Hi, Thanks for the rather emphatic answer below. I am glad to hear there is a place for Independent Professional Registrants. I was, however, looking at the BC application, and I did not see an Individual category, only a
micro enterprise
(both under 10 employees and under Euro 0.5 million turnover)
or from the membership pack
Category 3
Is for Micro enterprises defined as companies which can demonstrate both less than 10 employees and a turnover of less than €0.5 million and costs just €250 per year.
And from the charter:
3.1. The following may become members of the Business Constituency: Subject to 3.2, any legally recognised for-profit entity that has been delegated a domain and that uses the Internet to conduct for- profit business. Subject to 3.2, any organization such as a trade association representing such entities.
Is there a separate application for individual professional registrants? For example, I am, in addition to being an academic, a consultant who has a domain name that I use for the commercial purposes of my consultancy (protocol design, standards certification etc). I am not a corporate entity, a registered business or even a DBA but am what is called is call an independent professional (1099 in the US tax parlance). So this is a commercial registration (non natural person in the Whois context) and the consultancy is hopefully for profit though not at all related to ICANN activities, and hence not qualified in this respect for the NCSG. Under what category could I apply for membership (of course if I were not currently an NCA)? The Membership info also reflects
The Business Constituency is a constituency representing customers of providers of connectivity, domain names, Internet Protocol addresses and other services related to electronic commerce in its broad sense.
The Independent professionals I am asking about generally have domain names but may be using the Internet for commercial purpose without actually using it for electronic commerce. Some do, e.g. music download by individual artists, but often it is only to advertise ones service and provide contact info. Does this still fall in the broad sense? thanks a. On 21 Dec 2008, at 06:27, philip.sheppard@aim.be wrote:
Hi,
Please pardon me for asking a question here, I don't wish to inflame the subject, but if a group of Independent Professional Registrants who use their domain names to make their living but who are not interested in domain names as a business per se (as is the case with your 3 examples), wish to participate collectively in the GNSO, would they be able to do so within the current BC structures and the future non contracted parties CSG.
YES.