World Governments Object To New gTLDs 135
hypnosec writes "ICANN is receiving more and more requests for new generic top level domains, and governments around the world are busy registering their complaints and objections with the proposed names. To date, more than 200 objections have been raised against proposed gTLDs, with Australia leading the pack with over 120 objections. Some of the other countries which are at the forefront of registering their objections include France, Germany and India. US and UK are near the bottom of the list. ICANN's "early warnings" about national objections to gTLDs serves as formal objections but it doesn't mean that these domains will never be signed off. There is always room for discussions and mediation that would allow prospective registrants to keep on pursuing their claims. Australia has objected to names such as '.baby,' '.app,' and '.beauty' among other. It has also objected to names such as '.sucks' and '.wtf,' stating that these names have 'an overtly negative or critical connotation.'"
Why not just drop TLDs (Score:5, Informative)
Re:Hey I Know The Fix (Score:4, Informative)
If you own a trademark, let's say videolan. You figure, ok, let's pick up videolan.org. But oh wait, we need to prevent domain squatters from grabbing up the same names on
The thing to remember is that trademarks are NOT intended to be globally unique in the first place. They are specific to both places and types of business.
Re:Australia sucks balls. Balls that Australia suc (Score:4, Informative)
Damn, beat to the punch. But that doesn't matter, what matters is http://australia.sucks/ [australia.sucks] works even though it doesn't at time of writing. Or typing. Whatever.
But it's not Australia per se. It's a guy called Paul Twomey. He showed up in the late 90s after making a real dogs breakfast of internet regulations in Australia and was about as smarmy as they come so of course he did well in the den of lying clueless shitbag skullduggery that is ICANN and lasted 10 years until he lied to congress and achieved zero deliverables in a decade.
http://rs79.vrx.net/opinions/ideas/internet/domains/eyestar/icann/ceo/salary/ [vrx.net]
So, after being ousted and replaced by Beckstrom I'd wager he ran around to any governmental authority that would list and for only $way_too_much helped them write a report on the order of ".sucks" sucks.
This was done through the "Government Advisory Committee" or "GAC", and I was there that day when the GAC was introduced by the ITU wonk Bob Shaw as an "essential" part to this. Where "this" was supposed to be "measure the consensus of the internet communty and implement it".
During an open mike session later that hour, I asked for a show of hands for support for this GAC. 11 out of 1000 people raised their hands, all government reps to the GAC even though it hadn't been created yet. It was emphasized this was "advisory" only.
Ok, we heard your advice, now fuck off.
P.S. I still have the .rm files of that day in Berlin fom the Berkman center archives if anyone's interested.