Well I’m Off To My First ICANN Meeting

2010 June 16
by Michael H. Berkens

Well some 13 years after I registered my first domain, I’m heading off to my first ICANN meeting.

I’m really not sure what to expect, but we are off to Brussels.

If you have attended a show in the past, please feel free to give me some tips or pointers.

This show looks like an very important one with the new gTLD’s and all the ancillary issues in play.

The Guidebook V4 just came out for the new gTLD’s and its full of controversy.

Of course at this meeting ICANN is expected to make a decision on the .XXX extension as well, and even they fail to make a decision, the ICM registry has made it’s intentions pretty clear.

Also up for discussion at the meeting are proposals effecting registrars including one which would allow a six month pull back of domains that our friend Mr Kirikos thinks it will kill the domain aftermarket.  If you don’t know about this proposal you should definitely check it out.

As always,  I’ll be representing domainers interests and points of view on all issues.  I won’t be alone I know of several domainer that will be in attendance as well as Phil Corwin on behalf of the ICA.

Of course I also have the goal of getting Bandit to be the first dog to attend an ICANN meeting or function, following on his ground breaking appearance at the first TRAFFIC show in New York in 2008.

I will keep you update as to developments from across the pond.

18 Responses leave one →
  1. 2010 June 16

    Be sure to shower frequently, so that the stench of all the “insiders” wheeling and dealing at the ICANN meetings doesn’t leave a lasting odor.

    Yesterday’s speech by Obama was discussing the oil companies:

    “Over the last decade, this agency has become emblematic of a failed philosophy that views all regulation with hostility — a philosophy that says corporations should be allowed to play by their own rules and police themselves. At this agency, industry insiders were put in charge of industry oversight. Oil companies showered regulators with gifts and favors, and were essentially allowed to conduct their own safety inspections and write their own regulations.”

    Change a few words, and that’s ICANN, new TLDs and the insiders, in a nutshell.

  2. 2010 June 16

    You’d better toughen Bandit up. He may need to bite a few asses.

  3. 2010 June 16
    Elliot permalink

    Safe travels to you guys. Are you and Judi planning to take a day trip to Antwerp? I hear they may have some diamonds there.

  4. 2010 June 16
    MHB permalink

    Elliot

    Thanks, no diamonds or Antwerp for us, Bruge however is on the agenda.

  5. 2010 June 16
    Aron - Symbolics.com permalink

    Ver eager to see what happens with the “6-month pull back”.

    Please keep us posted on what you see, hear and find out.

    Thanks!

    Have a great trip :)

    Aron

  6. 2010 June 16

    I’ll be there — look me up. I’d be more than happy to point out people and describe their involvement and agendas. We both might have fun. Antony.

  7. 2010 June 16
    MHB permalink

    Antony

    Will do so.

    Looking forward to meeting you

  8. 2010 June 16

    Thanks for looking out for our interest and thanks for being our voice.

    Good Luck and May the Force be with you.

  9. 2010 June 16

    Well said, George Kirikos! Or well-quoted, I should say!

    MHB, during the time for public questions, would you ask about Renewal fees of transferred domains, if they are allowed to be raised? Hang on like a pit bull until it gets addressed! Say, “This is my chance as a member of the public to ask a question of ICANN, so please address it.”

  10. 2010 June 16
    MHB permalink

    Louise

    I believe under the current Verisign contract which expires 2012 they are permitted one more 7% increase, if that is what you are asking

  11. 2010 June 16
    MHB permalink

    George

    Frequent showers

    Check

  12. 2010 June 16
    John Beckwith permalink

    What is the six month pullback, I did not find on the ICANN link. Thank you

  13. 2010 June 16
    MHB permalink

    John

    Read George post on domain state that I linked to stated as “Mr. Kirikos thinks it will” above

  14. 2010 June 16

    Given VeriSign has presumptive renewal of the .com contract, the 2012 “expiration” is illusory. At best, the contract would be renewed on identical terms. However, VeriSign and ICANN have a history of colluding against the public during their “renewal negotiations”, so things can get even worse for domain registrants /consumers. Hopefully the CFIT anti-trust case will eventually break the VeriSign abusive monopoly, and force regular tenders with true fixed-length contracts. Or, even better, the Department of Justice should get involved and break up the monopoly instead on anti-trust grounds (DOJ has a bigger legal budget than CFIT).

  15. 2010 June 16

    Last time i was in Brussels I was single and needed a break to reload the “canon” having been in amsterdam for 4 days prior – in fact over countless trips to Amsterdam I went to a lot of europe to reload.

    Unfortunately you will need a more conventional canon at ICANN – all said there are no laws – especially those that we would expect to protect us – no one like us any more than BP.
    Brian

  16. 2010 June 16

    @ George Kirikos, Good point!

    The GNSO Council resolved at its meeting on 24 June 2009 to launch a PDP to address the following five issues:
    . . .
    c. Whether special provisions are needed for a change of registrant near a change of registrar. The policy does not currently deal with change of registrant, which often figures in hijacking cases;

    - Part C of the 3rd bullet point of the background in the IRTP Part B PDP Initial Report [PDF, 765 KB]

    @ MHB, please address transparency of pricing of renewal fees after transfer – will they be permitted? Does the new Registrar have to renew current registrations at the same rate? Etc.

    See: Latest Top Level Domain Guidebook Allows .Com Prices to Skyrocket by Andrew Alleman, October 5th, 2009 Thanx! :)

  17. 2010 June 16
    Cartoonz permalink

    Mike, Name Tag needs to read: DISENFRANCHISED REGISTRANT

    You’ll be the most popular guy there.
    …just ask Drewbert if you don’t believe me!

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