Intellectual Property Law

ICANN Monday

By Susan Crawford

There are lots of “Europeans For Obama” buttons here at ICANN’s meeting in Cairo.  We’re in a gigantic, visually disorienting hotel.

Some of the issues are disorienting too.  There are at least five that are central this week:

• new gTLDs - a big draft RFP is out.  Two more comment periods to go.  I’m hoping the board will discuss some key elements on Friday.  Geographic names — should objectors have to object to them, or should applicants have to present evidence of governmental support?  Contention — are auctions really a good idea?  Morality and public order - just what standards should arbitrators considering objections on these grounds look at?  Draft contracts - what should registries have to agree to as a condition of running a TLD?
• a “fast track” for IDNs (non-ASCII domains, using international scripts) associated with the ISO-3166 list.  Again, some things for the board to discuss.  Agreements, fees, contention with new gTLDs (could be some confusion there), timing, scope (will multiple scripts per country be permitted?).  This is a difficult one.  How do you know something is a ccTLD?  Potential answer:  most of the time, when it’s on the ISO-3166 list.  But that’s not the answer this process will produce.
• GNSO improvements.  Always.
• Board review.  Take a look at this very interesting independent review report.  It’s clear from the report that there isn’t a shared understanding of the function of the board.  We can all agree that the chair is doing a fine job - beyond that, it’s murky.  What to do?
• and this sleeper:  the work of the President’s Strategy Committee.

More tomorrow.

Full post as published by Susan Crawford Blog on November 03, 2008 (boomark / email).