Companies to Help Ensure Stable and Orderly Launch of the .Asia Domain
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Hong Kong, 25 July 2007 – DotAsia, a not-for-profit, membership-based organisation incorporated in Hong Kong, continues to set the momentum in high gear in anticipation of the forthcoming commencement of the Sunrise period starting on October 9, 2007. In line with this, it has announced today agreements with several global organizations that will play key roles in helping ensure the stable and orderly introduction of the .Asia extension into the social and technical fabric of the Internet.
In a press briefing in Hong Kong today, representatives from several Deloitte member firms and AGIP (Abu-Ghazaleh Intellectual Property) discussed the goals and objectives of this new venture. The companies will work together to oversee the process of screening all applications for domain names during the Sunrise period for trademark owners and businesses. Various Deloitte member firms and AGIP in the MENA region will be responsible for verifying that accepted applicants meet the requirements of the .Asia Sunrise policies.
In the same event, DotAsia also announced the agreement with Pool.com, a Canadian company specializing in domain name auctions, acquisition and secondary market sales, to be the Auction Partner for auctions arising from the .Asia Sunrise and Landrush processes. Pool.com will provide technical and customer support along with a full featured auction platform for the efficient operation of a transparent mass domain online bidding process.
“We invited the public to submit Requests for Proposals through our website for the selection of Verification Agent and Auction Partners, and received many highly qualified proposals. After a comprehensive due diligence process, we’ve decided to work with Pool.com, Deloitte and AGIP due to their expertise and infrastructure in their respective fields. With these collaborations, we are confident that the Sunrise and Landrush proceedings will be conducted in the most efficient, fair, secure and stable manner,” said Edmon Chung, CEO, DotAsia Organisation. ‘We believe we now have a formidable team for the successful introduction of .Asia TLD in the region.”
Vint Cerf, father of the Internet and Chairman of ICANN comments, “DotAsia has worked hard to bring its .Asia top level domain name into operation. They have been careful to keep interested parties informed and to think through the ‘Landrush’ period.”
“We are pleased to enter into this relationship with DotAsia and become part of an Internet initiative that will change the way the global market sees the real relevance of operating a business in Asia Pacific,” said Leo Van Steenberge, Senior Audit Partner, Deloitte Belgium. “We’re providing our intellectual property and audit expertise in order to facilitate trademark owners to register the domain names to which they hold rights during the .Asia Sunrise process.”
“It is indeed a pleasure for us to partner with DotAsia to help enterprises in the region secure their own regional identity,” said Bilal Beiram AGIP’s Assistant Executive Director. “Domain name registrations are becoming a vital aspect of all international activities within the Electronic Sphere. The web presence for each company requires these registrations, which AGIP offers in all its offices in the MENA region. We are one of the largest IP firms in the region with 28 offices in the Arab countries and a world-wide network of associates.”
As auction partner, Pool.com will provide a comprehensive auction platform where .Asia accredited registrars have full access to auction information to manage the process for end-to-end customer experience. To avoid rushes and ‘sniping’ at the end of auctions, Pool.com’s auction platform will allow for automatic extension of auction end time should activities arise near the closing of an auction. This is consistent with .Asia’s approach of ensuring a stable and orderly launch of the registry.
“Auctions are the best way to smoothly introduce new top-level domains because they give the bidders open access, properly value the web address and give the registry the resources to continually invest in technology and services,” said Richard Schreier, President of Pool.com. “Our market-leading experience and ability to handle high volume, high contention domain name auctions, will be key to the effective management of the bidding process. By choosing this path, DotAsia has set new rules for the many new domains that will follow.”
The Sunrise period, which will begin in October 2007, will be divided into three phases.
Sunrise 1 (SR1) is for Governmental Reserved Names, while Sunrise 2 (SR2) provides priority for registered trademarks and service marks holders to register their corresponding domains. Sunrise 3 (SR3) allows companies in the region to protect and use their name with the .Asia domain. Sunrise 2 (SR2) is further refined into 3 sub-phases to provide a reasonably thorough program to allow companies to protect their marks and brands.
Auctions will be held if there are two or more verified applications for the same domain during the Sunrise period.
Sunrise 1 (SR1) and Sunrise (SR2a) will begin concurrently on October 9, 2007. SR2a application period will end on October 30, 2007. SR2b, SR2c and SR3 will commence on November 13, 2007, and close on January 15, 2008. Priorities for each phase will be maintained.
Companies and organisations interested in obtaining a .Asia extension can visit www.registry.asia for more information.
About DotAsia Organisation
The DotAsia Organisation is the Sponsoring Organisation and Registry Operator for the .ASIA Sponsored Generic Top Level Domain. DotAsia is a not-for-profit, community-based organisation incorporated in Hong Kong. Asia has developed into a global force in the international commercial, political and cultural network. The .ASIA domain aspires to embrace this dynamism in the Asia Century to become a nucleus, intersection and breeding ground for Internet activity and development in the region.
About Pool.com
Pool.com pioneered the use of auctions to help set market value for internet domain names, making it a leading company in both primary domain name acquisition and secondary market sales. The company offers a complete suite of related services for individuals and corporate domain name holders as well as supporting the registrars and registries that comprise the Internet’s infrastructure. Headquartered in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, Pool.com is a member of the Momentous.ca family of online enterprises, providing customers with high-quality, high-value online services.
About Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu
Deloitte refers to one or more of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu, a Swiss Verein, its member firms, and their respective subsidiaries and affiliates. Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu is an organization of member firms worldwide devoted to excellence in providing professional services and advice, focused on client service through a global strategy executed locally in nearly 140 countries. With access to the deep intellectual capital of approximately 150,000 people worldwide, Deloitte delivers services in four professional areas—audit, tax, consulting, and financial advisory services—and serves more than 80 percent of the world’s largest companies, and large national enterprises, public institutions, locally important clients, and successful, fast-growing global companies. Services are not provided by the Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Verein, and, for regulatory and other reasons, certain member firms do not provide services in all four professional areas. As a Swiss Verein (association), neither Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu nor any of its member firms has any liability for each other’s acts or omissions. Each of the member firms is a separate and independent legal entity operating under the names “Deloitte,” “Deloitte & Touche,” “Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu,” or other related names.
About AGIP
Since its humble beginning as TMP agents in 1972, Abu-Ghazaleh Intellectual Property (AGIP) has grown to become the premier IP service provider in the Middle East and around the world. This growth is translated into over 28 offices throughout the Arab countries; in addition to India, Turkey, Pakistan, Iran, Cyprus, China, and Russia, liaison offices in Europe, the UK, Canada and a network of 180 correspondents worldwide. Today, AGIP is proud to boast a veritable who’s who of the world’s most renowned companies, both local and international.
Issued on behalf of DotAsia by Edelman PR. For further information, please contact:
Romy T. Arambulo
Edelman
Email: romy.arambulo@yahoo.com
Tel: +852 2837-4727