ICANN New TLDs Draft Applicant Guidebook version 5

[GeorgeK]

ICANN has published DAGv5 for new TLDs, what they're suggesting will be the "final" guidebook:

http://www.icann.org/en/announcement...12nov10-en.htm
http://www.icann.org/en/topics/new-g...ments-5-en.htm

In my opinion, it's about as "final" as "Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter":

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Friday_...se)#Box_office

In other words, expect a few more sequels like "A New Beginning", "Jason Lives" and "The New Blood".

I managed to put together some initial comments at:

http://forum.icann.org/lists/5gtld-guide/msg00000.html

Feel free to use the ideas if you agree with them. It would be nice if more folks would back a competing proposal (e.g. our "Ascended TLDs" approach which used the concept of easements; or that of the DOC/DOJ from 2008 which rejected presumptive renewal and called explicitly for tenders that operate for the benefit of consumers, etc.).

[katherine]

I have read your comment and I don't know what else to say.

Well done George.

[GeorgeK]

They also cut the time to respond to a URS complaint from 20 days to 14 days. See:

http://forum.icann.org/lists/5gtld-guide/msg00002.html
http://forum.icann.org/lists/5gtld-guide/msg00003.html

Iit looks like the Board decided in September to change the URS response time:

http://www.icann.org/en/minutes/reso...p10-en.htm#2.6

at their Norway retreat (see item #2.6). That tilts the playing field even more in favour of complainants.

[Acro]

George, if you've seen the movie "The Cove" by fellow Greek Louie Psihoyos, you will see how the policies of whale and dolphin hunting are mandated by Japan: they essentially buy out other nations' votes, mostly small countries in Africa, Asia and the Caribbean and use those votes to reach a mandate that *appears* to be a universal vote. The decisions are then rolled out without the rest of the world ever taking a whiff about what is really going on.

[GeorgeK]

Acro: Thanks, good analogy.

[GeorgeK]

I think my newest comment might kill DAGv5:

http://forum.icann.org/lists/5gtld-guide/msg00004.html

The IP folks will go ballistic that such a huge loophole made it to what ICANN is calling the "final" guidebook, where cybersquatting by related companies gives folks a free pass.

[GeorgeK]

And just to show I'm not picking on GoDaddy, the same logic applies to Demand Media / eNom:

http://forum.icann.org/lists/5gtld-guide/msg00005.html