I strongly object to Debbie and Amber's request that NCSG open up its membership to commercial trade associations.

NCSG is the *only* place at ICANN that is supposed to be free from commercial influence so other important goals can be pursued.  All of the other 5 constituencies in the GNSO are commercial in nature.  And many in At-Large are commercially oriented, as "noncommercial" is not part of its mission.  But NCSG is the only place that is reserved specifically for non-commercial interests and it is important to keep this space free from commercial concerns, which permeate in every other nook and cranny of ICANN.   ICANN's model was designed to allow a specific space for only noncommercial interests to be promoted as a way of advancing the health and development of the Internet.  Human rights can never depend upon commercial interests alone to succeed, as one example of "other" goals besides commercial ones ICANN might want to consider.  Without a barrier of some kind between the two worlds, noncommercial interests will be over-run by the well-financed commercial interests at ICANN.  Of course commercial interests have a place in policy development, but ICANN must leave a single solitary space that cannot be over-run by commercial interests if it wants to claim it represents "the global public interest".

If we opened up NCSG to commercial trade organizations, groups like the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) or the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) would join.  I bet Big Pharma trade associations would be among the first to sign-up to NCSG (since their interests are so woefully under-represented at ICANN between the IPC and the BC).

No, I think we have to draw a line at some point -- and it is with commercial trade associations.  They don't belong in NCSG.  They have a legitimate place in policy development, but it isn't going to be in the non-commercials' name.

Best,
Robin