Preliminary Issue Report on Latin Script Diacritics

What We Need Your Input On

This Preliminary Issue Report on Latin Script Diacritics examines a single issue: the circumstance where a base ASCII generic top-level domain (gTLD) and the Latin script diacritic version of the gTLD are not variants of each other, and where currently no mechanism exists that allows a single registry operator to simultaneously operate both gTLDs. The report provides additional background about this issue, including factors that might be appropriate for considering the scope of the issue or that might aid in a policy development process (PDP), and an assessment as to whether this issue is within scope of the ICANN policy process and the GNSO. The report also includes a draft PDP charter. 

Your input will be reviewed in preparing the final Issue Report that the GNSO Council will consider in determining next steps.

Background

This Preliminary Issue Report focuses on the circumstance when an ASCII gTLD and the Latin script diacritic version of the gTLD are not variants of each other and yet may be found to be visually similar. The issue could arise when gTLD applications submitted in ASCII and as a Latin script diacritic are found to be visually confusingly similar, with no existing mechanism to allow for both to be contracted and delegated into the root zone. On 16 May 2024, the GNSO Council requested an Issue Report on this topic to assist in determining whether a PDP should be initiated on the topic.

In its request, the Council stressed that the report must include details on why code points with and without diacritics are distinct letters, and therefore not the “same” letter (i.e., are not variants). The Council is particularly interested in the outcome regarding variants, as the variant management rules from Phase 1 of the Expedited Policy Development Process on Internationalized Domain Names that the Board adopted in June 2024 will provide an avenue for “similar” strings to be simultaneously delegated.

Next Steps

This Preliminary Issue Report on Latin Script Diacritics will enable staff to assess all relevant issues related to the GNSO Council's request. Community input from this Public Comment phase will be reviewed in preparing the Final Issue Report, which the GNSO Council will consider in determining next steps. This could include the initiation of a PDP. The GNSO Council can decide whether to adopt the staff recommendations or pursue alternative action.