[news release] The Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) of the Sultanate of Oman, with the support of ARI Registry Services, officially relaunched the .OM country code Top-Level Domain (ccTLD) today in a move to ensure the ongoing stability and growth of the Internet within the country and greater Gulf region. ARI Registry Services was selected by the TRA in March 2011 to provide domain name registry software and supporting services to revitalise the .om ccTLD. The project will also include the launch of عمان. (.OMAN), the Arabic script IDN ccTLD for Oman. Mohammed Al Kindy, Senior Manager Technical Affairs for the Oman TRA, said the project was important to the ongoing development of the Internet in Oman. “The relaunch of .om and launch of عمان. (.OMAN) will provide Internet users in Oman with a stable and reliable piece of infrastructure that is based on best practice domain name registry operation. This will provide an opportunity to expand the reach of the Internet in Oman and reinforce its importance as a national asset. “We thank ARI Registry Services for their support on this project,” Mr Al Kindy said. Adrian Kinderis, CEO of ARI Registry Services, congratulated the TRA on the relaunch. “This project represents a significant advancement of the Internet within Oman and reinforces the Government’s commitment to provide the best possible Internet experience to its people. We congratulate the TRA for their foresight and dedication to developing the Internet in their region,” Mr Kinderis said. “The introduction of عمان. (.OMAN) will position Oman as one of only a few Arabic speaking countries with the capability to allow its citizens to navigate the web in their native language. This is something Oman should be proud of. “This has been a tremendous project for the team at ARI to be involved in. We have completely customised our solution to address the needs of the TRA and assist them in the revitalisation of a national asset. Our work has included the development of customised registry software to handle the various policy and business requirements that are specific to the region, the purchase and configuration of hardware along with the deployment of staff to implement our licensed product and educate the TRA on its management,” Mr Kinderis said. With the new infrastructure the TRA has acquired, Oman will be open to more registrars and this will help further develop the .OM and عمان. (.OMAN) namespaces. This ARI Registry Services news release was sourced from: www.ariservices.com/news-oman_relaunches_om_with_ari.php

[news release] Sedo , the leading online domain marketplace and monetization provider, today announced an exclusive auction of premium .ME domain names. The .ME top level domain (TLD) has become a primary alternative to .com, and a distinctive way to promote your business or build your online brand. The .ME domain name extension has been used by both start-ups and established companies alike to support their online marketing efforts. Sedo has successfully brokered the sale of more than 1,000 .ME domain names, totaling more than $2 million U.S. dollars, including such premier names as Business.Me for $40,000, and online website sharing platform Join.Me for $45,000. Global brands such as Facebook (FB.Me), Porsche (Porsche.Me) and Yahoo (ME.Me) have also taken advantage of the .ME domain name extension, but with a wide range of prices and a unique selection of premium .ME domain names, companies of any size can reap the benefits of this memorable, personalized TLD. Running in partnership with the .ME Registry , the auction begins on May 26, 2012 and runs until May 31, 2012. The auction will include a wide range of prices and a unique selection of premium .ME domain names such as: LosAngeles.Me Singles.Me Camera.Me DVD.Me Tunes.Me Airline.Me Apartments.Me The complete list of .ME domain names available for auction on Sedo.com can be found at sedo.com/ME . This Sedo news release was sourced from: https://sedo.com/presse/presse.php?tracked=&partnerid=&language=us&id=457

Verisign has applied for 14 new generic Top Level Domains (gTLDs) including 12 transliterations of .COM and .NET as well as being selected to provide back-end registry services for approximately 220 new gTLDs. While the application period was due to close on 12 April, a security problem with the TLD application system (TAS) resulted in ICANN closing it down while they sorted out the problem. To date, ICANN has not given a date when the system to reopen so applicants can complete their applications. Hence it is possible there will be a few more applicants using Verisign before the application period formally closes. The information on Verisign’s TLD applications was provided in their financial results for the first quarter ended 31 March, 2012. Other information provided in the financial results included: 2.86 million net new domains were added during the first quarter with approximately 116.7 million active domain names in the adjusted zone for .COM and .NET, representing an 8.1 per cent increase year-over-year Verisign processed a record 8.9 million new domain name registrations, representing an increase of 7.7 per cent year-over-year revenue of $206 million for the first quarter of 2012, up 13% from the same quarter in 2011 renewal terms negotiated between Verisign and ICANN for the .com Registry Agreement were posted on 27 March which are substantially the same as the terms contained in the existing .com Registry Agreement except for new provisions regarding indemnification and audit rights, consistent with the other five largest gTLD registry agreements (including the .net agreement). “The first quarter was another record in terms of new domain name registrations, reflecting the global growth in internet adoption and e-commerce,” commented Jim Bidzos, executive chairman, president and chief executive officer. “We believe that the security and stability Verisign has provided spanning two decades, and continues to provide, is an important factor in that growth.” “Our first quarter results demonstrate our continued financial and operational discipline,” said John Calys, interim chief financial officer of Verisign. “We remain committed to delivering shareholder value.” More information on the Verisign financial results is available in the Verisign announcement here .

Austria (.AT) has joined a club that has members from .AM (Armenia) to .UK (United Kingdom) and beyond, but whose biggest member could be .CZ (Czech Republic), according to the latest .at report . DNSSEC is a security extension for the Domain Name System (DNS). By using digital signatures it assures the authenticity and integrity of DNS replies. In other words: DNSSEC guarantees the users that they will actually access the right domain without being redirected unnoticed. Overall there are 313 top level domains around the world, including country codes and generics, but less than one third have a DNSSEC signature. Of those DNSSEC signed 61 are ccTLDs (including .EU), 11 gTLDs and 13 are internationalised domain names including two for Taiwan while the remaining IDNs are for ICANN for test purposes. Of the statistics given in the .at report for selected TLDs, the largest is .CZ with 330,000 domains signed with DNSSEC, followed by 166,975 in .DE (Germany) and 147,729 .SE (Sweden). Now that DNSSEC has been signed in .AT it is important that registrars get on board. But registrars are not very interested. The two eco Registrar Atlas reports in 2011 and 2012 found registrars are very ambivalent. In 2011, 40 per cent of those .AT registrars responding to the questionnaire said they would introduce DNSSEC within the next 12 months, which equals 70 DNSSEC-active registrars in the first half of 2012. However, reality shows that not even ten per cent (9% – only 14 registrars) of those questioned have actually got onboard and are currently actively using DNSSEC. The eco Registrar Atlas shows a similar outcome for other participating countries. For example, 45 per cent of .DE registrars stated in 2011 that they would implement DNSSEC in 2012 but one year later the number had only increased from 17 to 19 per cent. It is possible, but unlikely, the respondents were different and this could account for the variations. In .AT, the survey found that while the number of registrars offering DNSSEC has roughly doubled, from (4.6 to 9%) from 2011 to 2012, while a large proportion of the 40.8% of those planning to implement DNSSEC in the next 12 months has clearly not done so. The number of registrars planning to implement DNSSEC in the next 12 months was now only 27 per cent. And while the number saying that had not planned to introduce DNSSEC had dropped from 54.6 per cent to 44 per cent, those not saying had jumped from zero to one in five (20%). But the future is somewhat bright. More than half of those .AT registrars questioned (51%) are convinced that DNSSEC will prevail as a security standard. However, almost 70 per cent of those questioned believe that DNSSEC will be (rather) insignificant for them. Not even one quarter (23%) regard DNSSEC as very or rather important. From a registrants point of view, it seems there is a similar attitude. Only 15 per cent of the registrars state that they have received customer requests for DNSSEC while four in five (80%) have not even received one request. Part of the reason for the lack of enthusiasm for DNSSEC could have been explained by Thomas Rickert at the Domain Pulse conference in February. Commenting on the then preliminary results of the survey, he said part of the failure could be the industry, particularly registrars and registries, have not created a demand for DNSSEC. And while many internet users are concerned about the security of their data online, they are unaware of DNSSEC and its role. The most recent .at report , and all previous editions, by nic.at is available at www.nic.at/en/uebernic/current_issues/at_report . To register your .AT domain name, check out Europe Registry here .

RIPE 64 Meeting opens in Slovenia with more than 350 Internet experts gathering to discuss the evolution of IP infrastructure [news release] The RIPE NCC , the Regional Internet Registry (RIR) for Europe, the Middle East and parts of Central Asia, will be discussing the future of the Internet and the impact of IPv6, as it celebrates 20 years of serving the technical community at the RIPE 64 Meeting in Ljubljana, Slovenia. Over the past 20 years the Internet has experienced huge growth, impacting upon business and society in ways few could have predicted, and the role of the RIPE NCC has evolved to meet a range of new challenges. With another milestone on the horizon, as it approaches the full allocation of IPv4 addresses in its service region, the RIPE NCC’s pioneering role continues to be instrumental for the growth and stability of the Internet. Axel Pawlik, Managing Director of the RIPE NCC said, “The RIPE NCC has grown over the past two decades to become an internationally renowned organisation providing vital administrative and technical coordination to over 8,000 members and the Internet community at large. Our role as the world’s first Regional Internet Registry has evolved through changes in the industry landscape encompassing the dot-com boom, increased interest from governments and regulators and issues of IPv4 exhaustion and IPv6 adoption. As we approach exhaustion of the unallocated IPv4 address pool this year the continued work and education with the membership and wider technical community around IPv6 adoption is going to help serve another successful 20 years and beyond of Internet growth.” The RIPE 64 Meeting takes place from 16 – 20 April in Ljubljana, Slovenia and will bring together RIPE NCC members, local governments and key players in the global and local Internet industry for discussion on policy and key technical developments related to IPv4 exhaustion and IPv6

[news release] The Canadian Internet Registration Authority (CIRA), in collaboration with Public Safety Canada and the Canadian Radio-television Telecommunications Commission (CRTC), has developed an online DNS Checker to screen users’ computers for the DNSChanger malware. Recently, through Operation Ghost Click , the FBI uncovered an extensive cyber criminal activity, whereas millions of computers around the world were infected with malicious software without the knowledge of the user. The malware, called DNSChanger, affected the Domain Name System (DNS) configuration of the user’s computer system. The DNS is the system that changes domain names into Internet Protocol (IP) addresses (for example, cira.ca=192.228.29.1. For more on how the DNS works you can visit youtu.be/2ZUxoi7YNgs ). The malware infrastructure, which affected over 20,000 Canadian IP addresses, redirected unsuspecting user’s to rogue DNS servers, allowing the cyber criminals to manipulate the user’s web activity. Because of the complexity and sophistication of this malware, detection and removal is challenging without the help of an IT security professional. Due to its experience in managing the DNS in Canada, CIRA was approached by Public Safety Canada to assist in developing a tool that allows Canadian Internet users to detect if their computer is affected by the DNSChanger malware. The result of this collaboration with the Canadian Cyber Incident Response Centre (CCIRC) at Public Safety Canada and the CRTC is the DNSChanger Malware Checker, located at http://DNS-OK.ca/ . Once the user agrees to the Terms and Conditions, the DNS Checker will match the DNS Internet Protocol (IP) address employed by the user’s computer against the known Operation Ghost Click IP addresses. When completed, the user is greeted by either a green banner, which indicates that their computer is not infected with the malware, or a red banner, which indicates that their computer system may be infected with the malware. If the banner is red, the user is encouraged to consult the Public Safety Canada website that provides further information on detection and removal of the DNSChanger malware. For more information please visit www.publicsafety.gc.ca/prg/em/ccirc/2011/in11-002-eng.aspx . “This type of initiative really speaks to the collaborative nature of the Canadian Internet community, and the key role CIRA plays,” said CIRA’s president and CEO Byron Holland. “CIRA is committed to providing Canadian Internet users with a safe, secure and trusted online experience and this DNS Checker provides an important resource for Canadians to screen their computer for the DNSChanger malware”. The DNSChanger Malware Checker does not screen for any other virus, malicious code or malware. -30- About CIRA The Canadian Internet Registration Authority is the member-driven organization that manages Canada’s .CA domain name registry, develops and implements policies that support Canada’s Internet community, and represents the .CA registry internationally. This CIRA news release was sourced from: www.cira.ca/news/news-releases/dnschanger-checker/ To register your .CA domain name, check America Registry here .

A Domain Investor is Now the Head of the Registrar Committee at the Coordination Center for TLD .RU Robert Gledenov and especially his brother Denis became famous in Russian Internet in the 2000s as skilful domainers. A year ago, more than 100 000 domains were tied to the well-known in the narrow circles den.ru and gledenov.ru servers. Even now in some domains these addresses come up with an anonymous privateperson.ru. In this large list are – hewlettpackard.ru, mercury-avto.ru, hugo-boss.ru, pierrecardin.ru, upsa.ru, western-union.ru, remy-martin.ru, baldessarini.ru, mild-seven.ru, pentium.ru, philipmorris.ru. After the court decisions the Gledenovs had to give away such domains as google.ru (2004), mercedes.ru (2006), swatch.ru (2010). From the last deal it is worth mentioning the transition of the domain sk.ru. According to the information of The Marker Russian online newspaper back in November 2011 this domain was listed in the server den.ru. This winter the address went under control of the Skolkovo Foundation supervised by Viktor Vekselberg, Russian oligarch. The sum of the deal is not being hidden. Denis Gledenov denies the deal at all. Robert Gledenov became a lobbyist Chairman of the Registrar Committee of the Coordination Center for TLD .RU is elected annually. Before this position was occupied by the General Director of registrar Naunet SP LLC Andrey Kondakov. One of the market players says that Robert was elected independently and not because of his activities in the past. In a conversation with The Marker Gledenov said that first problems he was going to solve would be domain dispute procedures and secondary market. These working groups have already been formed by the Coordination Center. “I know domain name registration process from A to Z. There is a lot of work to do to stabilize, develop and promote the industry. And no one is doing it. But the industry has to keep up with the times. That’s why I was elected by the majority of the 26 registrars“, – explained Gledenov his election. Among his tasks he sees the prevention of scandals as in a case with the launch .РФ TLD. Speaking about domaining business that somebody still consider as cybersquatting, Gledenov said he had not been involved in the domain name deals for many years. Gledenov added that many registrars took part in such activities, registering domains to be released for themselves and organizing the auctions after that for these names. Gledenov, being the head of Salenames niche registrar, added it was a normal practice, because the domain name registration was a low-margin business, which was considered to be an annex of the hosting services. The market reaction The colleagues in the largest local registrar company, RU-CENTER, reacted positively to the election: “We welcome any choice of the Registrar Committee. New chairman is always a new vector of focus for the entire registrar community,“ – said Andrey Vorobyev, the head of PR and GR of RU-CENTER. – We hope that the new chairman will do more than his predecessor and will be able to reverse the existing tensions on the market today.“ “Robert moves the whole system to democratization, – says anonymously a representative of another registrar. – He has been demanding the resolve of the organizational issues in the Coordination Center for months. And now becoming a registrar, he nominated himself as a candidate for the election. The work results of Kondakov don’t satisfy him, as well as the recent actions of Andrey Kolesnikov (the director of the Coordination Center for TLD .RU)“. There are people who are not agree with the election of Gledenov. According to the The Marker, one of the registrars considers the staff reshuffle doubtful because of the Gledenov’s activities in the “domain investments”. The expert fears the changing of the rules towards domainers‘ or even cybersquatters’interests. On the other hand, it is quite often when domainers become those people who decide important things on the Internet. A Russian version of this article originally appeared in The Marker magazine – marker.ru .

[news release] German TLD .de operator DENIC and the Swedish-based Internet infrastructure organisation Netnod have entered into a strategic partnership to further strengthen the .de Name Service. By making use of Netnod’s extensive infrastructure to complement DENIC’s own worldwide DNS network, DENIC’s operation of the domain name system for .de, in its role as a crucial resource of the Internet, will be additionally secured. Effective 19 April 2012, the new second foothold will further minimise potential risks for the .de zone by integrating Netnod’s additional 35+ locations worldwide, this way allowing for rapid response in the case of a malicious intent. As a surplus benefit, Netnod’s services will provide a significant capacity upgrade. “We have chosen Netnod for their outstanding technical expertise and fully trust their competence to meet the high level demands associated with the operation of our supplementary name service for .de, which is by far the biggest ccTLD worldwide. Also, both Netnod and DENIC are not-for-profit, neutral, and independent basic infrastructure-providing organisations and share similar strategic positions and views. Therefore, this partnership ideally matches with DENIC’s commitment to provide services of utmost reliability, on a self-regulatory basis,” said Dr. Jörg Schweiger, Member of the Board and CTO of DENIC. “Netnod is happy to assist DENIC in enlarging their footprint by offering them the shared use of our widespread multi-site anycast infrastructure for full backup support of .de, and thus for the common good of all Internet users. Of course, we are very proud that after having supported a large variety of European ccTLDs for quite some time now, .de as the No. 1 ccTLD has chosen us to be their strategic DNS partner,” said Kurt Erik Lindqvist, CEO of Netnod. About DENIC DENIC is responsible for managing .de, Germany’s top-level Internet domain and the world’s second largest Internet registry with 15,000,000+ domain names. Next to running a 17-site worldwide name server network, DENIC provides all domain database and registration system resources for .de and also operates the German ENUM domain (.9.4.e164.arpa), along with all .de and ENUM related whois lookup services. Since its inception in 1996, as a private, not-for-profit cooperative, DENIC’s mission is to fulfil a public purpose by supporting a fast, secure and reliable access to German Internet pages and e-mail addresses, through the excellence of its extensive name server infrastructure and services, on a 24/7 basis. Today, 280+ registrars from the IT and telecommunications industry in Germany and abroad offer .de registration services and support the independent, self-regulatory approach of the cooperative as active members. DENIC is also committed to be a leading force in shaping the continued development of the open, decentralized and secure Internet, in a close collaborative effort with international Internet bodies including ICANN, RIPE, IETF, and CENTR. Based in Frankfurt am Main, Germany, DENIC employs 120 staff and has an annual turnover of EUR15m. About Netnod Netnod is a not-for-profit, neutral and independent Internet infrastructure organisation, based in Sweden and owned by the TU foundation. Netnod provides DNS anycast and unicast slave services to TLDs worldwide through its highly respected and robust DNSNODE product. Netnod is also the proud operator of i.root-servers.net, one of the thirteen logical DNS root name servers in the world – a critical part of the Internet underlying infrastructure. This service is provided as a public service to the Internet community at-large, as part of Netnod’s goal to work for the “Good of the Internet”. Finally, Netnod operates six exchanges in five different cities in Sweden where Internet operators exchange traffic. The Netnod IX has among the highest amount of traffic per peer in Europe and is fully IPv6 enabled. This DENIC news release was republished with permission. To register your .DE domain name, check out Europe Registry here .

Neustar have started a publicity campaign to both alert Americans to and encourage their use of the .US ccTLD. The campaign wants small business to consider using a .US domain name for their business. Neustar say they spoke to small business, listened to their concerns and the KickStart America Campaign is the result. As part of the campaign, Neustar have developed a toolkit to assist small business in getting online with help on how to choose a good domain name, information on what to consider on developing a website, and whether the business should do it themselves or hire a professional, and then, once online, how to promote the website and business. And to help with this “kickstart”, Neustar and .US are also giving away an all-expenses paid trip to Washington DC to attend a national small business conference. To find out more about the campaign, go to www.about.us . To register your .US domain name, check out America Registry here .

Purpose (Brief): ICANN is posting today for public comment the Universal Postal Union (UPU) request to amend its Sponsorship TLD agreement to remove the requirement to reserve the “previously-reserved IANA domain strings” at the second level. This change in the agreement means that .post would be allowed to register, for example, biz.post, com.post, uk.post, etc. Comments may be submitted through 9 May 2012. You may access the Public Forum here . Public Comment Box Link: www.icann.org/en/news/public-comment/post-amendment-2012-09apr12-en.htm This ICANN announcement was sourced from: www.icann.org/en/news/announcements/announcement-2-09apr12-en.htm