Thanks Chuck, I have three comments on this.  First, I think re 1 and 2 character names, that we also should consult GAC regarding 2 character ASCII TLDs as I have suggested in prior email and I believe is supported by Bruce and others.

 

Second, re “other reserved names at the second level” (aka ‘premium names’ and the like), if this is outside the scope of the RN-WG then that is fine, but we need to add it to the newTLD TF to consider what to require of applicants in this regard.  I doubt that anyone wants to allow new TLD registries to reserve whatever names they choose for however long they like on whatever basis, which is the current reality at .travel.  There needs to be transparency in the application and pre-launch phases to address this issue.

 

Third, I object to re-launching this WG with the objective to ‘maintain the status quo for now’ re ICANN/IANA related names.  I believe Staff was looking into any reasoning behind these historical reservations, other than the obvious reason to avoid user confusion were ‘someone else’ to register something like iab.web (for example the Interactive Advertising Bureau…).  We should see whether Staff or anyone else comes up with any other reasoning.  Assuming not, then it would make no sense to continue these reservations on the basis of user confusion.  

 

Indeed that would be entirely self serving and appalling to many in the community who have to fight and pay for their defensive registrations with each new TLD launch, or otherwise fight cybersquatters who register domain names that correspond to brands.  ICANN should experience that as well, in hopes that better policy may be made for us all, rather than protecting itself via the Reserved Names list when such protection is not available to those with a far greater need for it.  So I recommend we change this objective to ‘explore basis for current reservation, and decide whether to continue it.’

 

Mike Rodenbaugh

Sr. Legal Director

Yahoo! Inc.

 

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From: owner-council@gnso.icann.org [mailto:owner-council@gnso.icann.org] On Behalf Of Gomes, Chuck
Sent: Thursday, April 05, 2007 5:43 AM
To: GNSO Council; Bruce Tonkin
Subject: [council] RN-WG SoW
Importance: High

 

Attached is a fairly detailed SoW for a 30-day extension of the RN-WG.  The current plan would be to restart the group on Wednesday, 11 April and end it on Thursday, 10 May.  This should allow enough time for inclusion of the final recommendations into the final New gTLD Report.

 

As we discussed on Thursday afternoon in Lisbon, we need to take action on this via email before our next teleconference meeting on 12 April, and I need to communicate the meeting schedule to the working group the end of this week.  Therefore, I would like to propose the following motion:

 

"Per the terms of the original Reserved Name Working Group (RN-WG) Statement of Work approved by the Council, the RN-WG is extended for an additional 30 days starting on 11 April 2007 and ending on 10 May 2007 with the tasks defined in the attached Statement of Work and with the requirement to deliver a final report not later than 10 May 2007."

 

Chuck Gomes

 

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