Individuals and entities push ICANN to move forward with new top level domain names.
Many organizations that seek to benefit from the introduction of new top level domain names — including eNom, Network Solutions, Tucows, and Minds + Machines — have sent a letter (pdf) to ICANN CEO Rod Beckstrom asking him to implement the plan for new TLDs “without further delay”.
The letter suggests that “special interests” are trying to slow down or stop the introduction of new top level domain names. It also says that no further reports or studies about the need for new TLDs are necessary:
Instead of commissioning yet more studies to prove the obvious demand for new toplevel domains, ICANN’s Board of Directors should instead believe the evidence of the market, heed their own staff reports, and read the conclusions of the many studies already conducted – and approve the introduction of new top-level domains without further delay.
The authors point out several examples of cases in which consumers and industry leaders didn’t think there was a need for innovation or a different type of product.
The letter is signed dozens of people, including:
Antony Van Couvering – CEO, Minds + Machines (USA)
Paul Stahura – CEO, eNom (USA)
Jonathon Nevett, Senior Vice President, Network Solutions (USA)
Elliot Noss – CEO Tucows (CANADA)
Rob Hall – CEO, Momentous (CANADA)
Marcus Faure, Chair of the Executive Committe, CORE Internet Council of Registrars
Dirk Krischenowski, CEO, dotBERLIN GmbH & Co. KG (Germany)
Bhavin Turakhia, CEO, DirectI (INDIA)
Michele Neylon, CEO, Blacknight (IRELAND)
Ben Crawford, CEO, CentralNIC (UK)
Minor Childers, Founder, Dot Eco LLC (USA)
Emiliano Pasqualetti, CEO DomainsBot (ITALY)
Fred Krueger, CEO, Top Level Domain Holdings (UK)
Bill Mushkin, CEO, Name.com (USA)
Oscar Robles Garay, Director, NIC Mexico (MEXICO)
Dr. Liz Williams, New Top Level Domain Strategist (UK)
Neal Marshad, CEO, Marshad Technology Group (USA)
Richard Lau, Owner, DomainManager.com (CANADA)
Tracy Sampson says
So this is the list of shame.
Those whom wish to make money instead preserve the integrity of the naming system. They want to sell eveyone out so they can get rich.
Is there nobody with any business integrity left at all in the world?
Evil is starting to outweigh Good anymore. Damn!
Rick says
Of course they want the new TLD’s, they’re the ones who are going to make all the money. They don’t care about all the issues, they just want the payola – same as ICANN.
Andrew Allemann says
I think what’s more interesting is who isn’t on the list. You have to assume they tried to get as many signatures as possible, and there are more major domain related companies not on the list than on the list.
A Mitchell says
What is asserted without proof can be dismissed without proof.
The letter ignores the risks, costs and confusion that a web-centric domain bubble will create.
What will the cost be for a single company such as PayPal or Visa to stay out in front of the new vTLDs?
David J Castello says
Wow, with all due respect not a smart PR or strategic move on their part. Even the most rank amateur in this business can see that the only reason they want to hurry this up is because they stand to profit from it. Would have been smarter for them to lobby individually instead of all jumping into the same lifeboat.
David J Castello says
PS: And since when does the DOJ and DOC qualify as special interests?
Kevin M. says
The ‘greed monsters’ are getting anxious to pluck more money from all these potential landrushes, selling useless domains to speculators etc. They only care about and see $ signs in their eyes. Well I’m pulling any and all names I have at any of these registrars, and will never do business with any of them again! There’s too many good registrars to deal with, that have better business models than pure ‘greed’ and sucking in as many dollars as they can!
Glad they grouped together on this letter, so now we all know who they are, and their ‘true intentions’.
jp says
Funny how parties that only stand to male mine from this can’t begin to see anything wrong with it. Absolutely no attempt at balance at their part. They are just saying, “hurry up and pay me”
mansour says
WIPO has the most to gain. the biggest loosers are the small guys who cannot afford to spend the money to trade mark there his domain names.
Andrew Allemann says
There are more people listed on the documents; so click through to the letter if you care.
Steve M says
Now would you just look at that … absolutely no special interests among the letter signatories …
None whatsoever.
Riiiight.
M. Menius says
First, the list of endorsers in that letter is actually pretty weak. If that’s the bulk of the gtld supporters, then this whole thing is no more than a feather in the wind.
Second, the letter itself is weird/comical in its false claims (my comments added) …
• Consumer Demand (there is none)
• Safety Considerations (serious and real)
• Internet Stability (is threatened!)
• Innovation (really stupid on face)
• ICANN’s own credibility (is ultimately restored through abandonement of arbitrary implementation timeline & “unlimited” release concept)
This letter is a desperation ploy and is sent in response to the obvious building opposition via the letter from Howard Coble and Lamar Smith. The gtld proposal is ill-conceived and poses multiple layers of problems for a wide variety of global companies and internet stakeholders. There is no trivializing that or ignoring it.
In the greater context of ICANN making the “correct decision”, the above concerns trump anything contained in the desperation letter.
I lost respect for enom many years ago. I don’t think I have ever said that publicly. My opinion, based on my experience with them, is that their loyalty is to no one but themselves … so anything said must be filtered through that premise. Actually, a few said it best up above …
“Just pay us now”, or “Hurry up and pay me”. That sounds about right.
This drama will eventually separate those with true integrity and purity of purpose from those with ulterior motives and hidden agendas. And that will define the future of those companies and organizations. One chance to do it right. And that will require serious contemplation, not an impulsive appeasement decision made to please a small handful. Any semblance of more consumer exploitation will bring stinging criticism and heavy forces, imo.
Seb says
Greed and $ signs in their eyes.
Pitiful…
Will leave eNom for Moniker.
bob says
If you put all those guys in one room you will have jerry springer show.
Ed Muller says
Tell me if I got this wrong after reading the whole PDF:
The Chinese and Iraqi criminal networks use illegitimate extensions, so if they had real TLDs the world would be safer? Wow, lets implement .criminal right away and get those buggers signed up!
Question is how many of the co-signors will be asking to have their names removed in the next week before Congress starts to use this as ammo for some serious oversight of the entire industry?
George Kirikos says
eNom is partners with VeriSign for .tv. What “innovations” have they introduced, besides tiered pricing? LOL How much have .com prices gone down because of all the “competition” from .tv? Or .info? Or .biz? Or .mobi, .asia and .tel? LOL (of course, .com prices have been going up, because of ICANN incompetence; there should be a tender process for registry management, as hopefully the courts will order via the CFIT lawsuit)
The history of new TLDs is the history of failure. Except for a few quick bucks at the sunrise/landrush, where the registries profit from the “usual 100,000” domains that always get registered, no new TLD have gained any traction in the minds of consumers. Travel represents 10% of the economy, but .travel is an utter failure. There are a large number of “professionals” out there, but who uses a .pro? No one of consequence. 60% of the world lives in Asia, but how many people use .asia? Billions of people own telephones or mobile phones, but .mobi and .tel are insignificant.
I hope that the NTIA/DOC/DOJ put an end to the circus through more direct instructions to ICANN.
A large number of people don’t get their “first choice” of seats when Britney Spears or U2 have concerts. That doesn’t mean we build 8000 concert halls in Toronto so that different people can sit in the front row on 8000 different nights. New TLDs are like building stadiums with a capacity of 50,000 people where only 100 people sit in the front row, but 49,900 seats sit empty. The “consumer demand” is only for those 100 seats. New TLD advocates want everyone else to subsidize their 50,000 seat palaces (that subsidy being the consumer confusion, abuse, etc. via externalities) so that they can auction off those 100 seats. That’s not a business model that works in the real world, nor should it work in ICANN’s fantasy world.
BOB says
George
you right I do not think they got it yet they are 15 years a head of themselves.
Dot .speculation says
It’s the end of internet for the greed of a few.
Business owners will be forced to pay thousands to the nice people in the list to defend their brand form cybersquatter on every new nonsense domain they will create.
I’m already looking forward to the new amazing innovation . For the benefit of Safety Considerations (their safety), Internet Stability (more like the stability of their bank accounts), Innovation (On this I do agree. the largest scam ever!) …I can’t wait to have to pay up to 200€ to register in the sunrise phase mybrand.love, mybrand.hate, mybrand.widget, mybrand.scam and more more nonsense
Members of this bunch of “absolutely no special interests” lobby are now spamming with the same ludicrous claims blogs and news sites. The new TLD’s and the prospect of holding at ransom legitimate brand/TM/website owners is so appealing that even the CEO’s of large registrars are finding more time to give their impartial views on any site carrying stories about the new unlimited TLD’s.
In case you may want to balance with your opinions their ludicrous claims, here’s one of the sites which had recetly the honour of listing the comments of two CEO’s of the lobby ( encirca and blacknights):
http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/172901/us_loosens_grip_on_icann_domain_chaos_to_follow.html