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The registration process for the new domain has been criticised by a Gartner analyst for not doing enough to protect the trade marks of applicants for the new domain, while the owner of the .com and .net top-level domains, VeriSign, has been accused of trying to damage the credibility of .biz.
An e-mail from Network Solutions, a subsidiary of VeriSign, has been sent to hundreds of professional domain name registrars encouraging them to send as many applications for .biz domains and to do it is as soon as possible.
This is being seen by some in the Internet industry as an attempt to overwhelm NeuLevel, which runs the .biz domain and, therefore, weaken the domain's reputation among businesses and strengthen the .com and .net domains. Others, however, view it as a fair business offer. They also point out that NeuLevel recently extended its application deadline for intellectual property owners from 09 July 2001 to 06 August 2001, and this should ensure it can cope with the expected huge number of submissions.
Neither Networks Solutions or NeuLevel were available for comment.
The e-mail said, "NeuLevel is treating the random registrant selection process like a lottery - the more applications you submit for a domain name the better your chances will likely be of registering that name. To help better your chances, we're providing discounts on application submissions of 10 or more...Finalize your request(s) today and you'll automatically get the 40 percent discount we promised...The coming .biz Web extension is a tremendous business opportunity, and we hope you are excited about it as we are".
Meanwhile, NeuLevel has been criticised by Ted Chamberlin of Gartner's Enterprise Network Strategies section, for implementing a protection service for enterprise trademarks and brands that he said may be "toothless" and "too costly for all but the most famous brands".
NeuLevel has introduced a fee-based intellectual property (IP) claim database, in which enterprises that hold a trademark (registered, pending or common law) can submit trademark claims prior to the registry's opening of the domain name application process. Applicants for domain names after the opening will receive notice of a trademark owner's claim when they submit an application for a claimed name. A dispute resolution process will attempt to resolve trademark quarrels.
"The intellectual property (IP) claim service will cost trademark-holding enterprises about USD90 per domain name submission. Yet it offers no claim guarantees and appears to deliver few measurable benefits (aside from an alert that some entity is trying to register an enterprise domain name). Moreover, enterprises must bear the onus of either settling the dispute or entering into arbitration to dispute the claim of their domain," said Chamberlin.
He added that Gartner believed that this IP claim service will be more strategic for enterprises that have built strong brand recognition with their established Internet domains and that wish to defend any infringements on their name.
"Since each trademark claim submittal costs the same - there is no discount for multiple claim submittal - enterprises eyeing the .biz domain should submit trademark claims only on names they deem vital to their Internet success. A more-efficient alternative does not yet exist for protecting trademark names in the new top-level domain," according to Gartner.
.biz domains are expected to be active by October, 2001.
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