RE: [gnso-pro-wg] Approach to guidelines

["Nevett, Jonathon" <jnevett@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Working Group Members/New gTLD Committee Members:

My feeling is that this kind of document would be incredibly helpful to
prospective registries in determining in what manner they would protect
the rights of others.  Providing educational guidelines would enable
future registries to learn from the mistakes of, as well as the best
practices from, other registries.  It also would be helpful to
registrars and users in achieving some best practice standards in
implementing such protections. 

With that said, I think that we need to leave discretion in the hands of
the prospective registries to see what method of protection works best
for the proposed registry taking into account its prospective business
model and market.  I would think, therefore, that these guidelines
should not be included in the New gTLD Committee report.  Rather, in my
opinion, the report should acknowledge the importance of the principle
of protecting the rights of others, refer to fact that the GNSO has
established a working group to provide educational guidelines to
prospective registries, and state that registries have discretion in
implementing such protections, but that the selected method of
protection may be considered in the application process (to the extent
there is a "beauty contest" type of allocation.  

I absolutely support the important work on the guidelines, but
de-linking these guidelines from the actual New gTLD Committee report
would give the prospective registries, which may be concerned about
specific proscriptive measures, the ability to roll up their sleeves and
assist in providing a document that would be most useful and beneficial
to all concerned.  I don't think that we are on that road yet, and we
all are way too busy to spend time dealing with roadblocks and/or
needless work.     

Thanks.

Jon

-----Original Message-----
From: owner-gnso-pro-wg@xxxxxxxxx [mailto:owner-gnso-pro-wg@xxxxxxxxx]
On Behalf Of Liz Williams
Sent: Wednesday, April 18, 2007 9:27 AM
To: gnso-pro-wg@xxxxxxxxx
Subject: [gnso-pro-wg] Approach to guidelines


Everyone

I hope that the following notes are helpful to stimulate discussion  
about text which could be included in any "guideline" (for want of a  
better term) document.

This document would be, from my perspective, a major output of the  
group for the Committee to consider.

The attached document collates the existing new TLDs principles,  
recommendations and implementation guidelines which should be used as  
the first reference point.  All text should refer to that table so  
that we can "support" any recommendations.  We should also be  
proposing alternatives -- considering that it is unlikely that this  
group will reach consensus on the proposals?

At the end of the document there is a page to start writing up any  
guideline which may emerged from, in the first instance, email  
exchange amongst the group.

I don't recall who else volunteered to write this up -- perhaps an  
email exchange would be helpful first to get rough groundwork  
established.

Of course, any questions, just ask.

Liz
.....................................................

Liz Williams
Senior Policy Counselor
ICANN - Brussels
+32 2 234 7874 tel
+32 2 234 7848 fax
+32 497 07 4243 mob