>>> Robin Gross <[log in to unmask]> 12/12/2006 5:55:12 PM >>>
>2.  New gTLDs and Draft GNSO Recommendations
>Our constituency should submit its comments on the draft proposal for

>the new gTLDS within the next few weeks also (due 20 Dec).

Thanks Robin. I completely agree with your comments on the new TLD
proposals. I also believe that commercial gTLDs should be auctioned (as
NCUC proposed long ago) with lotteries or some other neutral method used
for noncommercial TLDs. 

I think you could cut and paste Robin's paragraph below, and add some
stuff from our earlier position paper on new TLDs and have the backbone
of a position paper. We may need to map it to the specific paragraphs of
the GNSO proposal. 

If someone volunteers to do the first cut, I will do the second cut. 

========
Robin:
  The current 
proposal is terrible.  It would model speech for the Internet on
ancient 
19th century treaty language (trademarks) and forbid any words in new 
gTLDs that have religious, sexual, or political connotations.  It would

put ICANN in a position to engage in massive censorship and choose 
between competing standards of morality and religions.  Besides being 
wrong on pure censorship grounds, the proposal is completely unworkable

and would put an enormous burden on ICANN staff to evaluate
"worthiness" 
between competing claims, evaluate business plans, review financial 
statements, etc of new gTLD applicants.   It would also put a lot of 
legal liability on ICANN and open it up to numerous lawsuits from any 
party who felt ICANN wrongfully awarded a gTLD to a competitor.  I can

post more detailed comments on this issue to the list so we can begin
to 
prepare our constituency statement.  Its very important we provide 
comments on this issue.