Innovation Asset Blog

Revamped ICANN registration could curb piracy

The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers' (ICANN) Board of Directors recently approved a new domain name registrant accreditation process which could be a valuable deterrent to the scourge of online piracy and copyright infringement.

"In no small way is this agreement transformational for the domain name industry," Akram Atallah, ICANN's Generic Domains Division President, explained. "Our multiple stakeholders weighed in, from law enforcement, to business, to consumers and what we have ended up with is something affords better protections and positively redefines the domain name industry."

According to The Verge, one of the most impactful provisions could be the requirement that domain name applicants verify their phone number or email address within 15 days. Those who do not comply will see their site registrations indefinitely suspended. Whereas once cybercriminals and pirates could float their dubious websites under the radar for an extended period of time before having their credentials more purposefully examined, this new transparency measure could discourage digital deviants from setting up illicit operations in the first place.

Additional amendments include broader registrar rights for auditing, suspending and terminating domain names as well as as the establishment of a dedicated point-of-contact for reporting suspected systemic abuse.

Peter Ackerman

Peter Ackerman

Founder & CEO, Innovation Asset Group, Inc.