Abstract
Top level Internet domain names include generic names like .com, and country code names like .au (Australia), and .nz (New Zealand). In 2013, ICANN will be allowing organizations to register their own top level domain name (new gTLD). Examples of such names will include generic names like .web, industry category names like .bank, geographic names like .melbourne and .sydney, and corporate names like .google, .amazon, .yahoo, .anz, and .afl.
Along with the introduction of new names, ICANN will be introducing some new mechanisms for protections of trademark rights. An international "Trademark Clearinghouse" (http://trademark-clearinghouse.com) will be established in March 2013 that allows a holder of a trademark in any country to submit their trademark for validation to a global trademark database. This database will then be used as the basis for protections in new top level domain names including a first right to register at the second level (e.g example.melbourne), notification when a third party registers a trademark at the second level of a new gTLD, and access to a new uniform rapid suspension (URS) process to suspend a domain name that is infringing a trademark.
Dr. Tonkin's presentation will give an overview of new top level domains, and some of the new mechanisms for protection of trademark rights, with a particular focus on the new Trademark Clearinghouse.
Biography
Dr Bruce Tonkin is currently Chief Strategy Officer for Melbourne IT Limited (ASX:MLB), where he is responsible for managing the development of the company's strategic and operating plans, strategic initiatives with major customers and suppliers, and managing evaluation of merger and acquisition opportunities.
Bruce holds a bachelor of Electrical and Electronic Engineering (1st class honours) and a Ph.D. in electrical and electronic engineering. Before joining Melbourne IT in 1999, he worked in small private engineering consulting businesses, universities, and industry research laboratories (including AT&T Bell Labs in the 1980s).
He has been an elected member of the ICANN Board of Directors since June 2007, and has been vice-chair of the Board since June 2011. The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) coordinates the Domain Name System (DNS), and Internet Protocol (IP) addresses of the global Internet.