Mike Berkens has written three interesting posts that are important for all domain owners to read and understand. When you have an opportunity today, please read Mike’s posts and the accompanying commentary. The issues that are discussed could potentially impact all domain owners
ICANN Releases New gTLD Guide Book: Still Includes No Price Caps: Your Domains Are At Risk
ICA: Trademark Holders Attempting To Greatly Expand Their Rights Through The New gTLD Process
Thinking About Applying For Your Own gTLD? It Could Cost You A Lot More Than $185K
The Internet Commerce Association is working on some of the issues, but I know they need our support (if you own a domain name, you are part of the collective “our”). As soon as my tax bills are taken care of in a month and a half, I will be making my annual contribution.
I cannot help but feel that ICANN’s days are numbered. Again and again, they seem at odds with the greater good and ill-equipped to reason through to safe, defensible conclusions.
I don’t know much about the inner circle of ICANN, but it is apparent a select few are in the driver’s seat, and are damned determined to foist these new gTLD’s on the public to fill ICANN’s pockets.
This is playing out like the corrupt CEO’s of major companies who led their companies (shareholders & employees) over a cliff. This will not occur without a fierce fight. I predict there will be much more controversy. Corporate America will pursue the political leverage route as ICANN try to back door this thing into existence.
I have been very disappointed in ICANN – I have had several recent events.
I was recently looking at a domain name to purchase, that was owned by someone who lives in the same town I do. It was a category domain and was priced in the low 6 figures. We met the owner several times and even worked out a price and terms. It turned out the domain name had been involved in a trademark dispute about 10 years ago. ICANN sided with the domain name owner and not the trademark owner. The trademark had been in place several years before the domain was registered. (i’m going to skip a book of details to save time and space, this is a complicated issue) But my understanding was even though ICANN made a ruling, the tademark holder could keep bringing this issue back infront of them? Then finally if they can’t take the domain through ICANN they can go through the US courts?
My understanding is if we would have bought this domain we could end up fighting over it for years just going through the ICANN system? Anyway we passed because ICANN’s ruling was not absolute. The owner is activly looking to sell this domain and there are local buyers, but they all seem to be passing also.