Parminder sent this to the [governance] list.

--c.a.

====================

http://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/technology/internet/icann-suspends-closed-generic-top-level-domain-bids/article4870401.ece

Technology » Internet

Published: July 2, 2013 00:09 IST | Updated: July 2, 2013 00:13 IST

ICANN suspends closed generic top level domain bids

Karthik Subramanian

Temporarily freezes move that could have led to global corporates
monopolising the WWW by privatising domains like .beauty or .book

The Internet Corporation for Assigned Numbers and Names (ICANN) has put
on hold a controversial decision to allot closed generic Top Level
Domains (gTLD) to applicants. Governments and activists had feared that
allotting such generic domains would lead to a global corporate monopoly
over the World Wide Web, by claiming exclusive rights for domains such
as .book or .beauty.

“Hopefully this is the end for closed generic Top Level Domains
applications and it is a victory for those who have raised their voice
against it,” said Parminder Jeet Singh, executive director of
Bangalore-based NGO ‘IT for Change.’

Last week, a newly reconstituted gTLD committee paid heed to the
objections raised by ICANN’s Governmental Advisory Committee, which had
in April pointed out several problems in the process of handing out
gTLDs under a “single registrant” business model.

This differs from the regular business model for TLD names like .com or
.org where the domains names are then resold to other users in an open
market on first come, first served basis. Under the single registrant
model, companies like Amazon and Google could own exclusively .book or
.cloud, both generic name strings, thus paving the way for monopolistic
branding. The process of handing out the contracts to applicants has
been put on hold for closed generic top level domains. It is speculated
that over such 70 contract bids have been identified by ICANN.

In April, the Government Advisory Committee of ICANN met in Beijing and
prepared what was called as “Beijing Communiqué” in which it had raised,
among other things, objections over applications for the generic TLDs
.islam or .halal. It raised fears that the applicants did not have
community backing. It also requested ICANN to not proceed beyond initial
assessment for the bids for domains such as .shenzen, .date, .spa and a
few others. Parminder Jeet Singh, had in an article in September in The
Hindu, noted that ICANN was taking a decision on behalf of the people of
the world in handing out generic domain names to corporates that had the
wherewithal to pay the registration fee of $185,000. They also had the
potential to invest in building business models on such monopoly use of
generic terms as their private top level domains.

However, ICANN has not officially said it has dropped the processing of
the closed gTLD applications, but has merely frozen it, pending further
consultations with governments. Such consultations may take place when
ICANN meets in Durban, South Africa, later this month.

Keywords: ICANN, Top Level Domains, gTLD, world wide web, domain names,
generic domain names, TLD, internet

Printable version | Jul 2, 2013 4:21:08 PM |
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