.arab Pre-Register Domain - .arab Domain Information

(a) Describe the mission / purpose of your proposed gTLD

The mission and purpose of the applied-for gTLD will be to:

• promote the identity of Arabs and their diverse communities as well as the use of the Arabic language and script on the Internet;

• provide the members of the Arabic community as a whole with effective and dedicated means to communicate with each other and other users of the Internet, using their own identities, company and brand names, as well as generic domain names in a gTLD that expressly targets such community;

• provide for an alternative generic Internet top-level domain for the people, organizations, companies and governments of the Arab Region, next to the existing country-code top-level domains;

• support and promote the Arabic culture on the global Internet, as well as the facilitation of economic, social and scientific integration and progress; and

• promote and operate a regional Internet namespace that has global recognition and caters to the needs of the community in the Arab region as well as Arabs worldwide.

The above objectives can be achieved by the League of Arab States, which will coordinate the development, implementation and management of the applied-for gTLD.

The League of Arab States is a regional intergovernmental organization of 22 Arab states, with headquarters in Cairo, Egypt. Its primary goal is to draw closer the relations between its Member States and co-ordinate collaboration between them, to safeguard their independence and sovereignty, and to consider in a general way the affairs and interests of the Arab countries.

The League was declared formally established when the then independent Arab countries signed the constituent instrument, the Charter, on March 22, 1945; i.e. nearly six months ahead of the setting up of the United Nations. In an historical perspective, the Charter of the League was indeed drafted in response to the common attitude of public opinion in all Arab countries.

For one full half of a century, the League of Arab States has markedly managed to serve as ʺthe common house of Arabsʺ where Arabs call get together and exchange views on how best to enhance the future of the nation - a process which tacitly and in turn consolidates the functions of the League arid ensures that it be the creditable reflector of the policies of member states.

The experience and performance of the League over the fifty years of its history, together with the regional and international developments, have all prompted the broadening of the scope of joint Arab action, the diversification of its areas and the creation of new institutions and mechanisms, which have in due course gained considerable effectiveness. Consequently, League activities have been so much expanded that they now cover almost all areas of essential importance for the Arab world.

Each Member State of the League retains the right to withdraw from the League on condition that its intention to do so be communicated to the Council at least six months ahead of the desired date of actual withdrawal. The Council of the League has the competence to declare dissociated any state that does not live up to its obligations as are defined in the Charter. Any resolution to this effect need be unanimously approved, excluding the vote of the state concerned.

The Economic and Social Council for the League of Arab States is the unit responsible for all collaborative Arab efforts within the economic or social sectors, as well as supervising the functions of all units acting within its framework. It is also responsible to set general policies for Arab Eco-Social integration, and also to plan, and oversee programs related to its implementation.

The Arab Telecommunication and Information Council of Ministers (ATICM) is part of the structure of the Economic and Social Council for the League, responsible for all collaborative efforts between Arab States in the fields of ICT, including general strategies, infrastructure, services, regional and international cooperation. As declared by the Arab Summit, held in 2001 in Amman, the ATICM is also recognized as the highest executive authority responsible for the development of the Arab Information and Telecommunications Society.

Over the past years, the ATICM has been assigning tasks to specialized technical teams working within its structure to define the Arab gTLD Project, and will continue to do so in the months and years to come, as deemed appropriate. The Arab gTLD Project is framed in parallel with efforts to promote an Arabic Domain Names System focused on standardization for the use of Arabic script in domain names whether for the Arabic language in specific or for different languages using the Arabic script.

As part of this project, activities are underway for the establishment of a pan-Arab registry to manage and operate the new Arab gTLDs ʺ.arabʺ and its IDN equivalent in Arabic script ʺ.عربʺ. These activities are undertaken by LAS, particularly the Arab Working Group on Internet Issues (AWGII).

The League of Arab States is therefore considered to be the Applicant for the applied-for gTLD, and - following ICANN's delegation of the TLD to the League - will become the Registry Operator. However, the League has decided to delegate the actual operation of the Arab gTLDs to TRA following delegation by ICANN of the applied-for gTLD to the League. Therefore, TRA will be managing and operating the Arab gTLD(s) following delegation by ICANN thereof to the League, in the name of the League, but for its own account. This arrangement has been laid down in an agreement entered into between both organizations.

The League of Arab States has submitted applications for two gTLDs, which both focus on the Arab community, region, language, and culture: one TLD in standard Latin script / US ASCII, and one in Arabic script / IDN. Both TLDs are hereinafter referred to as the "Arab gTLDs".

The Arab gTLDs have the objective to provide for an alternative (in Latin and Arabic script) Internet top-level domain for the people, organizations, companies and governments of the Arab Region. In addition, it aims to support and promote the Arabic language and culture on the global Internet, as well as the facilitation of economic, social and scientific integration and progress.

The League's main objective is to promote and operate a regional Internet namespace that has global recognition and caters to the needs of the community in the Arab region as well as Arabs worldwide.

The League of Arab States provides oversight and guidance. Therefore, the League of Arab States has the mission to promote the Arab community's identity as well as the use of the Arabic language on the Internet, by providing access to domain name registration systems that support the Arabic community and provide the members of this community with effective means to communicate with each other as well as other users of the Internet using their own identities, brand names, trademarks and proprietary TLDs.

The pioneering role of the League of Arab states in the Arab gTLDs is considered to be of great importance, giving legitimacy to both gTLDs from both a governance, cultural and organizational perspective.

With respect to the IDN gTLD, domain name registrations in the applied-for gTLD will be in Arabic script only, which provides domain name registrants and Internet users at large with the opportunity to use Arabic only domain names in Internet communications, and hence promote the Arabic region as a whole.

This offering is similar to what the .EU registry - EURid - is doing within Europe and, to a certain extent, how the DotAsia Organization is trying to position its activities and posture within the Asian-Pacific continent.

In order to reflect the specific focus and character of the Arab gTLDs, the Registry Operator will implement the following eligibility requirements for domain name registrants in either of the two Arab gTLDs, which shall be incorporated in the domain name registration policies of both extensions:

The Registry shall register domain names in one or both Arab TLDs through any Registrar requested by any:

(i) undertaking having its registered office, central administration or principal place of business within the Community, or

(ii) organization established within the Community without prejudice to the application of national law, or

(iii) natural person resident within the Community, or

(iv) any of the above who has associated one of the contacts relating to the domain name registration, which contact is residing or established in the Community.

The term "Community" will be deemed to include the territories of the Member States of the League of Arab States.

The League of Arab States defines the word "Arab" as "a person whose language is Arabic, who lives in an Arabic speaking country, who is in sympathy with the aspirations of the Arabic speaking people". In the virtual world, out of the estimated 347,000,000 people who speak Arabic, only 5.4% use the Internet. With this percentage, the Arabic language holds the 7th place in the top ten languages used in the web (about 65 million Internet users) but it holds the 5th place according to the estimated number of population.

The Arabic language has been the fastest growing language on the Internet over the past decade, with an increase of more than 2,500%.

According to a 2009 estimate, the population of the member states of the LAS amounts to more than 360 million.

The Registry Operator will, following award of at least one of the Arab gTLDs to the League of Arab States, provide for the following measures in order to protect the privacy of registrants in such gTLD:

First of all, it will restrict automatic access to and harvesting of WHOIS data, by:

- implementing a CAPTCHA process following receipt of a web-based WHOIS query; and
- limiting the number of queries per IP address for a given period of time (both web and port 43).

Furthermore, the Registry Operator will enable registrants not to disclose certain information through the public WHOIS, and limit such information to what is strictly necessary in order to comply with ICANN's requirements. If, for a valid reason (e.g., following request by a competent public authority, or if there is a risk that a particular domain name that is registered in the TLD infringes the trademark rights of a third party), the Registry Operator will in any case promptly disclose full contact data.


The LAS has developed a detailed action plan for the .ARAB registry, which will ensure that potential domain name registrants from the Arab Region and beyond are made aware of the .ARAB initiative, and what they need to do in order to register domain names in these new extensions. This action plan has been developed in the context of a Pre-Feasibility Study commissioned by UN-ESCWA, as well as in the Charter that has been adopted by the .ARAB Steering Committee in 2011.

Below, we will elaborate on the high-level steps that will be taken in order to effectively market the TLDs, taking into account where possible the issues and constraints identified above. It is believed to be key for the success of the .ARAB Project that a number of these steps are taken as soon as possible, even prior to the submission of the applications to ICANN.

1. Pre-Delegation Phase

The LAS has identified the following organizations that can play a role in creating awareness about the .ARAB Project, of which some of them can be very actively involved in the ultimate success of the Registry and its operations. In addition thereto, a number of action points have been formulated in order to achieve this objective.

1.1. Ministers and Ministries of Telecommunication represented in the League of Arab States

It is important for the success of the .ARAB Project that it obtains sufficient government support from the Member States of the League of Arab States. Following award of the applied-for gTLD, the Registry Operator will develop a high-level action plan together with each of the Ministers of Telecommunication of the Member States of the LAS.

1.2. Telecom operators active in the Arab Region

Telecom operators have an enormous client base with people, organizations and companies that will have - in one way or another - an interest in registering domain names within the Arab TLDs.

Given such large client base, there may be an opportunity for such actors to apply with ICANN to become an ICANN Accredited Registrar or Reseller, as this can bring in additional business for them. Additionally, such status could support such telecom operators to expand their business in other countries in the Arab Region, and in particular in other Member States of the League of Arab States.

Even if these organizations would not be interested in such an activity, liaising with them (on a regular / continuous basis) will allow the League of Arab States to raise awareness regarding the .ARAB Project, and may incite some of them to be involved in this project further down the road in, perhaps, another capacity (such as acting as a Reseller).

1.3. ccTLD registries in the Arab Region

The LAS has determined on various occasions that the (timely) involvement of ccTLD registries in the Arab Region is crucial for the success of the .ARAB Project. In order to allow these registries not only to become "morally" involved, but also reap part of the (financial, technical and operational) benefits of this initiative, appropriate steps will be taken in order to ensure such involvement.

Given the fact that many ccTLD registries of the Arab Region have actively participated in the preparation of the .ARAB TLD project and the preparation of this application for the .ARAB gTLD, it is clear that the LAS enjoys a lot of goodwill from their end in order to make this project a success.

1.4. Domain name registrars with ccTLDs in the Arab Region

Although the requirements for becoming an ICANN Accredited Registrar could be too cumbersome for many existing registrars with ccTLDs in the Arab Region, the LAS (and existing ccTLD operators within the Arab Region) should be able to identify a few organizations that could be "thought leaders" in the .ARAB initiative. Therefore, LAS and ccTLD operators within the Arab Region will provide for guidance and advice in order for these registrars to become ICANN Accredited Registrars.


1.5. Existing ICANN Accredited Registrars from outside the Arab Region

The Registry may opt to convince a number of large ICANN Accredited Registrars to set up an operation in the region, and provide operational and marketing support to them in order to effectively reach out to its targeted community.

This operation will consist of providing access to a web site dedicated to the .ARAB gTLDs, and have staff on the ground promoting the registration and adoption of domain names in these TLDs to businesses, organizations and individuals within the region.

2. Delegation Phase
2.1. Introduction

The Registry Operator, working closely with its selected registry back-end services provider, will develop a detailed marketing and outreach plan, in order to make sure that the .ARAB gTLDs are adequately promoted and a sustainable registry operation is guaranteed. This plan will be developed and rolled out following award of the gTLD to the League of Arab States.

This Marketing & Outreach Plan will in any case be a working document, which will need to be adapted to the specific needs and circumstances that arise following the delegation of the first Arab TLD to the League of Arab States.

In particular, detailed plans will be drawn up in order to market these gTLDs within the Arab Region, creating a workable competition amongst ICANN Accredited Registrars, considering that only few of them have actually deployed activities within the Arab Region. Furthermore, this plan shall take into consideration the development of the domain name market at that time.

2.2. Draft High-Level Marketing & Outreach Plan

During the Delegation Phase, the Registry Operator's Marketing & Outreach Plan will cover the following aspects:

- attendance at or co-ordination of a to be agreed upon number of major events at which presentations will be made to members of the IP community, the Registrar community, and the domain name community, including ICANN meetings;

- drafting of a General Information and RPM (Rights Protection Mechanisms) section of the Registry's website, including materials for other relevant web sites (e.g. ccTLD registries in the Arab Region, registrars, resellers, …);

- drafting of a Registrar website focused on the .ARAB launch and RPMs;

- drafting of detailed information sheets for Accredited Registrars, IP owners, and the domain name community at large;

- drafting of presentations materials and brochures for IP owners, law firms, trademark attorneys and Registrars;

- the preparation of information that can be used in briefing sheets for the general and specialized press.

All of the above tasks need to be executed and/or supervised by a dedicated resource appointed by or under the authority of the Registry Operator.

2.3. Language Aspects

Taking into account the fact that many members of the LAS' targeted distribution networks and Community (i.e. individuals, companies and organizations that are using the Arab language) may reside or be established abroad, the Registry should effectively reach out to ICANN Accredited Registrars in order to obtain the necessary marketing support outside the LAS region.

Since most of these registrars will not master the Arab language, specific information and marketing packages and initiatives need to be developed in order to make sure that such targeted Community members obtain all the necessary information in order to effectively register domain names in the .ARAB gTLDs.

3. Launch Phase
3.1. Introduction

An important element in the launch of any TLD is the provision, by or on behalf of the Registry Operator, of detailed and accurate information with respect to the policies it is going to implement, the processes that will accompany the launch of the TLD, and the pricing charged to Registrars. These three elements need to be clearly defined in detailed information memoranda and legal terms before they are distributed to Registrars, the intellectual property community and the public at large.

In order to ensure that an adequate marketing campaign is being set up, the Registry Operator will develop and implement a Marketing & Outreach Plan that takes the following aspects into account:

- designing clear, unambiguous information for the relevant stakeholders, including the intellectual property community (with respect to the Sunrise aspects), the domainer community (with respect to the Landrush aspects) and Registrars;

- consult with these stakeholders, and do regular follow-ups with them;

- tracking and identifying any outreach campaigns these stakeholders are organising;

- trying to be involved in any marketing, consultation, information, … activities organised by these stakeholders, and provide them with regular reporting on new information that is going to be released before it is actually released;

- etc.

3.2. General Marketing & Outreach Activities

Marketing & Outreach Activities during the Execution Phase include:

- updating of the General Information website including RPM FAQ;

- organization/participation in web seminars / webcasts for IP owners, the domain name community;

- attendance at or co-ordination of events for the IP and domain name communities;

- attendance/co-ordination of events for Registrars and their clients;

- co-ordinate an e-newsletter for Registrars covering general points of information, updating them on dates, FAQ answers, etc.;

- meetings and briefings of the general media and specialized press with the Registry.

3.3. Involvement of telecom operators, ccTLD registries and their registrars

In order for the .ARAB gTLD to be successful in terms of numbers of domain name registrations, the LAS might reach out to the ccTLD operators of its member states in order to support the initiative. Such support could consist of any of the following:

- marketing the .ARAB gTLD to its customer base, by organizing seminars, sending mailings to registrars and domain name registrants, etc.;

- offering domain names in the .ARAB gTLD together with registrations in their own ccTLD;

- actively promoting the .ARAB gTLD on their respective web sites;

- etc.

In this respect, the Registry Operator's dedicated Marketing Manager will need to play a liaison function between ccTLD operators on the one hand and ICANN Accredited Registrars on the other hand in order to make sure that the .ARAB gTLDs are properly marketed.

3.4. Accredit Registrars

Once delegated the applied-for gTLD, the LAS will be required to accredit ICANN Accredited Registrars in order to effectively offer domain name registrations in these new gTLDs.

A dedicated resource, appointed by or on behalf of the Registry Operator, will forge relationships with the .ARAB Accredited Registrars. The Registry Operator's dedicated Marketing Manager will have the task to provide detailed information to them, and keep them updated on new developments, promotions, etc.

First of all, the gTLD will be launched using a lengthy and thorough start-up process, which will likely consist of the following steps:

• Pre-Sunrise: Solicitation of reserved domain names from ccTLDs and governments (through GAC representatives, through the ccTLD registry operators, etc.). The duration could range from 60 days up to one year.

• Sunrise I: Corresponding governments and/or relevant entities may ʺactivateʺ domains from the reserved domains list obtained during Pre-Sunrise on a First-Come-First-Served basis. However, this step maybe skipped; governments can, after the launch of the gTLD, decide at any time when to activate the domains on the reserved list. Approximate duration: 60 days.

• Sunrise II: Public bodies, holders/licensees of trademarks, holders of other prior rights (such as company names, trade names, business identifiers, personal names, …) may apply for domain names based on the names for which they hold prior rights. Approximate duration: 90 days, although this period can be shortened in case ICANN would decide to implement the IPR Clearinghouse that was proposed by the Implementation Recommendation Team.

• Quiet Period: No registration period. Approximate duration: 30 days. The Quiet Period can be shortened or even abandoned in case ICANN would decide to implement the recommendation to set up an IPR Clearinghouse, which would automatically validate prior right claims on domain names during Sunrise II.

• Landrush: Anyone that meets the charter eligibility requirements may apply for any domain name. Approximate duration: 15 days.

• Auction: For domains that received more than one valid application during Sunrise II and Landrush, closed auctions will be held for all competing applicants. This can run in parallel to phases 3-5. Approximate duration: 30 days.

• Go Live: live First-Come-First-Served registrations commence.

This well-structured start-up process has been developed with the objective in mind to minimize the risk that significant (social) costs will be incurred as a result of the launch of the Arab gTLDs.

Secondly, the Registry Operator and, in particular, its selected back-end registry services provider will, prior to the launch, already have engaged in marketing activities, as described above. Therefore, chances are high that the initially targeted community (Arabs that are connected to the Internet) will have learned about the Arab gTLDs and have prepared themselves in order to secure domain names in this new extension.


i. How will multiple applications for a particular domain name be resolved, for example, by auction or on a first-come/first-serve basis?

As indicated above, a mix of auction-based and first-come, first-served allocation models will be used, depending on the phase of operations.

The principle of "first-come-first-served" will be the basic principle for resolving a dispute between holders of prior rights after the phased registration period; for conflicting domain name applications submitted during a particular phase in the phased registration period, an auction system is proposed. After the termination of the phased registration, the principle of first come first served will apply in the allocation of domain names.


ii. Explain any cost benefits for registrants you intend to implement (e.g., advantageous pricing, introductory discounts, bulk registration discounts).

No particular cost benefits have been foreseen by the Registry Operator at this stage.


iii. Note that the Registry Agreement requires that registrars be offered the option to obtain initial domain name registrations for periods of one to ten years at the discretion of the registrar, but no greater than ten years. Additionally, the Registry Agreement requires advance written notice of price increases. Do you intend to make contractual commitments to registrants regarding the magnitude of price escalation? If so, please describe your plans.

The League of Arab States or TRA will not allow domain name registrations for periods of more than ten years. Currently, they also do not envisage any price increases, and, if such increases should be necessary, it will provide an advance written notice to all registrars, as set out by ICANN.

Given the fact that the actual success of the Arab gTLDs in terms of volume is unclear at this stage, the League nor TRA will make any commitments as regards the stability of its registry fees in the medium or long term.


officially decided in their meeting of July 2008, following ICANN meeting in Paris, to proceed with the necessary steps to apply for both domain names. LAS also formed a "Steering Committee of the Arab gTLD Project" to work on and oversee the project steps, with advisory technical assistance from ITU and ESCWA for the practical implementation of such a registry.

A Preliminary Feasibility study on Establishment of the Domain Name Registry for the ".arab" and ".عرب" Generic Top Level Domains was developed to provide an initial assessment of the viability of establishing a domain name registry for the ʺ.arabʺ and .عربʺ" gTLDs through studying relevant technical and operational requirements and over viewing business, marketing, legal, financial and capital funding aspects related to establishing this registry.

This Preliminary Feasibility study was submitted for revision at LAS meetings and was endorsed accordingly although proposed institutional/governance structures of the registry remained open for discussion. The study also provides a high-level plan for forthcoming tasks and milestones.

LAS AWGII also defined administrative, legal, technical, operational, financial, and business terms and conditions that should be applied to the organization/corporation that is going to be selected to manage the Arab gTLDs registry, in the form of "LAS Preliminary Guidelines" document. Decisions that have been taken as regards the governance, operation, structure and setup have been laid down in a document that is referred to as "The Arab TLD Charter: A Strategic Framework for Defining, Implementing and Managing the Arab gTLDs (2010 - 2014)", which has been prepared by UN-ESCWA in 2010 and is updated on a regular basis, keeping pace with policy and implementation developments within ICANN.


(a) Provide a description of the community-based purpose of the applied-for gTLD;

Considering the above, it is clear that the LAS has the mission to promote the Arab community's identity as well as the use of the Arabic language on the Internet.

The .ARAB initiative forms an indispensable cornerstone in this respect, as this will enable physical persons, organizations and companies in the Arab Region with access to domain name registration systems that support the Arabic community and provide the members of this community with effective means to communicate with each other as well as other users of the Internet using their own identities, brand names, trademarks and proprietary TLDs.


(b) Explain the relationship between the applied- for gTLD string and the community identified in 20(a).

The .ARAB TLD refers to various aspects that unambiguously and undisputedly identify and characterize the members of the Arab community:

- language: one of the common denominators of most physical persons, organisations and companies in the Arab Region is that they communicate in Arabic, next to a number of other languages;

- script: the Arabic script is one of the first comprehensive scripts that have been developed by man and is currently still being used by hundreds of millions of people within and outside the Arab Region;

- culture: the Arab culture is one of the first cultures that have been established, and is currently still in existence and experienced throughout the world.


(c) Provide a complete description of the applicant's intended registration policies in support of the community-based purpose of the applied-for gTLD. Policies and enforcement mechanisms are expected to constitute a coherent set.

Arab gTLDs will be open for registrants who are residents of, established, incorporated or having their principal place of business in one of the 22 Member States of the LAS. This geographic nexus requirement is inspired LAS' authority described in its founding documents, which is in any case geographically limited to the 22 Member States of LAS. The selected Candidate will be required in this regard to verify compliance with this requirement post registration, and this for a random sample of 1% of the total number of domain name registration volume, on a periodical basis (preferably on a quarterly basis).

Furthermore, Arab gTLDs registrants should have the right to choose to register one or more domain names in only one or both gTLDs. The registry will not automatically "bundle" or "package" domain name registrations.

The registry will also put in place a dynamic list containing reserved domain names (for the registry and for governmental authorities) and blocked domain names (e.g., for domain names that are considered unlawful, or immoral) with the possibility of wildcarding (i.e., provide for the possibility that domain names containing a string that is mentioned in the list of blocked or reserved domain names cannot be registered).

To be included by TLD Manager: a description of the process and policy for the management of this list, and for requests for including additional domain names on it.

Moreover, all data relevant to registry operations of Arab TLDs will be the exclusive property of LAS.

The League of Arab States (LAS) have engaged Telecommunications Regulatory Authority UAE (TRA) to deliver services for this TLD. This response describes protection of geographic names as implemented by TRA.

1 PROTECTION OF GEOGRAPHIC NAMES

In accordance with Specification 5 of the New gTLD Registry Agreement, the registry operator must initially reserve all geographic names at the second level, and at all other levels within the TLD at which the registry operator provides for registrations.
TRA supports this requirement by using the following internationally recognised lists to develop a comprehensive master list of all geographic names that are initially reserved:
- The 2-letter alpha-2 code of all country and territory names contained on the ISO 3166-1 list, including all reserved and unassigned codes [http://www.iso.org/iso/support/country_codes/iso_3166_code_lists/iso-3166-1_decoding_table.htm].
- The short form (in English) of all country and territory names contained on the ISO 3166-1 list, including the European Union, which is exceptionally reserved on the ISO 3166-1 List, and its scope extended in August 1999 to any application needing to represent the name European Union [http://www.iso.org/iso/support/country_codes/iso_3166_code_lists/iso-3166-1_decoding_table.htm#EU].
- The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names, Technical Reference Manual for the Standardisation of Geographical Names, Part III Names of Countries of the World. This lists the names of 193 independent States generally recognised by the international community in the language or languages used in an official capacity within each country and is current as of August 2006 [http://unstats.un.org/unsd/geoinfo/ungegn%20tech%20ref%20manual_M87_combined.pdf].
- The list of UN member states in six official UN languages prepared by the Working Group on Country Names of the United Nations Conference on the standardisation of Geographical Names [http://unstats.un.org/unsd/geoinfo/UNGEGN/docs/9th-uncsgn-docs/econf/9th_UNCSGN_e-conf-98-89-add1.pdf].
Names on this reserved list in TRA's registry system are prevented from registration.
A corresponding list of geographic names will also be available to the public via the registry operators website, to inform Registrars and potential registrants of reserved names. The lists noted above, are regularly monitored for revisions, therefore the reserved list (both within the registry and publicly facing) will be continually updated to reflect any changes.
In addition to these requirements, TRA are able to support the wishes of the Governmental Advisory Council (GAC) or any individual Government in regard to the blocking of individual terms on a case by case basis. TRA's registry system allows such additions to be made by appropriately authorised staff, with no further system development changes required.
The following applies to all Domain Names contained within the registry's reserved list:
- Attempts to register listed Domain Names will be rejected.
- WhoIs queries for listed Domain Names will receive responses indicating their reserved status.
- Reserved geographic names will not appear in the TLD zone file.
- DNS queries for reserved domain names will result in an NXDOMAIN response.

2 PROCEDURES FOR RELEASE

We understand that if we wish to release the reserved names at a later date, this will require agreement from the relevant government(s) or review by the GAC, and subsequent approval from ICANN.