February 2026 - SubPro-IRT - lists.icann.org

Community Priority Evaluation - costs and guidelines
by Anne ICANN Feb. 24, 2026

Feb. 24, 2026

Hi Jared, As we approach the end of February with the opening of the next round scheduled for a mere two months away, it is quite concerning that no CPE Evaluator has been identified and no costs associated with CPE have been published. This makes it very difficult for applicants to plan and obtain funding. (BTW I don't represent any new gTLD applicants or any legal interests at this time as I am fully retired from the practice of law.) I understood you to say that ICANN hoped to publish this information shortly but at this point we are risking not being able to accomplish the goals of the policy work on CPE, especially because the costs are not known to potential applicants and the guidelines you referenced have not been published. Once again, when may we expect this work to move forward so that applicants are assured of predictability in relation to CPE? The fact that ICANN considered CPE so problematic in the 2012 round should not operate to prejudice the interests of 2026 round applicants and potential applicants. Thank you, Anne Anne Aikman-Scalese GNSO Councilor NomCom Non-Voting 2022-2026 anneicanngnso(a)gmail.com

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Re: Post call | SubPro IRT Meeting #173 | 29 January 2026
by Elisa Busetto Feb. 12, 2026

Feb. 12, 2026

Dear all, During yesterday’s IRT call<https://icann-community.atlassian.net/wiki/x/EoD-L>, we discussed our possible approach regarding Independent Objectors, with a focus on what should be included in the Expression of Interest that will be published soon. If you were unable to attend, we invite you to watch the Zoom recording and share any additional input you may have. We will review all points raised and keep you informed of the next steps. Many thanks for your input! Elisa From: Next Round Policy Implementation via SubPro-IRT <subpro-irt(a)icann.org> Reply to: Next Round Policy Implementation <NextRound_PolicyImplementation(a)icann.org> Date: Thursday, 29 January 2026 at 15:52 To: "subpro-irt(a)icann.org" <subpro-irt(a)icann.org> Subject: [SubPro-IRT] Post call | SubPro IRT Meeting #173 | 29 January 2026 Dear All, The recordings for Meeting #173 of the SubPro IRT held on Thursday, 29 January 2026 are published on the meeting wiki page [icann-community.atlassian.net]<https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/icann-community.atlassian.net/wiki/x/EoD…>. These include: * Audio recording * Zoom recording (including audio, visual, rough transcript, chat) * Attendance For additional information, you may consult the mailing list archives<https://mm.icann.org/pipermail/subpro-irt/> and the main wiki page<https://community.icann.org/x/pQM5Dg>. Best regards, Renate

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Post call | SubPro IRT Meeting #174 | 10 February 2026
by Next Round Policy Implementation Feb. 11, 2026

Feb. 11, 2026

Dear All, The recordings for Meeting #174 of the SubPro IRT held on Tuesday, 10 February 2026 are published on the meeting wiki page<https://icann-community.atlassian.net/wiki/x/AQDaM>. These include: * Audio recording * Zoom recording (including audio, visual, rough transcript, chat) * Attendance * Deck For additional information, you may consult the mailing list archives<https://mm.icann.org/pipermail/subpro-irt/> and the main wiki page<https://community.icann.org/x/pQM5Dg>. Best regards, Renate

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REMINDER | SubPro IRT Meeting #174 | 10 February 2026, 19:00-20:00 UTC
by Next Round Policy Implementation Feb. 10, 2026

Feb. 10, 2026

Dear All, Meeting #174 of the SubPro IRT will be held in one hour on 10 February 2026 at 19:00-20:00 UTC [local time [tinyurl.com]<https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/tinyurl.com/ypsvjh6p__;!!PtGJab4!6prSLwh…>]. The final agenda can be consulted here [icann-community.atlassian.net]<https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/icann-community.atlassian.net/wiki/x/AQD…>. Before the meeting, please be sure you have read the ICANN Expected Standards of Behavior<https://www.icann.org/resources/pages/expected-standards-2016-06-28-en>, the ICANN Community Anti-Harassment Policy<https://www.icann.org/en/governance/documents/icann-community-anti-harassme…> and the ICANN Community Participant Code of Conduct<https://www.icann.org/en/system/files/files/adopted-icann-community-partici…>. We would like to remind participants that to ensure transparency of participation in ICANN's multistakeholder model, we ask that you sign in to Zoom sessions using your full name. For example, First Name and Last Name or Surname. You may be removed from the session if you do not sign in using your full name. Zoom information: Join the Zoom Webinar directly (recommended): https://icann.zoom.us/j/97063459905?pwd=VUVsd0J0RnNtRXkyNXJFZW9vdTEzZz09 [icann.zoom.us]<https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/icann.zoom.us/j/97063459905?pwd=VUVsd0J0…> Meeting ID: 970 6345 9905 Passcode: DQ#0L.9x5e Zoom Audio only: One tap mobile +13462487799,,97063459905#,,,,*5806401747# US (Houston) +16699006833,,97063459905#,,,,*5806401747# US (San Jose) Meeting ID: 970 6345 9905 Passcode: 5806401747 Should you be unable to attend the meeting, please let us know in advance. A recording will be made available. Please do not hesitate to contact us should you have any questions. Best regards, Renate

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Re: Draft PICDRP FAQs- Requested Review
by Ariel Liang Feb. 10, 2026

Feb. 10, 2026

Hello all, To supplement Ilana’s message – the FAQs on dispute resolution procedures after delegation are also mentioned in Section 1.2.17 of the AGB: https://newgtldprogram-2026-agb.icann.org/en/5-module-1-the-applicant-journ… We look forward to your general feedback on this set of FAQs, per Ilana’s message below. Thank you, Ariel From: Ilana Licassi via SubPro-IRT <subpro-irt(a)icann.org> Reply-To: Ilana Licassi <ilana.licassi(a)icann.org> Date: Thursday, January 29, 2026 at 6:56 PM To: "subpro-irt(a)icann.org" <subpro-irt(a)icann.org> Subject: [SubPro-IRT] Draft PICDRP FAQs- Requested Review Dear IRT members, I am sharing a draft set of PICDRP Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) developed as an implementation of Recommendation 33.2, which requested “clearer, more detailed, and better-defined guidance on the scope of the procedure, the role of all parties, and the adjudication process must be publicly available”. The purpose of this FAQ is to distill the relevant Applicant Guidebook (AGB) content into a more accessible and user-friendly format for future applicants and members of the general public. These FAQs are intended to improve clarity and usability of the information and are planned for publication on the new G website. To support your review, we have: * Linked the relevant section of the AGB that addresses this topic (AGB Section 7.8 [newgtldprogram-2026-agb.icann.org]<https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/newgtldprogram-2026-agb.icann.org/en/11-…>), * Shared a copy of the draft FAQ document [docs.google.com]<https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/docs.google.com/document/d/1s2HDjFjSoDhC…> on the community’s external drive for your reference and input, and * Attached a PDF copy to this email for those who cannot access the drive. We are seeking general feedback on: 1. Whether this FAQ, as drafted, implements the level of detail and clarity requested in Recommendation 33.2, and 2. Whether a similar approach could be used when developing FAQs for RRDRP and TM-PDDRP. We kindly ask that you review this draft FAQ in advance so that we can walk through your feedback in an upcoming IRT call. We look forward to your feedback and will reach out soon to schedule this call. Kind Regards, Ilana Licassi

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Updated TMCH Requirements – Sections 2.3.6 & 2.3.7
by Antonietta Mangiacotti Feb. 9, 2026

Feb. 9, 2026

Dear IRT members, Following the close of the public comment<https://www.icann.org/en/public-comment/proceeding/proposed-updates-to-the-…> period on the Proposed Updates to the Trademark Clearinghouse Rights Protection Mechanism Requirements (“TMCH Requirements”) on 27 January, ICANN org has reviewed and carefully considered the feedback received and has revised Sections 2.3.6 and 2.3.7 of the TMCH Requirements accordingly. Attached you will find both an excerpted clean and redline of Sections 2.3.6 and 2.3.7 of the updated TMCH Requirements marked against the December 2025 public comment version, which we plan to review during the call scheduled for 10 February 2026 at 19:00 UTC. For those with access to the Google Drive, you should also have access to the redline version here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1j-RnQUh6bzc7nzTUvadyBEqNhUfIsCxk/edit Below is a summary of the rationale for the changes made to Sections 2.3.6 and 2.3.7, which we will also discuss during Tuesday’s call. TMCH Requirements, Section 2.3.6 This section was revised to revert back to the existing language of Section 2.3.6. We have removed the new references to the TMCH Dispute Resolution Procedure <https://trademark-clearinghouse.com/dispute-resolution-procedures/> (DRP) from Section 2.3.6 in order to clearly distinguish between the Sunrise Dispute Resolution Procedure (SDRP), which is the focus of Section 2.3.6, and the TMCH DRP, as these procedures serve different purposes and public comments noted that as drafted, it expanded the scope of the TMCH DRP in a manner we had not intended. That is, as drafted, it could be read to mean the TMCH DRP covered all disputes regarding Sunrise Registrations. However, some disputes arise when a Sunrise Registration does not exactly match the Trademark Record on which the Sunrise-Eligible Rights Holder based the registration. These disputes do not always concern the validity of the Trademark Record or the SMD and instead should fall within the scope of the SDRP. Note that the changes shown in Section 2.3.6 effectively restore the language to what it was before the December public comment version. In other words, the net effect of the redline changes you will see in Section 2.3.6 means there is no actual change to how Section 2.3.6 reads today. But because the redline you see is marked against the December public comment version, it shows the incremental changes from that version. TMCH Requirements, Section 2.3.7 Further to the changes to 2.3.6 above, we have moved references to the TMCH DRP to Section 2.3.7 for clarity in scope and purpose of the TMCH DRP that is aligned with the recommendation. As you’ll recall, Sunrise Final Recommendation<https://gnso.icann.org/sites/default/files/file/field-file-attach/rpm-phase…> #8 states that the TMCH DRP should be the primary mechanism for challenging the validity of the Trademark Record on which a registrant based its Sunrise registration, and that Registry Operators should describe the nature and purpose of the TMCH DRP in their SDRPs and provide a link to the relevant TMCH resource (emphasis added). To better align with this recommendation and to mirror the structure of Section 2.3.6 for readability and consistency in drafting, new text has been added at the beginning of Section 2.3.7 requiring Registry Operators to reference the TMCH DRP in their SDRPs and to agree that the TMCH DRP will be the primary mechanism for such challenges. In addition, public comments raised concerns about the inclusion of a fixed 60-day suspension period. In response, ICANN org has revised Section 2.3.7 to remove the 60-day timeframe and instead defer to the TMCH DRP for the time period the Trademark Holder or Trademark Agent has to challenge the finding. This approach aligns with Sunrise Final Recommendation #8, which requires suspension to allow a challenge under the TMCH DRP but does not prescribe a specific duration. These revisions are intended to better align Section 2.3.7 with Sunrise Final Recommendation #8 and the operation of the TMCH DRP. We look forward to discussing these updates with you during Tuesday’s call. Please let us know of any questions. Thank you! Best, Antonietta

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REMINDER | SubPro IRT Meeting #174 | 10 February 2026, 19:00-20:00 UTC
by Next Round Policy Implementation Feb. 9, 2026

Feb. 9, 2026

Dear All, Meeting #174 of the SubPro IRT will be held on 10 February 2026 at 19:00-20:00 UTC [local time [tinyurl.com]<https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/tinyurl.com/ypsvjh6p__;!!PtGJab4!6prSLwh…>]. The final agenda can be consulted here [icann-community.atlassian.net]<https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/icann-community.atlassian.net/wiki/x/AQD…>. Before the meeting, please be sure you have read the ICANN Expected Standards of Behavior<https://www.icann.org/resources/pages/expected-standards-2016-06-28-en>, the ICANN Community Anti-Harassment Policy<https://www.icann.org/en/governance/documents/icann-community-anti-harassme…> and the ICANN Community Participant Code of Conduct<https://www.icann.org/en/system/files/files/adopted-icann-community-partici…>. We would like to remind participants that to ensure transparency of participation in ICANN's multistakeholder model, we ask that you sign in to Zoom sessions using your full name. For example, First Name and Last Name or Surname. You may be removed from the session if you do not sign in using your full name. Zoom information: Join the Zoom Webinar directly (recommended): https://icann.zoom.us/j/97063459905?pwd=VUVsd0J0RnNtRXkyNXJFZW9vdTEzZz09 [icann.zoom.us]<https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/icann.zoom.us/j/97063459905?pwd=VUVsd0J0…> Meeting ID: 970 6345 9905 Passcode: DQ#0L.9x5e Zoom Audio only: One tap mobile +13462487799,,97063459905#,,,,*5806401747# US (Houston) +16699006833,,97063459905#,,,,*5806401747# US (San Jose) Meeting ID: 970 6345 9905 Passcode: 5806401747 Should you be unable to attend the meeting, please let us know in advance. A recording will be made available. Please do not hesitate to contact us should you have any questions. Best regards, Renate

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Reminder: Requested Review of Draft PICDRP FAQs
by Ilana Licassi Feb. 5, 2026

Feb. 5, 2026

Dear IRT members, I am sending out a reminder to request that you please review the draft PICDRP FAQ document<https://docs.google.com/document/d/1s2HDjFjSoDhCQK7z9AHdBdIvZrkLPO-C0gik2Ov…> and add any comments prior to our upcoming meeting this Tuesday, 2/10 at 19:00 UTC. We hope to walk through any comments/concerns during the meeting. We thank you for taking the time to review the document and look forward to this discussion. To support your review, we have: * Linked the relevant section of the AGB that addresses this topic (AGB Section 7.8<https://newgtldprogram-2026-agb.icann.org/en/11-module-7-string-and-applica…>), * Shared a copy of the draft FAQ document<https://docs.google.com/document/d/1s2HDjFjSoDhCQK7z9AHdBdIvZrkLPO-C0gik2Ov…> on the community’s external drive for your reference and input, * Attached a PDF copy to this email for those who cannot access the drive, * Noted that FAQs on dispute resolution procedures after delegation are mentioned in Section 1.2.17<https://newgtldprogram-2026-agb.icann.org/en/5-module-1-the-applicant-journ…> of the AGB, and * Noted that Recommendation 33.2 requested “clearer, more detailed, and better-defined guidance on the scope of the procedure, the role of all parties, and the adjudication process must be publicly available”. We are seeking general feedback on: 1. Whether this FAQ, as drafted, implements the level of detail and clarity requested in Recommendation 33.2, and 2. Whether a similar approach could be used when developing FAQs for RRDRP and TM-PDDRP. Please reach out if you have questions. Thank you. Kind Regards, Ilana Licassi

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SubPro IRT Meeting #174 | 10 February 2026, 19:00-20:00 UTC
by Next Round Policy Implementation Feb. 4, 2026

Feb. 4, 2026

Dear All, Meeting #174 of the SubPro IRT will be held on 10 February 2026 at 19:00-20:00 UTC [local time<https://tinyurl.com/ypsvjh6p>]. The final agenda can be consulted here<https://icann-community.atlassian.net/wiki/x/AQDaM>. Before the meeting, please be sure you have read the ICANN Expected Standards of Behavior<https://www.icann.org/resources/pages/expected-standards-2016-06-28-en>, the ICANN Community Anti-Harassment Policy<https://www.icann.org/en/governance/documents/icann-community-anti-harassme…> and the ICANN Community Participant Code of Conduct<https://www.icann.org/en/system/files/files/adopted-icann-community-partici…>. We would like to remind participants that to ensure transparency of participation in ICANN's multistakeholder model, we ask that you sign in to Zoom sessions using your full name. For example, First Name and Last Name or Surname. You may be removed from the session if you do not sign in using your full name. Zoom information: Join the Zoom Webinar directly (recommended): https://icann.zoom.us/j/97063459905?pwd=VUVsd0J0RnNtRXkyNXJFZW9vdTEzZz09 [icann.zoom.us]<https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/icann.zoom.us/j/97063459905?pwd=VUVsd0J0…> Meeting ID: 970 6345 9905 Passcode: DQ#0L.9x5e Zoom Audio only: One tap mobile +13462487799,,97063459905#,,,,*5806401747# US (Houston) +16699006833,,97063459905#,,,,*5806401747# US (San Jose) Meeting ID: 970 6345 9905 Passcode: 5806401747 Should you be unable to attend the meeting, please let us know in advance. A recording will be made available. Please do not hesitate to contact us should you have any questions. Best regards, Renate

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