This document discusses enabling Internet domain names in the Tifinagh script of Morocco. It provides background on ICANN and its role in managing top-level domains. It describes the current status of the Tifinagh script in Unicode and some online platforms, but notes there are no existing Tifinagh top-level domains. The document outlines linguistic, technical, and cooperation challenges to implementing Tifinagh domains and calls for collaboration between ICANN and Morocco's IRCAM institute to make Tifinagh URLs a reality.

1. TICAM 2016 – Rabat, Morocco
Towards Internet Domain Names in Tifinagh
Abderrahman Ait Ali – KTH, Stockholm
Anass Sedrati – INPT, Rabat

2. Outline
1. Introduction
2. ICANN
1. Structure
2. Activities
3. Tifinagh Script
1. Alphabet
2. Unicode
4. Internet Domain Names
1. IDNs
2. Tifinagh & Current Status
5. Challenges
1. Overview
2. TLDs & Suggestions
6. Conclusions
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3. 1. Introduction 1/2
- The Internet as an important tool for cultural and
information exchange.
- Since its start, the Internet content was mainly in English,
i.e. Latin script.
- Increasing number of users from different cultural (i.e.
linguistic) backgrounds.
- More content, even domain names in non-Latin based
script languages, e.g. Arabic, Chinese, etc.
- Recent evolution, Tifinagh deserves a domain name.
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4. 1. Introduction 2/2
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Internet users per 100 inhabitants (ITU, 2015)

5. 2. ICANN - Structure
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6. 2. ICANN - Activities
• Management of TLDs (Top-Level Domains)
• gTLDs such as .com
• ccTLDs such as .ma
• IDNs such .‫المغرب‬
• Through IANA (recently transitioned to ICANN)
• Assignment of IP addresses
• Ranges and ports
• Transition from IPv4 to IPv6 (IoT).
• Management of DNS system
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7. 3. Tifinagh Script - Alphabet
Neo-Tifinagh alphabet used in Morocco
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8. 3. Tifinagh Script - Unicode
Tifinagh Unicode block (Unicode code version 8.0)
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9. 4. Internet Domain Names - Intro
• Top-level domains (TLDs)
• Country code Top Level Domains (ccTLDs): .ma .cat
• Internationalized Domain Names of Country code Top
Level Domains (IDNs ccTLDs): . ‫المغرب‬ .中国
• Generic Top Level Domains (gTLDs): .com .org
• Internationalized Domain Names of generic Top Level
Domains (IDNs gTLDs): .삼성 (.Samsung) or .संगठन
(.Organization)
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10. 4. Internet Domain Names,
Tifinagh - Current Status
• Tifinagh is integrated in the International Unicode Standard.
• Support on several internet platforms, softwares and services.
Wikipedia page in Tifinagh
(Browser supporting the script)
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Wikipedia page in Tifinagh
(Browser not supporting the script)

11. 4. Internet Domain Names,
Tifinagh - Current Status
• Several language scripts have now an IDN.
Internationalized domain names, adapted from (Blackbird, 2016)
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12. 4. Internet Domain Names,
Tifinagh - Current Status
• Moroccan Constitution (2011)
• Two official languages: Arabic and Amazigh
• URL in Arabic exists already
• No URL in Amazigh (not even an initiative/proposal)
• Steps for URL in Tifinagh
• Create a Tifinagh Script Generation Panel (T-SGP)
– Develops proposals that determine script-specific
Label Generation Rules (LGR)
– Experts in DNS, Unicode, Linguists
• Establish the Tifinagh Code Point Table
– Subset of Unicode points designed by SGP
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13. 5. Challenges - Overview
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• Linguistic issues
• Variations of Dialects in North Africa
• International Cooperation
• Technical Challenges
• Not supported everywhere
• Input issues (i.e. keyboard)
• Registering a whole Domain name in Tifinagh
• A domain name is more than a TLD
• What about 2nd, 3rd level labels?

14. 5. Challenges – TLDs & Suggestions
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• Choice on Names for TLDs
• Suggestions:

15. 6. Conclusions
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• Internet is the future, our languages must follow up the
pace of technological development.
• Language as a human right
• Internet is not only latin-script based languages
• It has to be available in other scripts, e.g. Tifinagh
• Looking forward to build a strong collaboration between
ICANN and IRCAM
-> in order to make URL in Tifinagh a reality.
-> why not more?

16. KTH ROYAL INSTITUTE
OF TECHNOLOGY
Thank you!
Questions?

17. References
APNIC. (2014, 09 30). Speak up for your language. Retrieved from APNIC - Asia Pacific
Network Information Centre: http://blog.apnic.net/2014/09/30/speak-up-for-your-language
Blackbird. (2016, 05 24). Internationalized domain names (IDN) and DNS / Bind9 problem.
Retrieved from Brainstorming of a sysadmin: http://blackbird.si/internationalized-domain-
names-idn-and-dns-bind-9
IANA. (2007, 05 14). Character Sets. Retrieved from Internet Assigned Numbers Authority -
IANA: http://www.iana.org/assignments/character-sets/character-sets.xhtml
ICANN. (2015, 09 08). Linguistic Diversity in the Internet Root: The Case of the Arabic Script
and Jawi. Retrieved from ICANN - The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers
: https://www.icann.org/news/blog/linguistic-diversity-in-the-internet-root-the-case-of-the-
arabic-script-and-jawi
ICANN. (2016, 05 20). Resources - ICANN. Retrieved from The Internet Corporation for
Assigned Names and Numbers - ICANN: https://www.icann.org/resources
IRCAM. (2016, 05 25). Présentation. Retrieved from The Royal Institute of the Amazigh
Culture - IRCAM: http://www.ircam.ma/?q=fr/node/620
ITU. (2015). World Telecommunication/ICT Indicators database 2015. International
Telecommunication Union - ITU.
Moroccan Government. (2011, 06 29). Constitution. Retrieved from Maroc.ma:
www.maroc.ma/ar/system/files/documents_page/BO_5964Bis_Ar.pdf
Stewart, W. (2000). Living Internet. Creative Commons.
The Unicode Consortium. (2015). The Unicode Standard, Version 8.0. Retrieved from
Unicode: http://www.unicode.org/charts/PDF/U2D30.pdf
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