart Lieben, representing .ASIA's official validation agent Deloitte, each time he gets off a plane Chung meets with local registrars and prospective .ASIA registrants and makes sure that any lingering questions about .ASIA get answered before the October 9th Sunrise opens.
In Paris, a few days ago, he met with accredited .ASIA registrar INDOM and Domaines.Info. During a 3-hour discussion, we were able to ask a wealth of questions about the .ASIA launch and the reasons for some of the choices the registry has made in deciding how the extension would be put on the market.
Read on for excerpts of this extended interview.
General .ASIA questions:
[Domaines.Info] Are there any other countries that might be included in the AP zone in the future? [Edmon Chung] The important thing for us is to stick with ICANN's definition of the Asia Pacific region. So we're not looking to give .ASIA a political or geographical meaning beyond that. But we would like to see interested parties involved in .ASIA's governance. It's this idea of the domain's governance which is the most important for us right now.
What reaction have you had from the Middle East at being included in the .ASIA zone? [Edmon Chung] No particular reaction. No-one has voiced any surprise about it. I would stress that such countries as Iraq have been included in Asia's football cup for years and no-one has ever been surprised to see them involved.
Can you confirm that IDNs will indeed be released under .ASIA in 2008? Will it only be Chinese characters? [Leona Chen] Right now it's impossible for us to give a precise date. But IDNs will be the next key project for .ASIA after we've launched.
Nearly all .ASIA providers are offering some sort of local contact for prospective registrants that would otherwise not be eligible for .ASIA. Should such registrants expect a problem during or after their name has been registered? [Leona Chen] We do intend to maintain an element of flexibility for .ASIA and local contacts are tolerated. But we will be carrying out random checks on registered domains and checking the local contacts. If a problem is brought to light, the name in question could end up being suspended.
Do you expect to see any changes in the Sunrise dates that have already been announced? [Leona Chen] No.
Is there a complete list of registry reserved names? If so, will it be made public? [Leona Chen] No list will be provided. All information can be obtained through the Whois database.
Why allow names applied for under SR2 to also be applied for under SR3? Wouldn't it have been better to wait for the results of the prior application process and block the names until that result has come through? [Edmon Chung] Under the current design of the launch schedule, we cannot predict the results of the different sunrise periods. We believe this system makes it easier for registrars and their clients to submit applications. Under this process, priorities of the Sunrise periods are kept without delaying or hampering the application process.
We're unclear on the whole concept of the Landrush. We understand why it's good for the registry to have an additional period where multiple requests will result in auctions and therefore higher returns, but what's the benefit there for the applicant/end user? [Edmon Chung] We hope to provide a stable and orderly launch for .ASIA domains when they become available for the general public. Most of the prices reached during the auctions should remain reasonable. And registrants that end up paying a little extra for their names will have more incentive to use them, which is a good thing for .ASIA as a whole.
Can you confirm that minimum registration period for Go Live is 1 years as opposed to 2 years for all Sunrise periods and Landrush? [Leona Chen] That's right. Registrations are from 2 to 10 years for all launch periods and from 1 to 10 years once the extension goes live.
Tell us a little about the results of the Pioneer program. How many names have been requested? Have there been challenges? [Edmon Chung]We had 300 names requested as part of the Pioneer program. We feel this is a good result. It's certainly inline with our expectations.
Specific Sunrise questions:
For Sunrise 2, documentary evidence is not required to be submitted at the time the domain name is requested but will have to be provided if requested by the Validation Agent (VA), correct? [Bart Lieben] That's the case. But the applicant can state that he wants to submit documentary evidence if that's the case.
Documentary evidence may be requested during validation. Can you confirm whether the applicant will then have 7 or 10 days to send it in (we'd heard 7 days before but the Sunrise Policies now list a 10-day window)? [Bart Lieben] These are minimum terms. In any case, applicants may be granted an extension of the deadline if needed.
Can you confirm that any documentary evidence sent can only be sent once and that no new documentary evidence will be accepted for the same name request within the 10 day window? [Bart Lieben] In principle, one set of evidence only will be accepted. If the documentary evidence received is not conclusive, additional evidence may be sent in the framework of a reconsideration procedure. In case an application is rejected, the domain name applicant may request – through his registrar – a reconsideration procedure be initiated. In this context, the applicant is entitled to submit additional documentary evidence and/or request corrections to be made to the domain name application.
If a trademark is registered in one country, say France, will proof of demonstrable use in another country, say Hungary, be accepted for Sunrise 2a? The Sunrise Policies do state that usage has to have taken place in at least one of the countries, economies or territories for which the mark has been registered. Hence our question, as in the example above, both countries are in the same "economy", i.e. the EU… [Bart Lieben] If the applicant relies on a national trademark registered in France, he must be able to submit documentary evidence proving demonstrable usage in France. If it is a Community trademark, he may submit proof of usage in Hungary.
Will the validation agent accept screen printouts as proof of demonstrable use of a trademark? [Bart Lieben] Clear instructions will be given when the applicant is invited to submit proof of demonstrable usage. Whether print-outs will suffice will depend on the actual case.
The Sunrise Policies do not seem to cover rights such as Official Appellations, say for wines or champagne, which have a clear legal status in countries like France. Is there any way that owners of such rights can claim priority protection for the .ASIA sunrise? [Bart Lieben] There was a possibility to claim this under the Pioneer program – Sunrise 2 is limited to holders of registered trademarks; SR3 for holders of company names within the DotAsia Community.
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