To:
ICOM Committees (Chair and Secretary)
ICOM Executive Council members
ICOM Affiliated Organisations
ICOM institutional members
Paris, 3 October 2000
Dear Colleagues,
ICOM, as a founder member of the Museum Domain Management Association (MDMA), has just submitted an application for the establishment of a .museum top level domain (TLD), an important action for the benefit of the museum world and for the Internet itself. This would give museums the possibility of registering Internet addresses with a distinct museum identity and would allow the users of the Internet to recognize this as a sign of authenticity.
The TLD, if approved, could be used by any museum that does not yet have a domain identity. It could also be used by a museum in addition to any of its other Internet addresses, with extensions such as .org, .com or country-based addresses (.ca, .se), etc.
ICOM worked closely with the J. Paul Getty Trust—both as founder members of MDMA—to prepare the formal application for .museum. Involvement of ICOM, the only global organization representing the interests of the museum world, would give it the opportunity to control and manage the domain for the museum community with the anticipated addition of value-added services for non-profit museums and their professional organizations. This responds to ICOM’s global mission and underlines its leadership. Indeed, ICOM’s authority is regarded by all involved as an absolute precondition for the success of the new domain.
You will find all the basic information in the attached press release.
I would like to stress the fact that this press release only refers to the application. There is still the possibility that for various reasons a new top level domain .museum will not be established according to the presently envisioned timetable, or even not at all.
We will keep you informed.
With my best regards.
Sincerely,
Jacques Perot
President of ICOM
3 Oct. 2000