Re: [ICANN-EU] Re: Don't waste your endorsement

[Marc Schneiders <marc@venster.nl>]

On 6 Sep 2000, Lutz Donnerhacke wrote:

> * Marc Schneiders wrote:
> >On 5 Sep 2000, Lutz Donnerhacke wrote:
> >>> Right now, the "open" TLDs are all in the capable hands of a unique
> >>> company. The introduction of (a limited number of) new TLDs will
> >>> provide alternatives.
> >> 
> >> Currently there are several registrars for the same TLDs. So a fair
> >> competition does not require new TLDs.
> >
> > Dozens in fact. But they all pay $6 to NSI for each domain.
> 
> This is a contract problem and not a problem of DNS.

Correct. But this still leaves the fact, that we were talking about :-) 
There is no fair competition, but a de facto monopoly, maybe even a de
jure one, but I'm no lawyer.

> > you are worried about some companies making 'unjust' profits out of the
> > DNS when there will be new gTLDs (without there being any additional
> > benefits to the internet at large, a position which I think is *not*
> > unreasonable at all)
> 
> I do not oppose the profits, I do oppose the creation of TLDs solely for
> profit.

I am all with you on this. A few months back I campaigned against new TLDs
for that reason and others. But this battle is lost, it seems. In a
concensus model one has to be able to say: OK, we have it your way. And
then try to participate in making the best of it. Being on the ICANN Board
will mean having to accept the introduction of new TLDs and working
towards a decent launching of them. (I may go on saying NO :-)

> > you should also share the sentiments about the NSI monopoly, which stil
> > exists for the major part of the registration fee. (Not to mention the
> > license fee all registrars have to pay NSI for using the software to talk
> > with the database.)
> 
> Ack, you can bet on my position on such monopoly structures. But I do not
> know the contracts to say more.
> 
> And I do not see new TLDs as a valid method to break the monopoly. This must
> be done by legal actions.

New TLDs not under NSI are an easier method to break the monopoly. It is
all about appeasing certain lobbies without getting into trouble. We both
know that.

Prophecy: There will be some (3, 4 or 5) new generic TLDs under a CORE
registry. .WEB will probably not be among those, because of the legal
problems that will cause with IODesign.
There will be a few chartered TLDs (3 - 6) as well.

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% Marc Schneiders ------- Venster - http://www.venster.nl % 
%* marc@venster.nl - marc@bijt.net - marc@schneiders.org *%
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