[bc-gnso] Media report in Kenya on withdrawal of EOI program

[Steve DelBianco <sdelbianco@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

In Kenya this week, several of you met Harry Hare, publisher of CIO Magazine
for East Africa.  Thanks to all your conversations, Harry posted several
stories on the ICANN meeting, including this one at http://www.cio.co.ke


ICANN Board withdraws EOI

The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) has today
withdrawn the Expression of interest for proposals for entities interested
in applying for new gTLDs. The expression of interest was published last
December for public consideration and was one of the substantive agendas in
the Nairobi meeting.

The EOI required entities interested in participating in the first round of
the new gTLD Program to submit basic information about the participating
entity and the requested top-level domain, also referred to as "string". The
model was a direct result of community recommendations for such an
undertaking. The Board directed that a draft model be constructed based on
public comment for additional discussion. A decision on whether and how to
proceed with the EOI was to be taken in Nairobi, after considering the
public discussion.

According to the Board, the withdrawal was due to lack of certainty about
the date when the overarching issues would be resolved to the satisfaction
of the Board and the consequential difficulty of synchronizing the launch of
the new gTLDs Program with the proposed EOI, and preferring to focus ICANN
staff resources on resolving the remaining issues.

Through out the meeting speakers expressed concern on EOI process with some
asserting that its complex and time consuming. "We need to move forward with
the implementation of the new gTLDs, a process that has already taken too
long already," said one delegate who sort anonymity.

Other speakers who were opposed to the EOI complained at the lack of
communication and awareness of the EOI process especially in developing
counties. According to the EOI, those interested in participating in
participating in the first round were required to put up a deposit of US$
55,000 out of the total US$ 185,000 evaluation fee. Steve DelBianco of
NetChoice says, ³the EOI was an interesting idea but became a distraction
from the work remaining to ensure that new top level domains will minimize
online fraud while helping people around the world to access Internet
domains using their own language and script."

Bruce Tonkin, one of the Board members said that there was confusion about
purpose of EOI which would have otherwise provided data on number and nature
of strings.  "Would have informed applicants to improve their applications,"
he said.



-- 
Steve DelBianco
Executive Director
NetChoice
http://www.NetChoice.org and http://blog.netchoice.org
+1.202.420.7482