The press releases also announce another ten new.net TLDs (they're up to thirty), and explain that new.net has adopted a Sunrise Policy similar to that of .BIZ. That is, the holder of a registered trademark identical to an second-level name in one of the new TLDs will be able to win the domain name if it shows that the registrant has no legitimate rights and interests in it and has registered or is using it in bad faith. The sunrise policy seems to be the result of an energetic cut-and-paste; it refers, for example, to the consequences of attempting to "transfer your domain name registration to another registrar." New.net doesn't have competitive registrars, does it?

It's also worth noticing that new.net says they'll be jumping on the internationalized domain names bandwagon Real Soon Now. -- jon]

However, according to this Industry Standard article, new.net's Chief Marketing Officer Steve Chadima says their multilingual domains will be here by the end of the year. Unless that's complete vaporware, even if new.net falls considerably behind schedule it is difficult to imagine ICANN getting there ahead of them.

Nominet (.uk)'s chief Willie Black doesn't want them landing either, equating new.net to script kiddies and akin to a virus (I think both considerably overshoot the mark). The ccTLD's seem to have joined with King ICANNute in an attempt to turn back the tide.

Regarding the possibly copied and pasted sunrise policy, it includes:

New.net established the Sunrise Trademark Policy to allow a trademark or service mark holder ("Claimant") to challenge a second-level domain name that has been registered in which that Claimant claims intellectual property rights. [emphasis mine]

Er, wouldn't an absolute defense against this claim be that subgenius.church.new.net, for example, is actually a 4LD? -g