One panelist dings .cam while two others say it’s OK.
ICANN’s string similarity objections are about to face a big challenge.
Demand Media subsidiary United TLD has lost an objection brought by Verisign against United TLD’s .cam domain name application.
But two other applicants, AC Webconnecting BV and dotAgency Limited, have prevailed against Verisign’s challenges.
If the rules for string similarity are written well enough, how can panelists disagree on the same exact string?
This is a nightmare scenario for new top level domain name objections. It’s even worse than panels disagreeing on singulars versus plurals. It throws all string similarity decisions into question.
ICANN will now have to sort out what to do with the panelists’ decisions. Its untenable that United’s application gets sacked while the others go forward, so we’re sure to see some fireworks ahead.
popcorn
I’ll never forget what my Dad said one time as we slid off an icy road toward an embankment… “Hang on kids, here we go!”
Well this is a disaster scenario that highlights a very flawed process.
As far as .CAM goes, even in an objection that was denied (AC Webconnecting Holding, B.V.) the panelist seems to be confused.
Murray Lorne Smith, the panelist, referred to .COM where he meant to refer to .CAM not once, but twice (below).
“I agree that a consumer would quickly realize that a .com website is likely associated with photography or cameras use and is different than a .com website.”
“I have considered the similarities between the proposed .com string and the existing .com string on all the levels raised by Verisign. while there is visual similarity and aural similarity and no dictionary distinction in meaning there is not, on the whole, in the context of modern internet usage, any rational basis up which to conclude that an average reasonable internet user would probably be confused in the distinguishing between the two.”
This extension sure was confusing to the panelist in that objection.
I expect a lot of these issues to be dragged out and settled in real courts, not ICANN’s kangaroo courts.
Brad
Won’t make any difference –