Panelist unmoved by FairSearch.org’s arguments against Google’s bid to run a .map top level domain name.
FairSearch.org, a consortium representing companies that compete against Google, is now 0-for-2 in community objections it filed against Google’s top level domain name applications.
Panelist Vladimir Khvalei has determined that the group’s community objection against .map fails (pdf). It previously lost its objection to .fly, and only a determination on .search remains.
Khvalei found that FairSearch.org failed on a number of fronts and didn’t have standing to bring the case. He found it difficult to determine how this one organization somehow represents the “map” community, if that even exists, while simultaneously claiming to represent the “search” and “fly” communities.
He also bought into Google’s argument that FairSearch.org is more of an anti-Google community than a pro-map community (whatever that is), as it did not bother to file an objection against Amazon.com’s closed .map application.
The panelist in the .fly dispute gave FairSearch.org a bit more slack, only after the panelist re-defined the community FairSearch sought to represent. (You read that correctly: the panelist in the .fly decision re-defined the community at issue to help FairSearch’s argument.)
Still, in both disputes FairSearch failed to prove the required elements of prevail in a community objection.
FairSearch.org was tardy in making its EUR 58,600 payment to the arbitration center, which sparked a bit on controversy. The group claimed it had to scrap together the money, but the International Chamber of Commerce let the slight delay slide.
friend says
Link to PDF of decision fails; links to something else.
Andrew Allemann says
Fixed, thanks.