Historical First Batch of .Asia Auctions Completed with Success

Hong Kong, 25 January 2008 – DotAsia Organization is pleased to announce today the historical smooth completion of the first batch of domain auctions for the .Asia “Sunrise” (i.e. priority registration period intended for intellectual property rights owners).

The auctions proved to be a massive success in contrast to previous chaotic rushes for domain names that leave brand owners frustrated. The average winning price for the first batch of contended auctions netted over US$1500.00 per domain, with high bids for domain names reaching beyond a few ten-thousand dollars, signifying great interest from companies to invest into the new .Asia cyberspace. A total of over 600 domain names received more than one application during the first phase of Sunrise (Sunrise 2a) which totaled around 15,000 applications. Continue reading »

ICANN issues plea for liberty from US government

ICANN has asked the US government to be freed from official control according to a report prepared by ICANN and sent to the Department of Commerce. The report addresses the objectives set by the US government that had to before it could become independent. These included that ICANN “has put in place means of being accountable to parties with an interest in the internet, including other governments, and that the process should now be completed” according to The Times.

Paul Twomey comments in the report to the Department of Commerce: “Has the process of the MoU and JPA towards building a stable, strong organization which can do this transition, has that been successful? … The board is effectively saying yes.” While Peter Dengate Thrush’s letter sent with the report says: “The Board proposes that the JPA is no longer necessary and can be concluded.”

The Times also quotes Dr Milton Mueller, a partner in the Internet Governance Project, a group of academics specialising in internet governance issues, who said: “Compared with other international organisations ICANN is very transparent, but at times it still feels a bit more like a private club, with not enough checks and balances. This new ‘no confidence vote’ procedure is definitely the direction they need to move in.”

Landrush for .Asia Domain Begins February 20, 2008

Go Live on schedule for March 26, 2008 as .Asia outpaces .EU in quality and quantity

Individual companies and the general public will soon be eligible to register for available .Asia domain names when the Landrush phase kicks off on February 20, 2008. Landrush concludes on March 12, with Go Live (i.e. start of normal First-Come-First-Served registration process) scheduled for March 26, 2008.

During the Landrush phase anyone around the world can apply for any available .Asia domain, representing a golden opportunity for individuals looking to invest in the most prestigious and potentially profitable cyber real estate in Asia. Domain names receiving more than one application during the Landrush period will be auctioned between the applicants in an equitable process that would encourage the adoption of the .Asia domain. Popular “keyword” domains, such as names consisting of common terms are expected to generate the most intense bidding. Continue reading »