[ALAC] Fwd: GAC draft gTLD agenda for Beijing and advice to the ICANN Board on controversial or sensitive strings and applications

[Carlton Samuels]

The GAC has added new categories for which it could and may develop
objections.  The ones pertaining religious terms and 'strings that have
broad multiple uses and meanings' should at least preview some
intellectual jujitsu if not entertainment in the attempts to square the
circle!  Come to think, maybe even grist for more schisms.

Here's a doozy. "Strings that represent inherent government functions
and/or activities".   [Hmmmm....finger to mouth, Minime style...]

See the categorisation of the objections already contemplated and/or filed
at the end.

-Carlton

https://gacweb.icann.org/display/gacweb/Governmental+Advisory+Committee

31 March 2013
GAC draft gTLD agenda for Beijing and advice to the ICANN Board on
controversial or sensitive strings and applications

As the New gTLD Program moves forward, the GAC is making preparations for
delivering further advice on new gTLDs.  This advice constitutes a key
element of the overall process as outlined in the Applicant Guidebook (AG).

As anticipated, GAC Member Early Warnings were issued on November 20, 2012,
and applicants and GAC Members have been exchanging information with the
aim of reaching an understanding or agreement on concerns raised, wherever
possible.

In terms of the next phase, described in module 3.1 of the AG, the GAC as a
whole will be discussing its advice on new gTLDs.  These sessions are
organized into two parts:

Part I  Safeguard advice on the basis of categories of strings

The GAC discussions will proceed on the basis of advice to safeguard
categories of strings that raise concerns, or potential concerns, for
governments.  There are currently nine draft categories of strings proposed
for the GAC’s Beijing agenda.  Six were identified in the GAC Toronto
Communique:

   Consumer protection
   Strings that are linked to regulated market sectors, such as the
financial, health and charity sectors
   Competition issues
   Strings that have broad or multiple uses or meanings, and where one
entity is seeking exclusive use
   Religious terms where the applicant has no, or limited, support from the
relevant religious organisations or the religious community.
   Minimising the need for defensive registrations
   Protection of geographic names
   Intellectual property rights particularly in relation to strings aimed
at the distribution of music, video and other digital material

Three additional categories have now been proposed for consideration:

   Support for applications submitted by global authorities
   Corporate Identifier gTLDs
   Strings that represent inherent government functions and/or activities

As the GAC looks at these nine categories, and how they would apply to
strings and applications falling under these categories, the number of
safeguard categories or titles of the categories could change.

Part II  GAC advice/objections on specific applications

Twenty specific applications have been brought forward by a GAC Member or
Members for consideration by the GAC.  The GAC Member(s) putting forward
these applications have linked them to the following categories:

Community name where the applicant does not have support from the community
or the government: 1
Consumer protection: 2
Name of an Intergovernmental Organisation (IGO): 1
Protection of geographic names: 9
Religious terms: 2
Strings applied for that represent inherent government functions and/or
activities: 3
Support for applications submitted by global authorities: 2

The Operating Principles of the GAC outline the consensus-based approach of
the Committee and will serve as a key reference for the GAC in its
deliberations.

The GAC looks forward to the upcoming meetings and holding exchanges with
the ICANN Board and community on these and other important matters.