.CA Domains

The Canadian Internet Registration Authority (CIRA) recently announced a welcome change to its registration system. CIRA has redesigned its domain name registration system to migrate to an EPP-based system. This new system will simplify the registration and transfer of .ca domain names. Other domain name extensions such as .com, .net and .org already use the EPP-based system. Under the current system, all transfers are required to be confirmed by CIRA and Registrants have to maintain user IDs and passwords to manage their domains with CIRA. Under the new system, such CIRA IDs will no longer be needed and an authorization code (or EPP code) will be required and the domain name will have to be “unlocked” to effect transfers. The new simplified system will come into effect October 12, 2010.

Update on new gTLDs

Further to our December 2009 issue of Knowledge Bytes regarding the proposed expansion of the domain name system to make new generic top level domains available, the timeline for opening the application process has been a moving target. The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) published the fourth version of the Draft Applicant Guidebook on May 31, 2010 and there is speculation that the final version may be published before December 2010, with the application process opening sometime in Spring 2011. We will keep our readers apprised of developments regarding this process.