DOTZON comments on Proposed Final Applicant Guidebook

["Katrin Ohlmer" <katrin@xxxxxxxxxx>]

First of all we would like to thank ICANN staff for their support with the
new gTLD process, all proponents and opponents. For more than 5 years we
participated in this process. We encourage ICANN to finalize the last open
issues in an orderly and timely manner.

 

DOTZON consults companies and organizations how to apply for their own
top-level domain (TLD) e.g., .brand, or .company. Our clients include German
industry leaders (DAX 30 stock market index) and Internet companies.

 

In this capacity we would like to make two comments to the proposed final
version of the Applicant Guidebook and two general comments:

 

Handling of Public Comments (1.1.2.5.)

 

Status Quo: Evaluators have to take into account public comments for the
respective application, but to date applicants have no opportunity to reply
to those public comments. Since those comments could affect their
application in a serious manner they should be able to respond.

 

Recommendation: The AGB should incorporate an opportunity for applicants to
comment on the comments filed on their respective application. Furthermore
we ask ICANN to clarify which kind of comments and information submitted
will be treated as relevant or irrelevant and will be considered by the
evaluators and how it will be ensured that the pure quantity of comments
will not necessarily lead to a better scoring.

 

 

Community Evaluation (4.2.3., Criterion #4)

 

Status Quo: The Community Priority Evaluation Criteria have been set up by
ICANN with the goal to score community TLDs higher than standard TLDs with
regards to the accountability and benefit to the community, and the global
representation of the community on the Internet. However the current
Community Priority Evaluation scoring system does not fully support this
goal, especially with weighting some objections from the community in
comparison to support of big parts of the community (gain/loose 2 points).

 

Recommendation: The AGB should include in the Definitions and Guidelines of
Criterion #4 further specification about the weighting of Support and
Opposition.

 

 

Reliable timeframe

Businesses need reliability when planning to extend their branding on the
Internet with an own TLD, especially for the benefit of secure
communications with their customers. We urge ICANN to expressly state a
reliable date for the application period of the next round. All applicants
writing their business plans are in need of this information, both from a
business and financial planning perspective. Otherwise some, if not many,
applications might not be filed which is contradictory to ICANNs core values
(no 6) of "Introducing and promoting competition in the registration of
domain names where practicable and beneficial in the public interest".

 

 

Keep Trust & Reliability of the Internet

The huge success of the Internet is based on its openness, it is constantly
adoption to users' needs and in most parts of the world elementary for
communication, the exchange of ideas and freedom of expression. Consumers
can rely on its availability, have trust in registrars and registries and
the constant developments to accommodate users' needs. This achievement
should not be risked!

 

We would like to thank ICANN for the opportunity to comment.

 

Katrin Ohlmer
CEO
 
DOTZON GmbH - incubating name spaces
Akazienstrasse 2
10823 Berlin
Deutschland - Germany
www.dotzon.com