PICs could be Beijing deal-breaker for new gTLDs

[yanni]

ICANN’s Governmental Advisory Committee may delay the approval of new gTLDs if applicants don’t submit Public Interest Commitments tomorrow.

from: Domain Incite (http://domainincite.com/12138-pics-could-be-beijing-deal-breaker-for-new-gtlds?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+DomainIncite+%28DomainIncite.com%29)


Wasn't Verisign trying to avoid submitting one?

[squirrel]

from: Domain Incite (http://domainincite.com/12138-pics-could-be-beijing-deal-breaker-for-new-gtlds?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+DomainIncite+%28DomainIncite.com%29)


Wasn't Verisign trying to avoid submitting one?

Interesting, thanks for sharing Yanni.

[squirrel]

Am I correct to think that because VRSN has not received any GAC warning, they don't risk much by not filing any PIC ?

[Rubber Duck]

Everything is a negotiating position until contracts are signed.

Intransigence is one negotiating tactic, albeit a risky one.

[Drewbert]

Am I correct to think that because VRSN has not received any GAC warning, they don't risk much by not filing any PIC ?

I don't think you are.

Verisign has made statements in it's application about the grandfathering of existing IDN.com/net registrants that are not mirrored in the standard contract. They need to back up those promises in a concrete fashion.

Grandfathering requires changes to the standard contract to ensure a new phase is added - grandfathering in existing half-IDN registrants PRIOR to the sunrise and landrush phases.

[bumblebee man]

Verisign has made statements in it's application about the grandfathering of existing IDN.com/net registrants that are not mirrored in the standard contract.

Did they? I must have missed this part.

[Drewbert]

"2. BENEFIT TO REGISTRANTS, INTERNET USERS, AND OTHERS

As of this writing, more than 800,000 internationalized second-level domain names are registered in .com,
including approximately 50,000 in Katakana. The JAPANESE_TRANSLITERATION_OF_.COM gTLD,
along with the other proposed IDN transliterations of .com, provide an immediate benefit to registrants of
those names by giving them the opportunity to register IDN second-level domain names as “IDN.IDN”
domain names. That is, registrants can use their preferred script in both the second-level domain name
and the gTLD name. Doing so improves these domain names’ functionality and accessibility to speakers
of non-Latin-based languages. "

and

"The initial target audience for JAPANESE_TRANSLITERATION_OF_.COM is the registrants of the
approximately 50,000 IDN second-level addresses in .com. These registrants will have the opportunity to
register their IDN.com addresses as IDN. JAPANESE_TRANSLITERATION_OF_.COM addresses. "

Under contract law, unless I'm mistaken, that implies current registrants get first dibs. Unfortunately, unless Verisign submit a PIC regarding that, there's nothing in the new contract that allows for first dibs before the TM lobby get their first dibs.

[bumblebee man]

Under contract law, unless I'm mistaken, that implies current registrants get first dibs. Unfortunately, unless Verisign submit a PIC regarding that, there's nothing in the new contract that allows for first dibs before the TM lobby get their first dibs.

Well, I know that text. It's not very specific however and it leaves plenty of room for interpretation.

I'm missing words like "grandfathering", "exclusive rights" or "before anyone else". Without them it's a pretty meaningless statement which doesn't give us anything imo.

[Drewbert]

giving them the opportunity to register IDN second-level domain names as “IDN.IDN” domain names.

You can't give someone such an opportunity, if you've already let someone else filch the domain, so I think that sentence implies "first dibs".

If it doesn't then "injunction filed in Virginia court" becomes a thread in this subfourum.

[Rubber Duck]

and



Under contract law, unless I'm mistaken, that implies current registrants get first dibs. Unfortunately, unless Verisign submit a PIC regarding that, there's nothing in the new contract that allows for first dibs before the TM lobby get their first dibs.

I think we should be getting the ONLY Dibs, as anything else will be breach of ICANN's remit, which is to avoid User Confusion.

I don't think that you will actually be able to register these new names independently. I think you will only be able to activate them as an addon to your existing registration.

Frankly, this stuff has not been sorted. Nobody even knows whether Simplified or Trad will be two option or just variants of one option. So they haven't even got close to resolving all the issues at the First Level let alone the second. Could be good news for us though as Variants are probably going to be free.

[Rubber Duck]

Well, I know that text. It's not very specific however and it leaves plenty of room for interpretation.

I'm missing words like "grandfathering", "exclusive rights" or "before anyone else". Without them it's a pretty meaningless statement which doesn't give us anything imo.

Absolutely, Verisign are the Queens of Vague.

Exclusive Rights is what we should be getting, and that is what I was kicking up about last summer when nearly everyone else seemed to be suffering from selective deafness.

[Drewbert]

I don't think that you will actually be able to register these new names independently.

Of course you will, AFTER the grandfathering and sunrise stages.


Frankly, this stuff has not been sorted. Nobody even knows whether Simplified or Trad will be two option or just variants of one option.

Right, but let's not be too worried about that as it is something that can be sorted out after grandfathering. Grandfathering is by far more important, and what we all need to be concentrating on right now.

People need to remove "variant" from all conversations, as it confuses other people in the ICANN process and they don't realise that the actual (much more important) topic at hand is grandfathering - ie giving owners of half-IDN's their full-IDN equivalent.

[domainguru]

We've all been trying to get blood out of the VeriSign stone since day dot. Nothing you or I or other members has made a difference to them.

They ain't listening to us dude. That's the reality.

If they do "the right thing", it will be because of their self-interest, not anything somebody here has done. Same for doing the wrong thing. This isn't in our hands.

[Rubber Duck]

Of course you will, AFTER the grandfathering and sunrise stages.


Well, if that is the case then you might as well forget about User Confusion.
ICANN should get around the contention set by just allowing the runners up to use Upper Case or Cyrillics, so that you can have 3 or 4 registrable strings instead of one.

Sorry, but this is never going to fly.

Personally, I would love to see a high stakes bun fight that raises awareness while delaying the whole show for 6 months, as the outcome really is not in doubt.

There cannot be a Sunrise Phase. That Horse Bolted years ago.

I don't know why all the F*ckhead Americans don't just stand aside and leave it somebody competant like the Chinese.

[blackpower]

I don't think VerSign is trying to renege on its public commitments. They made very clear statements in their applications that can hardly be intepreted as they could screw existing asci.idn holders.
USA is the wrong country for this, imho. But I hope courts interventions would not be necessary and Verisign will honor their commitments as they should.
Do you notice PIR did not submit PIC eighter?

[Avtal]

I'm going to play the optimist here.

Chuck Gomes made some fairly clear statements in a blog read by domainers (http://domainnamewire.com/2010/02/26/verisigns-plans-for-com-idns-become-clearer/) (not to mention in various ICANN meetings), and domainers spent money in response, so it would be legally awkward for Verisign to change its mind now.

The question, then, is whether Verisign will honor aliasing ("grandfather") rights before trademark rights.

Verisign isn't talking, but the fact that they aren't talking may be a good sign. If they are really planning to give priority to aliasing rights, they would not want to publicize that fact before they have a signed contract with ICANN. Otherwise the trademark lobby would take preemptive action (they have lots of friends on GAC).

Anyway, we can speculate endlessly, but we should know for sure pretty soon.

Avtal

[sarcle]

We've all been trying to get blood out of the VeriSign stone since day dot. Nothing you or I or other members has made a difference to them.

They ain't listening to us dude. That's the reality.

Same thing I've always said, they haven't, they wont, nor are they listening or can they hear us, why does anyone expect that to change now? Thumbs up asses is all Icann say.

And you all believed that dumbshit Tina is what I think. Good thing she has the blessing of RIAA. Jesus, I hope, hope wins.

EDIT: YOU ALL GAVE THANKS TO THE WRONG MESSIAH.