[NA-Discuss] Summary Minutes NARALO Call 14 February 2011

Evan Leibovitch evan at telly.org
Tue Feb 15 20:37:15 UTC 2011


On 15 February 2011 15:09, Eric Brunner-Williams
<ebw at abenaki.wabanaki.net>wrote:


> the absence of any vehicle for Indians, and others, to replicate what the
> Catalans have managed, and for less than $50,000, troubles me a lot more
> than the GAC or the USG potentially "vetoing" an application for an Indian
> or other registry.
>

Obstacles take many forms. That particular impediment comes from the very
top of ICANN.

In its response to previous work done by the JAS committee (that was
endorsed by ALAC but not even "received" by GNSO), the Board said that the
financial barrier to entry for new gTLD applications is untouchable in this
round. This is based on a core GNSO requirement that all gTLD activities be
done on a cost-recovery basis, combined with ICANN staff's risk assessment
which has demanded that the fee of $185 be maintained and cannot be waived
or lowered based on the status of the applicant.

Restricted this way, the JAS is now primarily in a role of determining
external fundraising activities, a field in which I have next to zero
expertise (and why my participation in the group has plummeted despite my
ongoing attendance).

Of course, the JAS could stand on principle and insist -- despite the
Board's existing refusal and against GNSO policy -- that the price be
lowered for economically challenged applicants. The likelihood of such a
request being heeded is extremely low. But it's no worse than the current
state in which the Board/GNSO direction has totally shifted the JAS focus
away from ICANN's own responsibility to support such efforts, and turned to
external funders willing to pay ICANN's full fare.

- Evan



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