200 new top level domain names are nearing deadline.
ICANN has warned new top level domain name companies to get a move on, and one .brand owner has terminated its new TLD ambitions.
In a post on its website, ICANN reminded contracted registries that they have 12 months to delegate their top level domain after executing their contract.
While 950 new domain names have been delegated into the root zone, 200 laggards are facing the 12-month deadline between now and August. Failure to meet this deadline can result in termination of the registry agreement. ICANN said it will grant extensions as long as the registry operator is making reasonable progress toward delegation.
Meanwhile, Emerson Electric Co (NYSE:EMR) has abandoned its plans to operate the .emerson top level domain name. The company notified ICANN (pdf) last week that it is terminating its registry agreement.
Not unexpected, yet what if a non-branded registry decided to terminate itself? What about the registered domain names? What provision does ICANN have in place for these cases?
ICANN has the Emergency Back-End Registry Operator (“EBERO”) program, and required registry applicants to provide a “continuity of operations” financial instrument to fund EBERO operations for a minimum of 3 years.
https://www.icann.org/resources/pages/ebero-2013-04-02-en