[kictanet] Scramble for New Domain Names Begins

[Alice Munyua]

Hi Pierre and all,

>
>To expand McTim's questions, is there any African position on the same 
issues?

New gTLDs are important, (open new opportunities change internet name 
space etc) but this will also have significant public policy, legal and 
marketing implications. While there has not been an "African" position,  
the GAC works on consensus and so I would say that most of the issues 
where there is continued disagreements not yet resolved would be issues 
most  governments represented on GAC support.  The main issues are *_1. 
Root Zone Scaling, 2. Market and Economic Impacts, 3. Registry -- 
Registrar Separation, 4. Protection of Rights Owners, 
_**5.****_Post-delegation Disputes with governments, 6. Use of 
geographic names, 7. Legal recourse for applications and 8. Providing 
opportunities for all stakeholders including those from developing 
countries.
_***Issue 8 is particularly important for Africa. For those who have 
seen the latest version of DAG, the proposed new round as is currently 
framed would carry the risk of excluding those with limited financial 
resources from benefiting due to the fees structure, etc. It also does 
not live up to ICANN's commitment to act in the "global public interest" 
consistent with the affirmation of commitments.

>
>On the .XXX, for instance, I recall the Nigerian representative on the 
GAC had elaborated on an 'African position' at the last ICANN meeting.

Yes Mary did speak up during the Cartagena meeting, but it was not an 
African position.

>
>
>=
>On .xxx/. Gay/. Whatever is that some people find offensive?

  Pornography, even though abundant, especially in locally made DVD's 
and pirated ones, is illegal in Kenya and many other African countries. 
Homosexuality is also illegal.   While other governments 
have free-speech obligations and so it is legal to distribute and 
produce pornography with restrictions placed upon it.
In countries where it is illegal, it would be difficult to support dot 
xxx or dot gay.


>
> >
>Will you be supporting the US position that governments get a veto?

Its not so much about supporting US call for government's veto, but 
perhaps it is time to seriously reflect on how ICANN works/operates.  
would relate it to a discussion we had on this list sometime last year 
about internationalizing ICANN as one of the proposals from the 
President's committee.


best

Alice



--
Cheers,

McTim
"A name indicates what we seek. An address indicates where it is. A
route indicates how we get there."  Jon Postel


On Mon, Feb 7, 2011 at 7:28 PM, Alice Munyua <alice at apc.org 
<mailto:alice at apc.org>> wrote:
>  http://slatest.slate.com/id/2284157/
>
>  Scramble for New Domain Names Begins
>
>  For years, most internet addresses have relied on a standard set of Web
>  addresses ending in .com, .net, and .edu. Now, an impending mass expansion
>  of domain names is set to add subject-specific (and potentially
>  controversial) suffixes into the mix. The Washington Post reports that 
.god,
>  .gay, and .islam are just some of the infinite number of names to be
>  introduced in a move that may make the Internet more intuitive, or 
just more
>  irritating. Naturally this will throw up the usual set of controversies:
>  Who, for example, gets to control .abortion, .muhammad, and .nazi? The new
>  suffixes will be dolled out by an obscure nonprofit based in 
California that
>  OKed the expansion in 2008 but still hasn't figured out exactly how it 
will
>  work. The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers will 
come to a
>  decision this spring and then begin considering proposals from 
companies and
>  government. ICANN has encouraged applicants to "Join the Internet land
>  rush!" on its Web site, although the new suffixes will come at a price. It
>  costs $185,000 just to apply, plus an annual $25,000 fee to operate 
the new
>  domain name. Critics say the "landrush" is simply a moneymaking scheme for
>  the group and corporations that own the domains. The chairman of ICANN 
says
>  the high fees are necessary because the nonprofit anticipates a lot of
>  suffix-related lawsuits.
>
>  --
>
>

>  _______________________________________________
>  kictanet mailing list
>  kictanet at lists.kictanet.or.ke <mailto:kictanet at lists.kictanet.or.ke>
>  http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet
>
>  This message was sent to: dogwallah at gmail.com <mailto:dogwallah at gmail.com>
>  Unsubscribe or change your options at
>  http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/dogwallah%40gmail.com
>
>

_______________________________________________
kictanet mailing list
kictanet at lists.kictanet.or.ke <mailto:kictanet at lists.kictanet.or.ke>
http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet

This message was sent to: pdandjinou at gmail.com <mailto:pdandjinou at gmail.com>
Unsubscribe or change your options at 
http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/pdandjinou%40gmail.com




-- 

Pierre Dandjinou
Cotonou - 229 90 087784 / 66566610

Dakar 221 77 639 30 41

www.scg.bj <http://www.scg.bj/>

skype : sagbo1953






_______________________________________________
kictanet mailing list
kictanet at lists.kictanet.or.ke
http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet

This message was sent to: alice at apc.org
Unsubscribe or change your options at 
http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/alice%40apc.org

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/pipermail/kictanet/attachments/20110208/8597a865/attachment.htm>