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background-size: auto; background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: repeat
repeat;">In memory of Mr. Cleveland Boston, a former minor league hockey
player for the Portland Pirates, please add me as an individual signatory on
the statement. What really upsets me about the GAC document is that it
reflects a reality that doesn't exist. It's nice that the GAC
understands that there are differences between trademarks and domain names.
Nice if the IPC would recognise this. They then try to create a special
category of domain names that exist only subject to government approval.
As with sunrise B with .XXX, amongst other situations, we could have
words disappear without a trace, at least in terms of domain names. This is
absurd and is every bit as bad as the most maximalist positions in the
i.p. community. Thanks for working on this Robin. Fully support.</div>
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<blockquote style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px;
BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px">-----Original
Message-----<br />
From: Robin Gross <robin@IPJUSTICE.ORG><br />
To: NCSG-DISCUSS@LISTSERV.SYR.EDU<br />
Date: Tue, 30 Dec 2014 11:01:01 -0800<br />
Subject: Re: Civil Society Statement on GAC Sub-Group's Proposal on
"Geographic Names" in Top Level Domain Names<br />
<br />
FYI: Here's the text again:
<div> </div>
<div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal"><span
style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Civil Society Comments on
the Proposal of the ICANN GAC Sub-Group on Geographic Names<o:p></o:p></span>
</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">
<o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">
December 2014<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">
<o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal"><span
style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Introduction and Summary<o:p>
</o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">
<o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">
Thank you for this opportunity to provide comments on the proposal in the
document entitled, “The protection of geographic names in the new
gTLDs process,” published by ICANN’s Governmental Advisory
Committee (GAC) Sub-group on Geographic Names regarding future rounds of
gTLDs and dated 29 August 2014.<a href="#_ftn1" name="_ftnref1"
style="mso-footnote-id:ftn1" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference">
<span style="mso-special-character:footnote"><span
class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span
style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-fareast-font-family:"ＭＳ
明朝";mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast;
mso-ansi-language:EN-US;mso-fareast-language:EN-US;mso-bidi-language:AR-SA">
[1]</span></span></span></span></a><span style="mso-spacerun:yes">
</span>We caution against the adoption of the proposal because it would
threaten to chill freedom of expression and other lawful rights to use words
in domain names, stifle innovation, and undermine the multi-stakeholder
model for Internet governance.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>
The proposal is based on flawed presumptions of law and “the public
interest” and is entirely unworkable from a practical standpoint.<o:p>
</o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">
<o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">
The GAC sub-group proposes that “geographic names should not be
allowed to be registered as gTLDs, unless requested by the relevant
communities where they belong or after a specific authorization given by the
government or community to the applicant.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes">
</span>The national community and geographic meaning of the requested
strings as new gTLDs must prevail above any other interest.”<span
style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">
<o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">
The proposal asserts that ICANN’s Applicant Guidebook text should be
amended to state: “ICANN should avoid country, territory or place
names, and country, territory or regional language or people descriptions,
unless in agreement with the relevant governments or public
authorities.”<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span><o:p></o:p>
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">
<o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">
The proposal attempts to apply national law pertaining to geographic names
to domain names, although it goes much further, and re-asserts the
controversial 2007 GAC Principle: “New gTLDs should respect national
sensitivities regarding terms with national, cultural, geographic and
religious significance.”<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>
ICANN’s Board wisely rejected that 2007 GAC Principle, which opens the
door for governmental censorship of domain names.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">
<o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">
Unfortunately this proposal is based on fundamental misinterpretations of
international law around geographic names; it is overbroad, vague,
arbitrary, and entirely unworkable in practice.<span
style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Furthermore, it would severely chill
freedom of expression, innovation, and the free flow of information on the
Internet should the proposal become global domain name policy.<span
style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">
<o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">
One of the historical reasons the Internet has flourished is precisely
because permission was not required of governments before ideas were allowed
to be expressed or otherwise spread in the domain name system.<span
style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Yet this proposal undermines the
principles of permissionless innovation and freedom of expression by
creating a “permission-required” domain name system, although
permission <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">from whom</i> and <i
style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">for what</i> is entirely unknowable in
advance.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">
<o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal"><span
style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Proposal Based on False
Understandings and Misapplications of Law<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">
<o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">
Despite the document’s labeling of this proposal as pertaining to
“geographic names” there is nothing in international law to
support the proposal’s creation of new worldwide exclusive rights to
control the use <span class="msoIns"><ins cite="mailto:Milton%20Mueller"
datetime="2014-12-20T22:58">of </ins></span>words in the domain name
system.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">
<o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">
The proposal misapplies trademark law and conflates national regulation of
geographic indicators with an exclusive worldwide right to regulate language
in domain names.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Legal rights
regarding geographic indicators only regulate the commercial use of marks in
connection with specific goods and services, and in only specific
territories – <span class="msoIns"><ins cite="mailto:Milton%20Mueller"
datetime="2014-12-20T22:59">they do </ins></span>not <span class="msoIns">
<ins cite="mailto:Milton%20Mueller" datetime="2014-12-20T22:59">create a
blanket</ins></span> right to regulate the use of words in the domain name
system in all categories of goods and services, and in all nations of the
world.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">
<o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">
International law pertaining to the restriction of sovereign names and
identifiers does not recognize geographic names outside of a specific
country’s borders.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>The
proposal ignores important territorial restrictions and extends <span
class="msoIns"><ins cite="mailto:Milton%20Mueller"
datetime="2014-12-20T23:00">protection</ins></span> to the entire world.
<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>This proposal would create
worldwide exclusive rights for governments to regulate the use of words in
domains that are not legitimately based in any law.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">
<o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">
<o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal"><span
style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">“Public
Interest” Presumed Prematurely<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">
<o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">
Besides the fundamental misapplications of law, the proposal also relies
upon questionable presumptions of what is in the “public
interest” and thus the most appropriate policy for ICANN to
pursue.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">
<o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">
ICANN domain name policy impact<span class="msoIns"><ins
cite="mailto:Milton%20Mueller" datetime="2014-12-20T23:01">s</ins></span>
many diverse stakeholders <span class="msoIns"><ins
cite="mailto:Milton%20Mueller" datetime="2014-12-20T23:01">with</ins></span>
a variety of legitimate interests<span class="msoIns"><ins
cite="mailto:Milton%20Mueller" datetime="2014-12-20T23:01">,</ins></span>
including freedom of expression rights and other noncommercial interests,
commercial interests, and the interests of governments<span class="msoIns">
<ins cite="mailto:Milton%20Mueller" datetime="2014-12-20T23:02">.</ins>
</span> <span class="msoIns"><ins cite="mailto:Robin%20Gross"
datetime="2014-12-21T11:06"><span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>
</ins></span><span class="msoIns"><ins cite="mailto:Milton%20Mueller"
datetime="2014-12-20T23:02">A</ins></span>ll of <span class="msoIns"><ins
cite="mailto:Milton%20Mueller" datetime="2014-12-20T23:02">these </ins>
</span>are supposedly balanced <span class="msoIns"><ins
cite="mailto:Milton%20Mueller" datetime="2014-12-20T23:02">in the policy
development process </ins></span>to reach a consensus that takes into
account all the stakeholders’ interests.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">
<o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">
In contrast, the GAC document boldly asserts: “The national community
and geographic meaning of the requested strings as new gTLDs must prevail
above any other interest.”<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>
No argument is given for this proposition, however.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">
<o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">
ICANN’s policy development process was established to balance the
various competing legitimate interests, including the interests of
governments, so it is not appropriate for a GAC sub-group to presume that in
that conversation among all interests that the governments’ specific
view would naturally prevail as “the public interest<span
class="msoIns"><ins cite="mailto:Milton%20Mueller"
datetime="2014-12-20T23:03">.</ins></span>”<span
style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Let’s not skip the conversation
<span class="msoIns"><ins cite="mailto:Milton%20Mueller"
datetime="2014-12-20T23:03">with all stakeholders about </ins></span>what
policy would best reflect the public interest.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes">
</span>A discussion about the rights of Internet users to free
expression weighed against a government’s interest to regulate words
used in domain names would be a good starting point.<span
style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>This proposal presumes that a single
stakeholder (the <span class="msoIns"><ins cite="mailto:Milton%20Mueller"
datetime="2014-12-20T23:04">GAC</ins></span>) is the exclusive arbiter of
“the global public interest”, a position that significantly
undermines ICANN’s multi-stakeholder policy development process.<span
style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">
<o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal"><span
style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Undermines Freedom of
Expression Rights<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">
<o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">
One of the biggest concerns with the proposal’s implementation is its
chilling impact on freedom of expression in the Internet domain name system.
While the document never uses the word, what it proposes in operation is <i
style="mso-bidi-font-style:
normal">censorship</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>The
proposal entirely ignores freedom of expression rights in domain names and
makes no mention or consideration for those legitimate interests of Internet
users in its analysis.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">
<o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">
Since the Internet’s inception, courts of law throughout the world
have generally recognized Internet users’ freedom of expression rights
to use domain names.<a href="#_ftn2" name="_ftnref2"
style="mso-footnote-id:ftn2" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference">
<span style="mso-special-character:footnote"><span
class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span
style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-fareast-font-family:"ＭＳ
明朝";mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast;
mso-ansi-language:EN-US;mso-fareast-language:EN-US;mso-bidi-language:AR-SA">
[2]</span></span></span></span></a><span style="mso-spacerun:yes">
</span>Indeed the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) cites
freedom of expression rights as one of the primary reasons that there are so
many disputes regarding the use of Internet domain names.<a href="#_ftn3"
name="_ftnref3" style="mso-footnote-id:ftn3" title=""><span
class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character:footnote">
<span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span
style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-fareast-font-family:"ＭＳ
明朝";mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast;
mso-ansi-language:EN-US;mso-fareast-language:EN-US;mso-bidi-language:AR-SA">
[3]</span></span></span></span></a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">
<o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">
Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights guarantees everyone
the right to freedom of opinion and expression including the “freedom
to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart
information and ideas through any media and regardless of
frontiers.”<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>There is no
exception made for exchanging ideas in the Internet domain name space;
indeed the guarantee is explicitly clear that free speech <span
class="msoIns"><ins cite="mailto:Milton%20Mueller"
datetime="2014-12-20T23:05">rights apply </ins></span>regardless of the type
of media and the breadth of the reach of the communication.<span
style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Article 19 of the UNDHR speaks
directly to the Internet age and global domain name policy, although adopted
the UN General Assembly <span class="msoIns"><ins
cite="mailto:Robin%20Gross" datetime="2014-12-21T11:49">half a century</ins>
</span> ago.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Other international
legal instruments such as the International Covenant on Civil and Political
Rights create similar free speech obligations, which are binding on nations
to protect the rights of Internet users to communicate freely on the
Internet.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">
<o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">
<span class="msoIns"><ins cite="mailto:Robin%20Gross"
datetime="2014-12-21T11:26">T</ins></span>he GAC proposal ignores the
existing new gTLD policy passed by ICANN’s GNSO Council, including
“Principle G”, which states, “The string evaluation
process must not infringe the applicant’s freedom of expression rights
that are protected under internationally recognized principles of
law.”<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Recommendation 3 of
ICANN’s “Implementation Guidelines” reinforces the
GNSO’s intention to respect domain name applicants’ freedom of
expression rights in domain names.<a href="#_ftn4" name="_ftnref4"
style="mso-footnote-id:ftn4" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference">
<span style="mso-special-character:footnote"><span
class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span
style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-fareast-font-family:"ＭＳ
明朝";mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast;
mso-ansi-language:EN-US;mso-fareast-language:EN-US;mso-bidi-language:AR-SA">
[4]</span></span></span></span></a> <span style="mso-spacerun:yes">
</span>These initial protections built by the GNSO to protect
applicants’ free expression rights would be significantly curtailed by
the policy change proposed by the GAC sub-group.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">
<o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">
Despite longstanding internationally accepted and legally binding
obligations to protect freedom of expression and the GNSO’s effort to
protect free expression in the initial policy, the GAC proposal does not
<span class="msoIns"><ins cite="mailto:Milton%20Mueller"
datetime="2014-12-20T23:06">even </ins></span>consider these rights<span
class="msoIns"><ins cite="mailto:Milton%20Mueller"
datetime="2014-12-20T23:06">,</ins></span> <span class="msoIns"><ins
cite="mailto:Milton%20Mueller" datetime="2014-12-20T23:06">nor does it
consider </ins></span>free expression <span class="msoIns"><ins
cite="mailto:Milton%20Mueller" datetime="2014-12-20T23:06">as furthering the
public interest </ins></span>anywhere in its analysis.<o:p></o:p></span>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">
<o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">
Important public governance obligations, such as protection for free
expression rights, cannot be avoided simply by outsourcing governance
functions to private corporations, such as ICANN.<span
style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>It is no longer an acceptable
argument to claim that because ICANN is a private corporation, it owes no
obligation to protect Internet users’ free expression rights.<span
style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>ICANN undertakes public governance
functions and so will have to evolve its understanding of the
responsibilities it has to protect the fundamental rights of Internet users
in its policies, especially if it wishes to maintain those functions in the
future.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">
<o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal"><span
style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Unworkable Practically: Too
Broad, Uncertain, and Vague</span></b><span style="font-family:"Times
New Roman""> <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal"><o:p></o:p></b>
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">
<o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">
Another significant concern about the proposal to restrict geographic names
is that it is completely unworkable from a practical standpoint.<span
style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>The proffered restriction on
entire categories of words in domain names is excessively broad, vague,
uncertain, and arbitrary.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Given
the broad categories of words restricted, the different meanings of words,
and the many languages in the world, it would be impossible to predict which
words must receive advance permission before ICANN will consider them in a
gTLD application.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">
<o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">
The proposal reach<span class="msoIns"><ins cite="mailto:Milton%20Mueller"
datetime="2014-12-20T23:08">es</ins></span> <span class="msoIns"><ins
cite="mailto:Milton%20Mueller" datetime="2014-12-20T23:08">too </ins></span>
far – it would restrict<span class="msoIns"><ins
cite="mailto:Milton%20Mueller" datetime="2014-12-20T23:08"> </ins></span>any
and all words that<span class="msoIns"><ins cite="mailto:Milton%20Mueller"
datetime="2014-12-20T23:08">,</ins></span> in a single government’s
view<span class="msoIns"><ins cite="mailto:Milton%20Mueller"
datetime="2014-12-20T23:08">,</ins></span> are of “national
interest”<span class="msoIns"><ins cite="mailto:Milton%20Mueller"
datetime="2014-12-20T23:08"> –</ins></span> including names of
“regions of countries, regions of continents, sub-regions of
countries, rivers, mountains, among others.”<span
style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Although not geographic names per se,
the GAC Sub-group’s proposed restrictions additionally extend to words
that describe <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">people</i> or <i
style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">languages</i>.<span
style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>How could any applicant realistically
be expected to know which words every government (or other relevant
authority) in the world lays claim to?<span style="mso-spacerun:yes">
</span>Obviously such a policy is unworkable <span class="msoIns"><ins
cite="mailto:Milton%20Mueller" datetime="2014-12-20T23:09">due to </ins>
</span>the over<span class="msoIns"><ins cite="mailto:Milton%20Mueller"
datetime="2014-12-20T23:09">ly broad</ins></span>, vague and uncertain
abridgements on expression<span class="msoIns"><ins
cite="mailto:Milton%20Mueller" datetime="2014-12-20T23:09"> it would
impose</ins></span>.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>
Additionally<span class="msoIns"><ins cite="mailto:Milton%20Mueller"
datetime="2014-12-20T23:09">,</ins></span> the proposal’s
arbitrariness is ripe for abuse and confusion in the administration of the
domain name system.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">
<o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">
The proposal is also problematic for its substantial lack of clarity
regarding which “relevant governments or public authorities”
must provide permissions before a word can be used in a domain name.<span
style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Take the simple yet illustrative
example of the Great Lakes Region and international waterway straddling
Canada and the U.S.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>From whom
should an applicant obtain permission before the words “Great
Lakes” can be used in a gTLD?<span style="mso-spacerun:yes">
</span>Who are the “relevant governments and authorities” that
must provide permission before the gTLD can go forward in such case?<span
style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Is it the government of the United
States<span class="msoIns"><ins cite="mailto:Milton%20Mueller"
datetime="2014-12-20T23:10">,</ins></span> Canada<span class="msoIns"><ins
cite="mailto:Milton%20Mueller" datetime="2014-12-20T23:10"> or both</ins>
</span>?<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Perhaps the State of
Michigan or the province of Ontario must be consulted<span class="msoIns">
<ins cite="mailto:Milton%20Mueller" datetime="2014-12-20T23:10">, too</ins>
</span>. <span class="msoIns"><ins cite="mailto:Robin%20Gross"
datetime="2014-12-21T11:31"><span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>
</ins></span>What about the sovereign Indian Nations after which the Great
Lakes of Huron, Ontario, Michigan, and Erie were named – would their
permission be required also should any application include those words?
<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>The lack of clarity as to which
relevant authorities must provide advance permission for a gTLD application
to go forward and the lack of clarity as to which words require advance
permission render the proposal entirely unworkable from a practical
standpoint.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">
<o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">
Under the GNSO’s adopted policy, Recommendation 1 of its New gTLD
Implementation Guidelines clearly states that “all
applicants…should be evaluated against transparent, and predictable
criteria, fully available to the applicants prior to the initiation of the
process… No subsequent selection criteria should be used in the
selection process.”<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>
How the GAC Sub-group’s proposal on geographic names could be adopted
without repealing the GNSO’s policy, which requires objectively
knowable and predictable criteria<span class="msoIns"><ins
cite="mailto:Milton%20Mueller" datetime="2014-12-20T23:11">,</ins></span>
has not been discussed.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">
<o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal"><span
style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">A Permission-Required DNS
is</span></b><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""> <b
style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal">Anti-Innovation</b><o:p></o:p></span>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">
<o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">
Another problematic aspect of the GAC Sub-group’s proposal on
geographic names is the <span class="msoIns"><ins
cite="mailto:Milton%20Mueller" datetime="2014-12-20T23:11">number </ins>
</span>and complexity of permissions required before gTLDs are allowed to
proceed<span class="msoIns"><ins cite="mailto:Milton%20Mueller"
datetime="2014-12-20T23:11">.</ins></span> <span class="msoIns"><ins
cite="mailto:Milton%20Mueller" datetime="2014-12-20T23:11">This </ins></span>
will have a stifling effect on innovation.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes">
</span>The proposal adds burdensome red-tape, will slow the
development of the Internet, and saddles consumers with higher costs<span
class="msoIns"><ins cite="mailto:Robin%20Gross" datetime="2014-12-21T11:36">
and restricted choices</ins></span>.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes">
</span>This plan basically creates a veto power that any government or other
relevant authority could exercise over any proposed gTLD.<span
style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>It invites politicization into the
DNS administration, which is <span class="msoIns"><ins
cite="mailto:Robin%20Gross" datetime="2014-12-21T11:38">un</ins></span>
healthy to the growth and development of the Internet.<o:p></o:p></span>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">
<o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">
Permissionless innovation is a fundamental characteristic of the Internet
that contributed dramatically to its growth and beneficial development<span
class="msoIns"><ins cite="mailto:Milton%20Mueller"
datetime="2014-12-20T23:12">.</ins></span> <span class="msoIns"><ins
cite="mailto:Robin%20Gross" datetime="2014-12-21T11:36"><span
style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span></ins></span><span class="msoIns"><ins
cite="mailto:Milton%20Mueller" datetime="2014-12-20T23:12">I</ins></span>t
would be unfortunate for ICANN to move the DNS into a permission-required
environment, where any government in the world can veto any gTLD which
contains a word it <span class="msoIns"><ins cite="mailto:Milton%20Mueller"
datetime="2014-12-20T23:12">unilaterally </ins></span>claims invokes
national sensitivities.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span><o:p>
</o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">
<o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">
An analysis of the possible benefits of the proposal weighed against the
harms to innovation and free expression would be an important step of any
serious consideration of such a policy’s adoption.<o:p></o:p></span>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">
<o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal"><span
style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Inappropriate Forum - Policy
Laundering?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">
<o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">
ICANN is an inappropriate forum to undertake the creation of new
“intellectual property like” global rights to geographic
names.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>As a technical
coordinator, ICANN is not an international legal regime and<span
class="msoIns"><ins cite="mailto:Milton%20Mueller"
datetime="2014-12-20T23:13"> its board</ins></span> has neither <span
class="msoIns"><ins cite="mailto:Milton%20Mueller"
datetime="2014-12-20T23:13">the </ins></span>expertise nor <span
class="msoIns"><ins cite="mailto:Milton%20Mueller"
datetime="2014-12-20T23:13">the </ins></span>authority to create new
exclusive rights to categories of words.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes">
</span>If the governments in the GAC Sub-group believe there is a
legitimate need for such new rights, those efforts should be directed toward
proper lawmaking <span class="msoIns"><ins cite="mailto:Milton%20Mueller"
datetime="2014-12-20T23:13">and treaty </ins></span>channels. <span
style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>International legal regimes such as
the World Trade Organization or WIPO were established by governments to
harmonize legal rights across borders and similar proposals around
geographic names have been debated for years at the WTO and have failed.<o:p>
</o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">
<o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">
Inventing exclusive new global rights to words would seriously undermine
ICANN’s legitimacy and credibility to manage the domain name
system.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>At a time when many are
watching ICANN to see if it has matured enough to be cut lose from the US
NTIA, opening itself up to charges of “policy laundering” by
inventing new rights to geographic names would not help the
organization’s credibility.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes">
</span>While the proposal’s drafters may have some legitimate concerns
regarding the use of certain limited geographic names, ICANN is not the
appropriate forum for creating such new rights.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">
<o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal"><span
style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Conclusion:<span
style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span><span class="msoIns"><ins
cite="mailto:Milton%20Mueller" datetime="2014-12-20T23:13">A</ins></span>n
Unbalanced Proposal that Should be Rejected <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">
<o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">
The GAC Sub-group’s proposal to amend ICANN policy to grant
governments and other “relevant authorities” a veto over any new
gTLD application is very problematic and should be rejected.<span
style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>It is based on a dubious
interpretation of international law and questionable conclusions as to what
policy best reflects the public interest as a whole.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">
<o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">
The proposal is excessively broad in the categories of words that it
restricts and excessively vague and burdensome in <span class="msoIns"><ins
cite="mailto:Milton%20Mueller" datetime="2014-12-20T23:14">the </ins></span>
permissions <span class="msoIns"><ins cite="mailto:Milton%20Mueller"
datetime="2014-12-20T23:14">it requires </ins></span>to proceed with a gTLD
in future rounds.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Freedom of
expression rights to domain names would be severely abridged and innovation
stifled by the ability of any government to veto any gTLD as proposed.<span
class="msoIns"><ins cite="mailto:Milton%20Mueller"
datetime="2014-12-20T23:14"> </ins></span>Furthermore the proposal
re-asserts the controversial 2007 GAC Principle that requires gTLDs to
“respect national sensitivities regarding terms with national,
cultural, geographic and religious significance.”<span
style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Thus the proposal sets a dangerous
precedent for building government censorship into the DNS.<span
style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>In other words, it is a bad policy
for Internet freedom that should not be adopted.<span
style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">
<o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">
<o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">
Respectfully submitted,</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">
<u>Organizations:</u></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">
IP Justice<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">
Internet Governance Project<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">
Public Knowledge<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">
Article 19<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">
Electronic Frontier Finland<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">
Movimento Mega (Brazil)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">
Bangladesh NGOs Network for Radio and Communication <o:p></o:p></span>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">
Digital Rights Ireland<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">
Bytes For All (Pakistan)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">
Electronic Frontiers Australia<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">
Open Institute Cambodia<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">
Access Humboldt</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">
<u>Individuals:</u><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">
<o:p> </o:p></span>Timothe Litt</div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">
Nicolas Adam<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">
Dan Krimm<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">
Kathy Kleiman<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="mso-element:footnote-list">
<hr align="left" size="1" width="33%" />
<div id="ftn1" style="mso-element:footnote">
<div class="MsoFootnoteText"><a href="#_ftnref1" name="_ftn1"
style="mso-footnote-id:ftn1" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference">
<span style="font-family:
"Times New Roman""><span style="mso-special-character:footnote">
<span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span
style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-fareast-font-family:"ＭＳ
明朝";mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast;
mso-ansi-language:EN-US;mso-fareast-language:EN-US;mso-bidi-language:AR-SA">
[1]</span></span></span></span></span></a><span
style="font-family:"Times New Roman""> Available at <a
href="https://gacweb.icann.org/download/attachments/27132037/Geo%20names%20in%20new%20gTLDs%20Updated%20%20V3%20%2029%20august%202014%5B4%5D.pdf?version=1&modificationDate=1411549935000&api=v2">
https://gacweb.icann.org/download/attachments/27132037/Geo%20names%20in%20new%20gTLDs%20Updated%20%20V3%20%2029%20august%202014%5B4%5D.pdf?version=1&modificationDate=1411549935000&api=v2</a>
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
<div id="ftn2" style="mso-element:footnote">
<div class="MsoFootnoteText"><a href="#_ftnref2" name="_ftn2"
style="mso-footnote-id:ftn2" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference">
<span style="font-family:
"Times New Roman""><span style="mso-special-character:footnote">
<span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span
style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-fareast-font-family:"ＭＳ
明朝";mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast;
mso-ansi-language:EN-US;mso-fareast-language:EN-US;mso-bidi-language:AR-SA">
[2]</span></span></span></span></span></a><span
style="font-family:"Times New Roman""> See <i
style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">Taubman Co. v. Webfeats</i>, 319 F.3d
770, 778 (6<sup>th</sup> Circuit 2003) “the domain name is a type of
expression, no different in scope than a billboard or a pulpit”.<span
style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>See also <i
style="mso-bidi-font-style:
normal">Shell Trademark Mgmt. BV v. Canadian AMOCO</i>, No. 02-01365, 2002
U.S. Dist. LEXIS 9597, at *10-11 (N.D. Cal. May 21, 2002) analogizing domain
names to road signs.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>See also <i
style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">Center for Democracy and Technology v.
Pappert</i>, 337 F. Supp.2<sup>nd</sup> 606, 651 (E.D. Pa. 2004) holding a
statute requiring the blocking of access to particular domain names and IP
addresses amounted to an unconstitutional restraint on speech. See also <i
style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">ACLU v. Reno</i> which held that the
Internet is entitled to the full protection given to media like the print
press under freedom of expression rights. 521 U.S. 844 (1997).<o:p></o:p>
</span></div>
</div>
<div id="ftn3" style="mso-element:footnote">
<div class="MsoFootnoteText"><span style="font-family:"Times New
Roman""><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoFootnoteText"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span
style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span
style="mso-special-character:footnote"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference">
<span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-fareast-font-family:"ＭＳ
明朝";mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast;
mso-ansi-language:EN-US;mso-fareast-language:EN-US;mso-bidi-language:AR-SA">
[3]</span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family:"Times
New Roman""><span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span><a
href="http://www.wipo.int/amc/en/center/faq/domains.html">
http://www.wipo.int/amc/en/center/faq/domains.html</a><o:p></o:p></span>
</div>
</div>
<div id="ftn4" style="mso-element:footnote">
<div class="MsoFootnoteText"><span style="font-family:"Times New
Roman""><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoFootnoteText"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span
style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span
style="mso-special-character:footnote"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference">
<span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-fareast-font-family:"ＭＳ
明朝";mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast;
mso-ansi-language:EN-US;mso-fareast-language:EN-US;mso-bidi-language:AR-SA">
[4]</span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family:"Times
New Roman""> <a
href="http://gnso.icann.org/en/issues/new-gtlds/summary-principles-recommendations-implementation-guidelines-22oct08.doc.pdf">
http://gnso.icann.org/en/issues/new-gtlds/summary-principles-recommendations-implementation-guidelines-22oct08.doc.pdf</a>
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoFootnoteText"> </div>
<div class="MsoFootnoteText"> </div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div>
<div>
<div>On Dec 30, 2014, at 10:17 AM, Robin Gross wrote:</div>
<blockquote type="cite">
<div>Thanks for the support, folks! If there are other
organizations who would like to sign-on to the civil society statement,
please let me know today. Also, I've received some requests for
individuals to sign-on as well, and so have opened up the statement for
individuals to also endorse should one wish to. <br />
<br />
So if any individual or organization would like to sign-on to this joint
civil society statement, please let me know within 24 hours from now.<br />
<br />
Thanks again!<br />
<br />
Best,<br />
Robin<br />
<br />
<br />
On Dec 28, 2014, at 10:25 PM, Robin Gross wrote:<br />
<blockquote type="cite">Hello All,</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite"> </blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite">If any of NCSG's member organizations (or NCSG
as a whole) would like to sign-on to this civil society statement regarding
a GAC sub-group's proposal to give governments veto power on new top
level domain names that use "geographic names" please let me know
asap.</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite"> </blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite">The GAC sub-group's proposal on "geographic
names" and other comments submitted on this proposal are available
here:</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite"><a
href="https://gacweb.icann.org/display/gacweb/Governmental+Advisory+Committee">
https://gacweb.icann.org/display/gacweb/Governmental+Advisory+Committee</a>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite"> </blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite">The GAC's deadline for comments is 31 December,
so please let me know by 30 December if your civil society organization
would like to sign-on to this joint civil society statement; it is currently
open for sign-on by other civil society organizations until 30 December.
Or send in your own comment on the proposal if you are so inclined (at
the link above) by 31 December. Holiday deadlines are tough, I know!
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite"> </blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite">I think this is a very important policy issue for
protecting freedom of expression and the positive development of the
multi-stakeholder model for Internet governance.</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite"> </blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite">Thanks very much!</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite"> </blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite">All best,</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite">Robin</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite"> </blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite">
<2014_December_Comments_GAC-Geo-Names_FINAL_1.docx></blockquote>
</div>
</blockquote>
</div>
</div>
</blockquote>
</div>
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