The last two years have been a sort of EOI already - let's build on it

[Bertrand de La Chapelle <bdelachapelle@xxxxxxxxx>]

Please find below a final comment building on lessons from the last few
years.


Roughly speaking, the ICANN community has three distinct approaches to
choose from regarding an EOI :

   - a mostly data gathering exercise
   - a focus on identifying the strings that will be part of the first round
   (and not the applicants)
   - a full pre-registration process (it would actually be a first phase of
   application)



It is interesting to note that in many respects, an EOI along the second
option (voluntary, no fee, on the strings) has de facto taken place during
the last two years.


Due to the continuous delays, a significant number of potential applicants
have revealed the strings they intended to apply for (see an interesting
list at : http://www.newtlds.tv/?page_id=57).


Among other things, this has allowed to :

   - verify that there is interest, at least from applicants (and sometimes
   from potential registrants)
   - show there is at that stage a manageable number of ready applicants
   (not hundreds or thousands)
   - illustrate that these proposals made public fall in four basic types of
   TLDs : geographic; linguistic/cultural; brand/vanity and dictionary keywords

   - alleviate concerns in the community about whether they raise morality
   and public order, trademark rights, string similarity or stability issues
   - roughly appreciate the credibility of the applicants, as they
   progressively detailed their project
   - generate potential competing applications for certain strings
   - verify that the main DAG criteria (once finalized) would provide a
   relatively coherent framework.


This clearly shows that *not only is an EOI mechanism based on the strings
perfectly viable and useful*, but it helps actors themselves shape their
projects and make the process much more transparent.

We are encouraged to note that several actors on this second public forum
are now willing to explore this approach. It should not be cursorily
discarded in the summary of comments or by the Board without proper
discussion.

It is time we collectively build on the information collected during this
period and focus first on the actors who have been transparent, patient and
committed, and whose string apparently present none of the problems that we
are trying to prevent.

In other words, is it possible to finally reward the virtuous, instead of
penalizing them by witholding the process until the rules to deal with all
bad actors are finalized ?


Sincerely.

Bertrand de LA CHAPELLE



-- 
____________________
Bertrand de La Chapelle
Délégué Spécial pour la Société de l'Information / Special Envoy for the
Information Society
Ministère des Affaires Etrangères et Européennes/ French Ministry of Foreign
and European Affairs
Tel : +33 (0)6 11 88 33 32

"Le plus beau métier des hommes, c'est d'unir les hommes" Antoine de Saint
Exupéry
("there is no greater mission for humans than uniting humans")