Olympics Committee ready to sue Icann over gTLDs

Icann could face legal action from the International Olympic Committee (IOC) over its proposed rollout of new generic top level domains (gTLDs) if it does not satisfy demands for trademark protection.

The number of gTLDs is currently restricted to 21, which includes the core group of .com, .info, .net and .org. After the liberalisation process, gTLDs could theoretically include almost any word, in almost any language.

IOC director general Urs Lacotte and legal affairs director Howard Stupp said in a strongly worded letter to Icann (PDF) that the IOC has submitted 11 public comments to Icann without reply opposing the gTLDs and asking for its own trademarks to be placed on a special reserved names list.

The IOC argues that, under its present guise, the ambitious gTLD programme would force the not-for-profit IOC to spend "significant time and financial resources" in preventing "infringement, dilution and 'tarnishment' of the Olympic trademarks".

"If these critical issues are not fully resolved and Icann chooses not to place the Olympic trademarks on the reserved names list, the IOC and its National Olympic Committees are prepared to employ all available legislative, regulatory, administrative and judicial mechanisms to hold Icann accountable for damage caused to the Olympic Movement," the letter concludes.

Icann is due to meet next week to consider all of the feedback to its proposed final gTLD Applicant Handbook, which will describe the process for applying for the new TLDs. If all goes to plan it will release a timeline for a launch sometime next year.

Icann had not responded to V3.co.uk's request for comment at the time of writing.