.shop is a proposed top-level domain

Proposed top-level domain

The Domain Name System of the Internet consists of a set of top-level domains which constitute the root domain of the hierarchical name space and database. In the growth of the Internet, it became desirable to expand the set of initially six generic top-level domains in 1984. As a result new...

 for the Internet

Internet

The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...

, submitted to ICANN

ICANN

The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers is a non-profit corporation headquartered in Marina del Rey, California, United States, that was created on September 18, 1998, and incorporated on September 30, 1998 to oversee a number of Internet-related tasks previously performed directly...

 for approval as a sponsored TLD

Sponsored top-level domain

A sponsored top-level domain is one of the categories of top-level domains maintained by the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority for use in the Domain Name System of the Internet....

. It would be restricted to the use of e-commerce on the Internet. It is sponsored by Commercial Connect Inc, an international organization based in the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

, with partners worldwide.

History

Commercial Connect, Inc. requested to operate a .shop registry from ICANN in 2000. It is unrelated to the previous attempt to register .shop in 1998 (see IAHC

IAHC

The IAHC was one of the first organizations to concern itself with the allocation of Internet domain names.- Member organizations :*Internet Society *Internet Assigned Numbers Authority...

), although its proposed usage is similar. To date the application is still pending. It is believed that ICANN will allow resubmission and/or reconsideration in mid 2010. Commercial Connect believes that the introduction of .shop is necessary because the existing TLD .com

.com

The domain name com is a generic top-level domain in the Domain Name System of the Internet. Its name is derived from commercial, indicating its original intended purpose for domains registered by commercial organizations...

—originally intended for this purpose—has become too broad in its scope and so generic that it no longer exclusively denotes its original intention. This difficulty is becoming more acute daily, and as already implied by the continued geometric growth of the Internet, will become exponentially more difficult in the future.

Restrictions

Commercial Connect, Inc is proposing that the use of .shop be exclusive to electronic commerce

Electronic commerce

Electronic commerce, commonly known as e-commerce, eCommerce or e-comm, refers to the buying and selling of products or services over electronic systems such as the Internet and other computer networks. However, the term may refer to more than just buying and selling products online...

 website

Website

A website, also written as Web site, web site, or simply site, is a collection of related web pages containing images, videos or other digital assets. A website is hosted on at least one web server, accessible via a network such as the Internet or a private local area network through an Internet...

s that actually provide online shopping and ordering, whether the site is associated with a physical store or not. This clarity of use can be preserved to the benefit of Internet users everywhere.

Registrars

All currently accredited ICANN registrars, as well as any newly appointed ICANN registrars in the future, will be eligible for approval to obtain domain names with the dot-shop extension. Each registrar must make application to CCI, and pay the stated fees, but when those steps have been completed, a registrar in good standing with ICANN can rest assured it will be added to the list of approved registrars for selling and promoting this new domain name extension. CCI, by accepting all ICANN accredited registrars as potential registrars of the domain name, agrees to accord equal treatment to everyone. In any case where it is necessary to select between two or more competing registrars, objective criteria, if it can be found to base any choice upon, so that even those who are not chosen can agree the process was fairly devised and fairly implemented.

Registrants

CCI expects all new domain name holders to deal exclusively through a registrar. At this time it is not expected that any issues will arise that requires the intervention of CCI. Should that occur, however, then generally accepted business practices and applicable ICANN policies will guide CCI's involvement. Every new registrant will be required to certify they know about, have read, and accept the provisions of the ICANN Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy (UDRP) now in effect. The applying registrant will be required to make a two step certification to the approved registrar as part of his application for a .shop domain name, and to establish a right to the domain name with one or more of the following two: 1) That the business is currently in operation under the requested name, or 2) That the registrant is substantially ready to begin business and needs the Internet address for final preparations, such as ordering signs or stationary, committing to advertising, and the completion of necessary forms and permits to begin business. The second step will be the voluntary agreement of the applicant to restrict use of the .shop domain name to a fixed site commercial enterprise engaged in the sale of goods.

External links

• Commercial Connect, Inc
• ICANN