[ALAC] [GTLD-WG] Re "Introduction of Two-Character Domain Names in the New gTLD Namespace" Public comment

Thu Jul 10 14:21:08 UTC 2014

+1 Mwendwa

-----Original Message-----
From: gtld-wg-bounces at atlarge-lists.icann.org
[mailto:gtld-wg-bounces at atlarge-lists.icann.org] On Behalf Of Mwendwa Kivuva
Sent: Thursday, 10 July 2014 2:26 a.m.
To: Olivier MJ Crepin-Leblond
Cc: gTLD WG; ALAC Working List
Subject: Re: [GTLD-WG] [ALAC] Re "Introduction of Two-Character Domain Names
in the New gTLD Namespace" Public comment

Thanks Dev for those constructive comments. I hope I'm coherent enough in my
response :-).

On keeping with Specification 5, section 2, I think that clause should not
be cast in stone, even if we we are to protect the interests of unborn
territories. The way I see it, we can preemptively reserve names of new
territories to be formed in the next 20 years based on the information on
either of these lists
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_and_dependencies_by_area
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_states_with_limited_recognition
We find that there are just about 10 territories that might be formed in the
near future.

We find many countries not getting ISO 3166-1 codes which are more logical
to their alphabetical country names. For example, UK and US are really
perfect names with no confusion at all. But look at these names Angola - AO
Antigua and Barbuda - AG
[Austria - AT and   Australia -AU] - Very similar country names but Austria
was shortchanged
[Congo - CG and Colombia - CO]

Based on the above, new territories can still get "not very appropriate"
names when their desired names have been taken, but we should not reserve
two character names indefinitely if innovators have use for them.

After all, even when a new gTLD is applied for, it will still have to comply
with the guidebook, and go through community advice.

Warm Regards
--
______________________
Mwendwa Kivuva, Nairobi, Kenya
twitter.com/lordmwesh

______________________
Mwendwa Kivuva, Nairobi, Kenya
twitter.com/lordmwesh

"There are some men who lift the age they inhabit, till all men walk on
higher ground in that lifetime." - Maxwell Anderson

On 10 July 2014 10:08, Olivier MJ Crepin-Leblond <ocl at gih.com> wrote:

> Thanks for this, Dev.
> You'll note that the Statement is currently marked "No Statement" but 
> if there is interest and your comments gain traction, the ALAC could 
> indeed make a Statement.
> Kindest regards,
>
> Olivier
>
> On 10/07/2014 08:06, Dev Anand Teelucksingh wrote:
> > Regarding the public comment on "Introduction of Two-Character 
> > Domain
> Names
> > in the New gTLD Namespace" at https://community.icann.org/x/VqzhAg
> > which ends July 10 2014, I've posted the following at 
> > https://community.icann.org/x/VqzhAg
> > for consideration:
> >
> > "Various registries for multiple gTLDs are applying for exceptions 
> > to Specification 5, Section 2 of the New gTLD Registry Agreement 
> > ("Specification 5") with some registries suggesting the release of 2 
> > character ASCII labels not on the current ISO 3166 standard would
> suffice.
> >
> > While this seems harmless, there is a possibility of new countries 
> > and territories being created, and then allocated a new two 
> > character ASCII label by ISO 3166/MA (see
> >
> https://web.archive.org/web/20111101141651/http://www.iso.org/iso/coun
> try_codes/iso-3166-1_decoding_table.htm
> > ).
> >
> > Any new country or territory created after 2014 would therefore not
> receive
> > the same protection as those in the 2014 ISO 3166-2 list and would 
> > find that their new 2 character label is "given away", should they 
> > wish for their 2 character ASCII label to be protected, as per
Specification 5.
> >
> > Now, should the principle established by Specification 5 protecting 
> > 2 character ASCII labels even be in the New gTLD Registry Agreement? 
> > Many would say, especially given the prevalence of two character 
> > labels in existing TLDs like .com, .org and .net that this principle 
> > shouldn't be applied to new gTLDs.
> > However, this (IMO) is a separate issue to the question being asked 
> > for
> in
> > the public comment.
> >
> > If Specification 5 is meant to defend the principle that country 
> > codes in ISO 3166-2 should be protected in new gTLDs, then it should 
> > be enforced
> to
> > ensure future countries and territories with new 2 character ASCII 
> > labels are protected in the same way as those territories and 
> > countries in
> today's
> > ISO 3166-2 list.
> >
> > Therefore, the proposals by Donuts for 143 of its new gTLDS, .kred 
> > by KredTLD Pty Ltd, .best by BestTLD Pty Ltd and .ceo by CEOTLD Pty Ltd.
> > should be turned down in keeping with the principle of Specification 5.
> >
> > The proposal by .wiki by Top Level Design LLC which specifies that 
> > the
> two
> > character ASCII labels will only be used for languages identified by 
> > ISO
> > 639-1 does appear to meet the threshold that the use will not be 
> > confused with the corresponding country codes, as per Specification 
> > 5 and could be approved.
> >
> > Similarly, the proposal by .globo by Globo Comunicação e 
> > Participações
> S.A
> > which proposed the use of two character ASCII labels that are not 
> > letters or by two characters where only one of the character is a 
> > letter are
> labels
> > that would not be used by ISO 3166-2 and could be approved."
> >
> > Thoughts?
> >
> > Kind Regards,
> >
> > Dev Anand Teelucksingh
> > _______________________________________________
> > ALAC mailing list
> > ALAC at atlarge-lists.icann.org
> > https://atlarge-lists.icann.org/mailman/listinfo/alac
> >
> > At-Large Online: http://www.atlarge.icann.org ALAC Working Wiki:
> https://community.icann.org/display/atlarge/At-Large+Advisory+Committe
> e+(ALAC)
> >
>
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>
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