To:     ICOM Committees (Chair and Secretary)
        ICOM Executive Council members
        ICOM Affiliated Organisations
        ICOM institutional members


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 press release
forwarded separately.

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 at all.

We will keep you informed.

With my best regards.

Sincerely,



Jacques Perot
President of ICOM

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