Advocacy in action! ICA General Counsel, Zak Muscovitch, has submitted a formal complaint and request for correction on behalf of The ICA to the BBC regarding its erroneous use of the term “cyber-squatting” to refer to lawful domain name investment in this article: https://lnkd.in/gM8upekh The ICA condemns cybersquatting. Domain name investing is a different and lawful activity. Legitimate domain investing should not be conflated with abusive registration targeting trademark rights. That distinction matters, and accurate reporting should reflect it. The ICA has asked the BBC to correct its terminology. #DomainAdvocacy #DomainIndustry #DomainInvesting #TrademarkLaw #MediaAccountability #DigitalAssets
Internet Commerce Association
Technology, Information and Internet
Washington, DC 1,537 followers
An organization for domain name registrants & service providers advocating for domain owners & the domain name industry
About us
The Internet Commerce Association (ICA) was established in 2006 to represent domain name investors and related service providers. We advocate with policymakers to ensure industry concerns are addressed and to support domain name industry growth. The ICA offers educational webinars, recognizes outstanding industry contributors, and hosts an annual member meeting. Our membership encompasses domain name investors, marketplaces, monetization companies, brokers, escrow services, registrars, registries, IP attorneys, and other domain-related businesses and professionals.
- Website
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https://www.internetcommerce.org
External link for Internet Commerce Association
- Industry
- Technology, Information and Internet
- Company size
- 2-10 employees
- Headquarters
- Washington, DC
- Type
- Nonprofit
- Founded
- 2006
- Specialties
- Internet Policy and Domain Name Policy
Locations
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Primary
Get directions
PO Box 4999
Washington, DC 20008, US
Employees at Internet Commerce Association
Updates
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ICANN just announced that Reveal Day is October 7th, and the ICA is hosting a webinar the very next day: “Reveal Day: The Day After.” The webinar is free and open to the public: Thursday, October 8 at 9:00 AM LA 12:00 PM NYC, 5:00 PM London Register here: https://lnkd.in/gwhW2DAZ We are aware of ICANN’s strict rules governing communications between applicants and will structure the session to ensure those rules are followed. More information is on our blog: https://lnkd.in/g3z3qRvp #NewgTLDs #ICANN #DomainIndustry #DomainNames #Webinar
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The ICA recently wrapped up our Board elections, seeing great participation by our members. Each of our candidates received overwhelming support from our membership and we're happy to announce that Nikul Sanghvi has been elected to the ICA Board, while Tessa Holcomb, Braden Pollock, and Jay Chapman have all been re-elected. Please join us in welcoming Nikul and congratulating our returning directors. You can read more about each of these directors here: https://lnkd.in/gpgZfhjc If you have ideas or feedback for the board, our door is always open; let us know!
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The ICA is pleased to welcome Nikul Sanghvi to the ICA Board of Directors! Nikul is a full-time domain investor and the founder of hypernames.co. Known for his data-driven methodology, Nikul’s background in analytics has shaped the way he approaches domain investing. Nikul is also a regular contributor to the domain investing community, sharing financial insights and practical frameworks to help his peers navigate the economics of the industry. Nikul helped establish the ICA Discord community and is also a member of the ICANN Business Constituency. Join us in welcoming Nikul Sanghvi to the team! We are thrilled to have his energy on the board as we build an even stronger presence for our membership moving forward.
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The Internet Commerce Association strongly objects to the auDA Board’s decision to approve in principle a Panel recommendation that, if implemented, would take away the right of Australian registrants, whether businesses, community organizations or domain name investors, to hold com.au and net.au domain names on the basis of the goods, services, events, activities or premises connected with them, rather than a registered name. Please read below for more information on the petition that was circulated, the auDA’s response, and how this will affect domain owners. You can read more about The ICA’s stance on this as well as our advocacy on our blog: https://lnkd.in/gM3s9anX
auDA Hits Back - Tries To Justify and Down Play The Accepted Policy Changes After The Australian news published an article on the proposed policy changes: https://lnkd.in/gKyQ-G6b Petition started/supported by the Registrars has over 1,000 signatures requesting auDA to not make this change here: https://lnkd.in/gvF9RW5D In response auDA released their own statement: https://lnkd.in/gBxqfvCa "we expect most registrants will already satisfy the proposed allocation" Trying to downplay the impact here, when the data is clear: 80% of existing registrants will be affected only 20% will not need to do anything. You can check where your domains falls here: https://lnkd.in/gChPuK25 2.7 million domains will need to do ONE of these things to meet the new policy: 1. If they have an existing Business Name that passes the other rules, will just need to contact their Registrar and perform a Change of Registrant OR 2. If they do NOT have an existing Business Name that matches one of the other eligibility requirements, they will need to go to ASIC and register a new Business Name and THEN contact their Registrar and perform a Change of Registrant. Examples of each case: 1. girl.com.au - Registered 25 Years Ago Current Eligibility is under: Trillion.com Pty Ltd parent company which happens to have a Business Name "GIRL.COM.AU" the domain owner will need to reach out to their Registrar and pay for a Correction/Change of Registrant to maintain eligibility. 2. gold.com.au - Registered 29 Years Ago Will need to go to ASIC to pay $47 per year for a new Business Name with the word "GOLD" in it to be eligible and then contact their Registrar and pay to do a Change of Registrant. auDA claims that a Correction is free, so that there will not be a cost to clients, technically that is true but what they don't tell you is that in reality, Registrars will not do free corrections and for good reason and instead will use the paid for Change of Registrant pathway to make these changes. Corrections are for mistakes and done rarely by Registrars as they require a Tech that has high level access and database access to perform changes in the database. Instead Registrars will use the common fee based Change of Registrant pathway to make these changes to the domains. A Change of Registrant costs the Registrar $9.50 The break up of this is around $6.00 goes to auDA $3.50 goes to the Registry - Identity Digital Registrars then charge a margin anywhere from $1.00 to $60.00 auDA stands to make a nice $16.2 million windfall from this policy change 2.7 Million domains x $6. A nice return for a policy change. We urge auDA to keep section (f) of the policy. No confusing grandfather options either.
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NamesCon Global is only 7 weeks away! The ICA team will be there and we have a few things planned for our members and the broader domain community! Wednesday, November 12th from 12-12:30pm - ICA Community Meetup in the Florida Room Thursday, November 13th from 11:45-11:55am - "The ICA and You: Protecting the Future of Domain Investing” on the Biscayne Stage We're also running ICA Office Hours at our booth throughout the event. If you're an ICA member and want to help spread the word about the ICA or showcase your business, sign up for a 30-minute slot at the booth! Sign up for Office Hours here: https://lnkd.in/gdrmsZz8 With AI, new gTLDs, evolving search behavior, and a rapidly changing investment landscape reshaping the domain industry, this is a great time to be part of the conversation. ICA members: Don't forget to use our special code to get your 20% discount before early bird pricing ends tomorrow, Sept. 25! https://lnkd.in/eTVxKdCe Meet us in Miami! #NamesCon #DomainIndustry #DigitalAssets #DomainInvesting #DomainCommunity
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TODAY at 1:30pm EDT! Join us for an AMA with Nikul Sanghvi, founder of Hypernames and candidate for the ICA Board. Nikul will share his background, how he got into domain investing, and his vision for representing junior members on the board. There will be plenty of time for questions, so come ready to ask! This is also your chance to get to know Nikul before casting your vote. We'll also reserve the end of the call to hear from our members based in Europe about how the ICA can get more involved in issues that matter to them. Members: Check your email for the Zoom link.
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IMPORTANT ICA Vegas Booking Alert! We have been made aware of yet another scam being emailed to ICA members offering booking opportunities for ICA Vegas. Please note, The ICA does not partner with or endorse any third party booking agencies or travel desks. To secure your stay with our official group block and rates at Park MGM Las Vegas, you must book directly through our official event registration page: https://lnkd.in/eZqwacCi Please exercise caution, ignore these solicitations, and reach out to us directly if you have any questions or receive suspicious communications. #ICAVegas #DomainIndustry #MemberNotice #ICA #LasVegas
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We are thrilled to welcome Darpan Munjal and Todd Han to the Internet Commerce Association Board of Directors! Both of these leaders bring exceptional experience, vision, and a shared dedication to protecting registrant rights and strengthening the domain industry. Darpan, Founder and CEO of Atom.com, has been a strong voice in the domain space, building tools and solutions that help buyers, sellers, and investors succeed in the aftermarket. His fresh perspective and hands-on approach to solving real problems for domain professionals make him exactly the kind of leader we want shaping the ICA's future. Read Darpan's full announcement on our blog post: https://lnkd.in/gcG9mmge Todd has been part of the domain industry for over two decades, building Dynadot into a globally trusted registrar known for transparency and putting registrants first. With over twenty years of building in this space and a long-standing commitment to our community, we couldn't be more excited to have him at the table! See Todd's full story on our blog: https://lnkd.in/gqUjJAeU
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ICA Vegas 2027 is officially four months away! If you have secured your ticket for our Annual Member Meeting, now is the time to lock in your accommodations. Park MGM is serving as our home base this January offering a modern, fully non smoking oasis right on the Strip, along with world class dining options like Eataly, Best Friend, and the NoMad Library. Why book through our official room block? Unbeatable Value: We negotiated exclusive group rates that are roughly 40% below standard public rates. Support the ICA: Booking within our block helps us fulfill our direct commitment to the host hotel, ensuring we can continue delivering high impact events for our community. Rooms are available on a first come, first served basis. You can select between the stylish Park MGM 2 Queen Beds Room or elevate your stay in The Reserve Atelier Suites on the top floors. Lock in your exclusive rate and room details here: https://lnkd.in/eZqwacCi A quick favor for our team: If your plans change, please contact us directly before canceling through the hotel so we can reassign your spot to another member! See you in Las Vegas! #ICAVegas #DomainIndustry #Networking #DomainInvestors #ParkMGM #LasVegas #InternetCommerceAssociation
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