IETF IDN Working Group                                    Sung Jae Shim
Internet Draft                                           DualName, Inc.
Document: draft-ietf-idn-vidn-00.txt                   14 November 2000
Expires: 14 May 2001


              Virtually Internationalized Domain Names (VIDN)


   Status of this Memo

   This document is an Internet-Draft and is in full conformance with
   all provisions of Section 10 of RFC2026.

   Internet-Drafts are working documents of the Internet Engineering
   Task Force (IETF), its areas, and its working groups. Note that other
   groups may also distribute working documents as Internet-Drafts.

   Internet-Drafts are draft documents valid for a maximum of six months
   and may be updated, replaced, or obsoleted by other documents at any
   time. It is inappropriate to use Internet-Drafts as reference
   material or to cite them other than as "work in progress."

   The list of current Internet-Drafts can be accessed at
   http://www.ietf.org/ietf/1id-abstracts.txt

   The list of Internet-Draft Shadow Directories can be accessed at
   http://www.ietf.org/shadow.html.


   1. Abstract

   This document describes a method that internationalizes existing as
   well as future domain names in English, not making any change to the
   current DNS, not requiring separate name server or resolver, and not
   creating domain names in non-English languages. Based upon the
   knowledge of transliteration between a local language and English,
   the method allows a user to use virtual domain names in the user's
   preferred local language by converting them into the corresponding
   actual domain names in English that comply with the current DNS. The
   conversion takes place automatically and transparently in the user's
   applications before DNS queries are sent. The method uses the current
   DNS as it is and meets all the requirements of internationalized
   domain names as described in Wenzel and Seng [2].


   2. Conventions and definitions used in this document

   The key words "REQUIRED" and "MAY" in this document are to be
   interpreted as described in RFC-2119 [1].

   A "host" is a computer or device attached to the Internet. A "user
   host" is a computer or device with which a user is connected to the



               Virtually Internationalized Domain Names  November 2000

   Internet, and a "user" is a person who uses a user host. A "server
   host" is a computer or device that provides services to user hosts.

   An "entity" is an organization or individual that has a domain name
   registered with the DNS.

   A "local language" is a language other than English that a user
   prefers to use in a local context.

   A "virtual domain name" is a domain name in a local language, and it
   is not registered with the DNS but used for the convenience of a
   user. An "actual domain name" is a domain name in English, and it is
   actually used in the DNS. A "domain name" refers to an actual domain
   name in English that complies with the DNS, unless specified
   otherwise.

   A "coded portion" is a pre-coded portion of a domain name (e.g.,
   generic organization codes including `com', `edu', `gov', `int',
   `mil', `net', `org', and country codes such as `kr', `jp', and so
   on). An "entity-defined portion" is a portion of a domain name, which
   is defined by the entity that holds the domain name (e.g.,
   organization name, server name, and so on).

   The method proposed in this document is called "virtually
   internationalized domain names (VIDN)" because it uses virtual domain
   names in local languages to internationalize actual domain names in
   English that comply with the DNS.

   A number of Korean-language characters are used in the original of
   this document for examples, which is available from the author upon
   request. The software used for Internet-Drafts does not allow using
   multilingual characters other than ASCII characters. Thus, this
   document may not display Korean-language characters properly,
   although it may be comprehensible without the examples using Korean-
   language characters. Also, when you open the original of this
   document, please select your view encoding type to Korean for Korean-
   language characters to be displayed properly.


   3. Introduction

   Domain names are valuable to Internet users as a main identifier of
   hosts on the Internet. The current DNS allows using only English
   characters in naming hosts or clusters of hosts on the Internet. More
   specifically, the DNS uses only the basic Latin alphabets (case-
   insensitive), the decimal digits (0-9) and the hyphen (-) in domain
   names. But there is a growing need for internationalized or non-
   English domain names. Recognizing this need, various methods have
   been proposed to use non-English characters in domain names. But to
   date, it seems that no method has met all the requirements of
   internationalized domain names as described in Wenzel and Seng [2].

   A group of earlier methods has tried to put internationalized domain
   names inside some parts of the overall DNS system, using UCS encoding


               Virtually Internationalized Domain Names  November 2000

   schemes. But these methods put too much of a burden on the DNS,
   requiring a great deal of work for transition and update of the DNS
   components. Another group of earlier methods has tried to build
   separate directory services for internationalized domain names or
   internationalized keywords. But these methods also require complex
   implementation efforts, duplicating much of the work already done for
   the DNS. Both the groups of earlier methods have tried to build some
   mechanisms inside or outside the DNS and put internationalized domain
   names or internationalized keywords there in addition to existing
   domain names in English.

   Unlike earlier methods that involve a lengthy and costly process of
   implementation, VIDN provides a more immediate and less costly
   solution to internationalized domain names by focusing on
   internationalizing existing as well as future domain names in English
   that comply with the current DNS, without actually creating domain
   names in local languages. VIDN takes notice of the fact that most
   domain names used in regions where English is not widely spoken, have
   their entity-defined portions consisting of characters or words in
   English as transliterated from characters and words in the respective
   local languages. Based upon the knowledge of transliteration between
   a local language and English, VIDN allows using virtual domain names
   in a local language by converting them into the corresponding actual
   domain names in English that comply with the current DNS. VIDN allows
   the same domain names to be used not only in English as usual but
   also in local languages, without creating additional domain names in
   local languages.


   4. VIDN method

   4.1. Objectives

   To date, the methods for internationalized domain names have tried to
   create domain names or keywords in local languages one way or another
   in addition to existing domain names in English, and put them inside
   or outside the DNS, using special encoding schemes or lookup
   services. These methods require a lengthy and costly process of
   implementation. Even when they are successfully implemented, these
   methods may localize the Internet by separating it into groups of
   local languages that are less universal than English. Further, these
   methods may cause disputes on copyrights, trademarks, and so on in
   local contexts, in addition to all those disputes we observe with
   current domain names in English. VIDN intends to provide a solution
   to the problems of earlier methods, by (1) allowing the same domain
   names to be used both in English and local languages, without
   creating domain names in local languages, (2) working in applications
   at user hosts automatically and transparently before DNS requests are
   sent, (3) using the current DNS as it is, without requiring any
   additional name server or resolver, and (4) being implemented
   immediately with little cost.


   4.2. Description


               Virtually Internationalized Domain Names  November 2000


   It is important to note that most domain names used in regions where
   English is not widely spoken have their entity-defined portions
   consisting of characters or words in English as transliterated from
   characters or words in local languages. These transliterated
   characters or words in English do not have any meanings in English,
   but their originals in local languages before the transliteration
   into English have some meanings in local contexts, usually indicating
   organization names, brand names, trademarks, and so on. VIDN allows
   using these original characters or words in local languages as the
   entity-defined portions of virtual domain names in local languages,
   by transliterating them into the corresponding entity-defined
   portions of actual domain names in English. In this way, VIDN allows
   the same domain names in English to be also used virtually in local
   languages without actually creating domain names in local languages.

   As domain names overlay IP addresses, so virtual domain names in
   local languages do actual domain names in English. The relationship
   between virtual domain names in a local language and actual domain
   names in English can be depicted as:

                  +---------------------------------+
                  |              User               |
                  +---------------------------------+
                       |                       |
      +----------------|-----------------------|------------------+
      |                v   (Transliteration)   v                  |
      |   +---------------------+  |  +-----------------------+   |
      |   | Virtual domain name |  |  |   Actual domain name  |   |
      |   | in a local language |--+->|   in English          |   |
      |   +---------------------+     +-----------------------+   |
      |                    User application    |                  |
      +----------------------------------------|------------------+
                                               v
                                           DNS request

   VIDN uses the phonemes of a local language and English as a medium in
   transliterating the entity-defined portions of virtual domain names
   in the local language into those of actual domain names in English.
   This process of transliteration can be depicted as:

           Local language                           English
   +----------------------------+       +-----------------------------+
   | Characters ----> Phonemes -----------> Phonemes ----> Characters |
   |              |             |   |   |              |              |
   |              |             |   |   |              |              |
   | (Inverse of transcription) | Match |        (Transcription)      |
   +----------------------------+       +-----------------------------+
                  |                                    ^
                  |         (Transliteration)          |
                  +------------------------------------+

   First, each entity-defined portion of a virtual domain name in the
   local language is decomposed into individual characters or sets of


               Virtually Internationalized Domain Names  November 2000

   characters so that each individual character or set of characters can
   represent an individual phoneme of the local language, which is the
   inverse of transcription of phonemes into characters. Second, each
   individual phoneme of the local language is matched with an
   equivalent phoneme of English that has the same or most proximate
   sound. Third, each phoneme of English is transcribed into the
   corresponding character or set of characters in English. Finally, all
   the characters or sets of characters converted into English are
   united to compose the corresponding entity-defined portion of an
   actual domain name in English.

   For example, a word in Korean, `??' that means `century' in  English,
   is transliterated into `segi' in English, and so, the entity whose
   name contains `??' in Korean may have an entity-defined portion of
   its domain name as `segi' in English. VIDN allows using `??' in
   Korean as an entity-defined portion of a virtual domain name in
   Korean, which is converted into `segi' in English, the corresponding
   entity-defined portion of an actual domain name in English. More
   specifically, the phonemes represented by the characters consisting
   of `??' in Korean have the same sounds as the phonemes represented
   by the characters consisting of `segi' in English. In the local
   context, `??' in Korean is clearly easier to remember and type and
   more intuitive and meaningful than `segi' in English.

   An entity-defined portion of a virtual domain name in Korean, `??',
   is transliterated into `yahoo' in English, since the phonemes
   represented by the characters consisting of `??' in Korean have the
   same sounds as the phonemes represented by the characters consisting
   of `yahoo' in English. That is, `??' in Korean is pronounced as the
   same as `yahoo' in English, and so, it is easy for Korean-speaking
   people to deduce `??' in Korean as the virtual equivalent of
   `yahoo' in English. VIDN allows using virtual domain names in a local
   language for domain names whose originals are in the local language,
   e.g., `??' in Korean, as well as domain names whose originals are
   in English, e.g., `??' in Korean. In this way, VIDN can make domain
   names truly international, allowing the same domain names to be used
   both in English and local languages.

   The coded portions of domain names such as organization codes,
   geographic codes and country codes, can also be transliterated from a
   local language into English, using the phonemes of the two languages
   as a medium. For example, seven generic organization codes in English,
   `com', `edu', `gov', `int', `mil', `net', and `org', can be
   transliterated from `?', `??', `??', `??', `?', `??', `??' in
   Korean, respectively, which can be used as the corresponding
   organization codes of virtual domain names in Korean. Based upon its
   meaning in English, each coded portion of actual domain names also
   can be pre-assigned a virtual equivalent word or code in a local
   language. For example, seven generic organization codes in English,
   `com', `edu', `gov', `int', `mil', `net', and `org', can be pre-
   assigned `??' (meaning `commercial' in Korean), `??' (meaning
   `education' in Korean), `??' (meaning `government' in Korean),
   `??' (meaning `international' in Korean), `??' (meaning `military'
   in Korean), `??' (meaning `network' in Korean), and `??' (meaning


               Virtually Internationalized Domain Names  November 2000

   `organization' in Korean), respectively, which can be used as the
   corresponding organization codes of virtual domain names in Korean.

   Since VIDN uses the phonemes of a local language and English as a
   medium of the transliteration, it does not create such complexities
   as other conversion methods based upon semantics do. Further, most
   languages have a small number of phonemes. For example, Korean
   language has nineteen consonant phonemes and twenty-one vowel
   phonemes, and English language has twenty-four consonant phonemes and
   twenty vowel phonemes. Each phoneme of Korean language can be matched
   with a phoneme of English language that has the same or proximate
   sound, and vice versa.

   Some characters or sets of characters of a language may represent
   more than one phoneme. Also, some phonemes of a language may be
   represented by more than one character or set of characters. But
   these variations usually occur in particular situations, and so, VIDN
   incorporates the special provisions to deal with such variations. In
   addition, not every character or set of characters in a local
   language may be neatly transliterated into only one character or set
   of characters in English. In practice, people often transliterate the
   same word in a local language differently into English or vice versa.
   VIDN also incorporates the provisions to deal with such variations
   caused by common usages or idiomatic expressions. Because of these
   variations, however, it is probable for one virtual domain name
   entered in a local language to result in more than one actual domain
   name in English.

   VIDN includes a coding scheme in order to make each virtual domain
   name entered in a local language correspond to exactly one actual
   domain name in English. In this coding scheme, a unique code is pre-
   assigned to one of the corresponding actual domain names in English
   for each virtual domain name to be entered in a local language. The
   code is kept somewhere at the server host that has the actual domain
   name in English, for example, in the main HTML document at the server
   host, so that VIDN can check the code. VIDN also generates the same
   unique code whenever the corresponding virtual domain name is entered
   in user applications. Then, VIDN checks whether the code at each
   server host matches with the code generated in user applications. If
   one of the server hosts has the code that matches with the code
   generated in user applications, VIDN recognizes that the virtual
   domain name entered by the user corresponds only to the actual domain
   name of that server host, and connects the user host to the server
   host. The domain names of the remaining server hosts that do not have
   the matching code may be listed to the user as alternative sites. For
   security purpose, this coding scheme may use an encryption technique.

   For example, `??.?', a virtual domain name entered in Korean, may
   result in four corresponding domain names in English including
   `jungang.com', `joongang.com,' `chungang.com', and `choongang.com',
   since the phonemes represented by characters consisting of `??.?'
   in Korean can have the same or almost the same sounds as the phonemes
   represented by characters consisting of `jungang.com',
   `joongang.com,' `chungang.com', or `choongang.com' in English. In


               Virtually Internationalized Domain Names  November 2000

   this case, we assume that the server host with its domain name
   `jungang.com' has the pre-assigned code that matches with the code
   generated when `??.?' in Korean is entered in user applications.
   Then, the user host is connected to this server host, and the other
   server hosts may be listed to the user as alternative sites so that
   the user can try them.

   The process of this coding scheme that makes each virtual domain name
   in a local language correspond to only one actual domain name in
   English, can be depicted as:

                  +---------------------------------+
                  |              User               |
                  +---------------------------------+
                       |                       |
      +----------------|-----------------------|------------------+
      |                v                       v                  |
      |   +---------------------+     +-----------------------+   |
      |   | Virtual domain name |     | Potential domain names|   |
      |   | in a local language |---->| in English            |   |
      |   | e.g., `??.?'      |     | e.g., `jungang.com'   |   |
      |   |       (code: 297437)|     |       `joongang.com'  |   |
      |   |                     |     |       `chungang.com'  |   |
      |   |                     |     |       `choongang.com' |   |
      |   +---------------------+     +-----------------------+   |
      |                    User application    |                  |
      +----------------------------------------|------------------+
                       ^                       |
                       |                       | Code check by VIDN
       Connection to   |                       |    +-- `jungang.com'
       the server host |                       |    |   (code: 297437)
       `jungang.com'   |                       |    |-- `joongang.com'
                       |                       |----+   (not active)
                       |                       |    |-- `chungang.com'
                       |                       |    |   (code: 381274)
                       |    DNS request and    |    +-- `choongang.com'
                       |    response           |        (not active)
                       +-----------------------+

   Since VIDN converts separately the entity-defined portions and the
   coded portions of a virtual domain name, it preserves the current
   syntax of domain names, that is, the hierarchical dotted notation,
   which Internet users are familiar with. Also, VIDN allows using a
   virtual domain name mixed with characters in a local language and
   English as the user wishes to, since the conversion takes place on
   each individual portion of the domain name and each individual
   character or set of characters of the portion.

   While VIDN preserves the hierarchical dotted notation of current
   domain names, the principles of VIDN are also applicable to domain
   names in other possible notations such as those in a natural language
   (e.g., `microsoft windows' rather than `windows.microsoft.com'). Also,
   the principles of VIDN can be applied into other identifiers used on
   the Internet, such as user IDs of e-mail addresses, names of


               Virtually Internationalized Domain Names  November 2000

   directories and folders, names of web pages and files, keywords used
   in search engines and directory services, and so on, allowing them to
   be used interchangeably in a local language and English, without
   creating additional identifiers in the local language. The conversion
   of VIDN can be done between any two languages interchangeably. Thus,
   even when the DNS accepts and registers domain names in other
   languages in addition to English, VIDN can allow using the same
   domain names in any two languages by converting virtual domain names
   in one language into actual domain names in another language.


   4.3. Implementation

   In a preferred arrangement, VIDN is implemented in applications at
   the user host. That is, the conversion of virtual domain names in a
   local language into the corresponding actual domain names in English
   takes place at the user host before DNS requests are sent. Thus,
   neither a special encoding nor a separate lookup service is needed to
   implement VIDN. VIDN is also modularized with each module being used
   for conversion of virtual domain names in one local language into the
   corresponding actual domain names in English. A user needs only the
   module for conversion of his or her preferred local language into
   English. Also, VIDN can be implemented at a central server host or a
   cluster of local server hosts. A central server with all the language
   modules of VIDN can provide the conversion service for all local
   languages, or a cluster of local server hosts can share the
   conversion service. In the latter case, each local server host with a
   language module or a set of language modules can provide the
   conversion service for the respective local language or set of local
   languages used in a certain region.

   Because of its small size, VIDN can be easily embedded into
   applications software such as web browser, e-mail software, ftp
   system, and so on at the user host, or it can work as an add-on
   program to such software. In either case, the only requirement on the
   part of the user is to install VIDN or software embedding VIDN at the
   user host. Using virtual domain names in a local language in
   accordance with the principles of VIDN is very intuitive to those who
   speak the local language. The only requirement on the part of the
   entity whose server host provides Internet services to user hosts is
   to have an actual domain name in English into which a virtual domain
   name in a local language is neatly transliterated in accordance with
   the principles of VIDN, and to have a pre-assigned code kept at its
   server host for one-to-one matching of its actual domain name and a
   virtual domain name to be used by users. Most entities in regions
   where English is not widely spoken already have such domain names in
   English. Finally, there is nothing to change on the part of the DNS,
   since VIDN uses the current DNS as it is.

   Taken together, the features of VIDN can meet all the requirement of
   internationalized domain names as described in Wenzel and Seng [2],
   with respect to compatibility and interoperability,
   internationalization, canonicalization, and operating issues. Given
   the fact that different methods toward internationalized domain names


               Virtually Internationalized Domain Names  November 2000

   confuse users, as already observed in some regions where some of
   these methods have already been commercialized, e.g., Korea, it is
   important to find and implement the most effective solution to
   internationalized domain names as soon as possible.


   4.4. Testing results

   A testing version of VIDN has been developed for Korean-English
   conversion as a web browser add-on program. The program contains all
   the features described in this document except the coding scheme.
   While the final version of the program is planned to include the
   coding scheme, the testing version lists all the domain names in
   English that correspond to a virtual domain name entered in Korean so
   that a user can choose one. The testing results of a sample of
   randomly selected domain names used in Korea show that the program
   can cover more than ninety percent of the sample. The results
   indicate that more than ninety percent of web sites in Korea can be
   accessed using virtual domain names in Korean without creating
   additional domain names in Korean. The remaining ten percent of
   domain names are mostly those that contain acronyms, abbreviations or
   initials. With improvement of its knowledge of transliteration, the
   final version of the program is expected to cover most domain names
   used in Korea.


   5. Security considerations

   Because VIDN uses the DNS as it is, it inherits the same security
   considerations as the DNS.


   6. Intellectual property considerations

   It is the intention of DualName, Inc. to submit the VIDN method and
   other elements of VIDN software to IETF for review, comment or
   standardization.

   DualName has applied for one or more patents on the technology
   related to virtual domain name software and virtual email software.
   If a standard is adopted by IETF and any patents are issued to
   DualName with claims that are necessary for practicing the standard,
   DualName is prepared to make available, upon written request, a non-
   exclusive license under fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory terms
   and condition, based on the principle of reciprocity, consistent with
   established practice.


   7. References

   1  Bradner, S., "Key words for use in RFCs to Indicate Requirement
      Levels", BCP 14, RFC 2119, March 1997




               Virtually Internationalized Domain Names  November 2000

   2  Wenzel, Z. and Seng, J. (Editors), "Requirements of
     Internationalized Domain Names," draft-ietf-idn-requirements-
     03.txt, August 2000


   8. Author's address

   Sung Jae Shim
   DualName, Inc.
   3600 Wilshire Boulevard, Suite 1814
   Los Angeles, California 90010
   USA
   Email: shimsungjae@dualname.com