Lawyer says it will battle on even after application window opens.
Coalition for Responsible Internet Domain Oversight (CRIDO), a new group formed to try to stall or can ICANN’s new top level domain name program, says it has more than two months to make a difference.
The application window for new top level domains opens January 12. But Doug Wood, Association of National Advertisers counsel, told World Trademark Review that it plans to battle the program even after that date:
While January marks the opening of the application window for gTLDs, Wood predicts the fight will indeed continue if ICANN presses ahead: “The internet is broken. There are serious security risks. Consumers are being bilked every single day. Brands are being hijacked every single day. There are very serious security issues. No matter what you think about this particular idea, no one can deny that adding hundreds more top-level domains will make these matters worse. So what we are saying to ICANN is ‘stop, take a breath and let’s talk about this’.
“And the reason ICANN should not roll forward is that, if they do, this movement will not go away. They will be under more spotlights and pressures if they say to the brand community that they don’t care. They can say ‘this is our sandbox and, if you don’t want to play in it, get out’. But that isn’t going to happen. They should realise how serious this is. We have the momentum – as they say in sports, we have the mo – and it is building every day.â€
I personally think that if CRIDO is considering filing a lawsuit against the program it will do so before January 12. Otherwise this whole thing will look like a “membership rallying cry”.
What’s a membership rallying cry? It’s when associations try to come up with a cause to prove their worth to members.
Kevin Murphy says
If it were an ANA rallying cry, would it not make more sense to do it under the banner of the ANA, rather than creating a new organization?
Andrew Allemann says
@ Kevin – perhaps. but this gives them more clout as an organization.
Andrew Allemann says
…and they can still tell their members that this is one of the value adds…they’re working to protect them from new gTLDs and are rallying other people to do it as well.
Tom G says
It sounds as though they are conceding that the application window will commence as scheduled. Or are backing off their ‘we’re ready to file everyday’ statement.
ICANN will collect 60k from each applicant for the legal defense fund.
1500 applications X $60,000 = $90,000,000 in the fund.
ICANN did not plan for opposition to go away.
Meanwhile, Josh Bourne, President of CADNA has switched gears from advocating against, to consulting for new gtlds.
Gene says
I’d be quite surprised if thie gTLD program launches in January – or ever, for that matter.
While people can argue that objections could have been raised by stakeholders during comment period(s), the fact that this huge, powerful consortium is ‘late’ won’t undermine its goal.
Margins are incredibly thin today in most industries, and needing to allocate a few (extra) million to your 2012 legal/marketing budget – because of this program – won’t be acceptable to the CFO.
The politics of something this big can’t be ignored, and that will be what ultimately derails this launch.
Jon says
You are exactly right Gene. Totality of power and money behind push to ban new TLDs is infinitely greater than what Icann and its cronies can muster. Who cares who was late. You have to always bet that power and money will get what they want.
Tom G says
@Gene
‘I’d be quite surprised if thie gTLD program launches in January’
I think you’re missing the tone of the statement, which indicates they see a battle continuing AFTER the launch timeframe. Why would he say they will continue the fight if he thinks they can stop it before launch?
‘The politics of something this big can’t be ignored’
And the politics are even bigger than CRIDO.
India recently formally proposed a U.N. oversight body for the internet.
This would give China, Russia, India, Brazil, Iran a larger voice in internet governance than the U.S./EU
If ICANN, which is supposed to be a global organization, is subverted in their processes by the U.S. DOC or by the U.S. legal system, this could push the sentiment over the top for such a proposal to carry.
Nobody in the West wants this to happen, not even the companies in CRIDO if they knew what it meant.
Gene says
@Tom G
I guess we’ll see soon enough who’s right.
But placing any bets on this program launching and remaining on-schedule has the same odds of succeeding as does buying a ‘premium’ domain name from aother domainer for $50K, and expecting to double your money.
The chances of either scenario occurring is almost zero.
John Berryhill says
“Meanwhile, Josh Bourne, President of CADNA has switched gears from advocating against, to consulting for new gtlds.”
Oh, he’s not trying to broker sales of domain names without the knowledge or consent of the registrant anymore?