New gTLD Comments by Alexei Sozonov, Regtime Ltd

["Alexei Sozonov" <sozon@xxxxxxxxx>]

Comments on New gTLD Applicant Guidebook Version 2

Submitted By: Alexei Sozonov, Company: Regtime Ltd.
Company URL: http://www.regtime.net Date: April 8, 2009
_________________________________________________
2.1.1.1  String Confusion Objection: This is really important. Community might 
be curious to know how "phonetic or aural or sound" similarity or "meaning" 
similarity appears in current document. As stated in GNSO IDN Working Group 
report that ONLY VISUAL SIMILARITY could lead to string confusion. 
It's not considering "phonetic or aural or sound" similarity or "meaning" 
similarity to lead to string confusion. GNSO IDN Working Group have not rised 
this"phonetic or aural or sound" similarity or "meaning" similarity as relevant 
issue, and in this case and we had strong consensus on it (i personally was 
part of this GNSO IDN Working Group). This very view was asked and strongly 
confirmed  by the ccNSO chairs, gNSO rep. and senior ICANN rep. publicly and 
minuted in different ICANN meetings. 
Again, if  all ICANN's committees and experts before  had this conclusion (ONLY 
VISUAL SIMILARITY could lead to string confusion), why  "phonetic or aural or 
sound" similarity or "meaning" similarity appears in current document?? ICANN 
spent years to discuss similarity issue and is having it in minutes and other 
documented evidence that all this experts and Working Groups had only one 
conclusion  - ONLY VISUAL SIMILARITY could lead to string confusion. For IDN 
community, this attempt to pursue something that was never agreed to, clearly 
looks like some-one's attempt to "phonetic or aural or sound" squatting of 
their own languages, and/or "meaning" squatting of the same languages!  
In a view of 300 new ASCII gTLD that means 300 more new "meaning or phonetic or 
aural or sounds"  in every language to block?? That looks like 99,9% of all 
ever existing "meanings or sounds"   ... again, looks like attempt to push 
through unfair act for IDN folks in a view of "cybersquatting" of the 
"meanings" by people who hosting English, it's complete nonsense and might lead 
countries to legal struggle with ICANN or back to ideas if creating its own 
separate Internets. 

Otherwise, ICANN needs to insure in writing that in case it comes to strings 
between different languages ONLY VISUAL SIMILARITY objection relating to 
confusion with existing or applied-for strings. 


Respectfully,

Alexei Sozonov

_______________________________________________
a.sozonov / vp regtime ltd / sozon@xxxxxxxxx / 1.604.7739204