Governments Deliver Another Blow to New Top Level Domain Timeline
Thursday, January 28th, 2010
GAC asks to postpone expressions of interest for new top level domain names.
The Governmental Advisory Committee (GAC) is asking ICANN to delay a decision on the so-called “Expressions of Interest” process for new top level domain names.
In a letter dated January 26, GAC Chairman Janis Karklins says that the period of community feedback has been to short and more time is needed to deliberate and fully understand the implications of the EOI process. The chairman is also miffed that ICANN didn’t ask GAC for its opinion: “no request has been made for GAC’s opinion, despite the clear public policy implications of the proposal.”
GAC’s concerns are threefold: the process will aid ICANN insiders, it will allow a speculative market for EOI application slots, and that it will penalize developing country applicants and non-profits.
I suspect the later concern is over the $55,000 price tag for submitting an expression of interest. But I have to ask, if an entity can’t fork over $55,000 for an EOI, how will they come up with the other $130,000 necessary to apply, let alone the hundreds of thousands of dollars to run a registry?
GAC is asking ICANN to postpone making a decision until after the Nairobi meeting.
Related posts:
- ICANN May Green Light EOIs for New Top Level Domains in February
- An Easy Way to Comment on EOI for New Top Level Domain Names
- Governments Want Control of New Geo Domain Names
Tags: expressions of interest, governmental advisory committee, icann, new tlds
[...] on the so-called “Expressions of Interest” process for new top level domain names. More: http://domainnamewire.com/2010/01/28…main-timeline/ My god, we are never going to get there. __________________ [...]
The GAC smelled a rat in the policy creation processes of ICANN some time back I suspect and they have been watching them since.
[...] after the ICANN Nairobi Meeting, which begins on March 7, 2010. The news was first reported by DomainNameWire, which cited a letter in which the GAC Chairman Janis Karklins said that the period of community [...]
At this point, it’s clear to me that GAC members have been vigorously lobbied by U.S. and European-based trademark interests, and are holding a retrograde hard line that is even more backward than that of the trademark people within ICANN, who have been supportive of compromise. Another case of governments being too slow for the Internet.
It’s important for ICANN’s credibility that it can show that GAC doesn’t have a veto on ICANN policy processes. Otherwise, how is it any better than the ITU?
[...] of Interest proposal until the ICANN meeting in Nairobi, has been greeting with such headlines as Governments Deliver Another Blow to New Top Level Domain Timeline, and privately ICANN Board members have told us that it’s now “impossible” to [...]
Andrew, Rashid above is spamming here and on other blogs.
I guess he is trying to build SEO for someone.
The question of ICANN following its own bylaws and the exact role of the GAC and their “advice” is at the center of the Independent Review process now awaiting a decision in the case of ICM Registry LLC vs. ICANN. This new gTLD process and the EOI and the never end delays is very reminiscent of the frustrations we suffered back in 2005-2007. The findings of the Panel should be delivered quite soon and perhaps their verdict will shed some light on a potential “GAC Veto”
[...] year, the newest top level domain (TLD) to be released for worldwide registration will be .co. The debate continues over ICANN’s plans to create potentially hundreds of new TLDs, and the application process [...]