ICANN Email Archives: [idn]

ICANN ICANN Email List Archives
[idn]

<<< Chronological Index >>> <<< Thread Index >>>
Internet Governance Forum & IDNs

To: idn@xxxxxxxxx, press@xxxxxxxxx, king@xxxxxxxxx
Subject: Internet Governance Forum & IDNs
From: Andy Brown <andrew.brown@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Tue, 23 May 2006 17:47:54 +0100
<HTML><BODY style="word-wrap: break-word; -khtml-nbsp-mode: space; 
-khtml-line-break: after-white-space; ">Dear all;<DIV><BR 
class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>I am contacting you from e-Commerce 
Law &amp; Policy, a legal journal in the UK. I am writing a news article about 
whether other countries are launching methods for registering Internationalised 
Domain Names (IDN), independently of ICANN.</DIV><DIV><BR 
class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>An article in the UK's Financial 
Times suggested that last week, there was a meeting of the Internet Governance 
Forum, which called for faster progress in introducing IDNs. The article 
suggested that many countries have set up alternative methods of registering 
top-level IDNs, independently of ICANN.</DIV><DIV><BR 
class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>This raises a number of 
questions;</DIV><DIV>1. Are other countries setting up methods for the 
registration of top-level IDNs independently of ICANN?</DIV><DIV>2. How 
widespread is the problem and where can I find information on 
this?</DIV><DIV>3. Is there a problem with independent IDNs in 
China?</DIV><DIV>4. When did China start setting up IDNs 
independently?</DIV><DIV>5. What does ICANN plan to do about these 
issues?</DIV><DIV>6. What are ICANN's plans for the introduction of top-level 
IDNs?</DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>Please can you 
tell me who I should speak to about these issues. I appreciate that you are 
busy with all the fuss over the .xxx domain...</DIV><DIV><BR 
class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>(PS: The Financial Times article is 
pasted below)</DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>Best 
regards;</DIV><DIV><BR><DIV> <SPAN class="Apple-style-span" 
style="border-collapse: separate; border-spacing: 0px 0px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); 
font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: 
normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; 
text-align: auto; -khtml-text-decorations-in-effect: none; text-indent: 0px; 
-apple-text-size-adjust: auto; text-transform: none; orphans: 2; white-space: 
normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; "><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" 
style="border-collapse: separate; border-spacing: 0px 0px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); 
font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: 
normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; 
text-align: auto; -khtml-text-decorations-in-effect: none; text-indent: 0px; 
-apple-text-size-adjust: auto; text-transform: none; orphans: 2; white-space: 
normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; "><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" 
style="border-collapse: separate; border-spacing: 0px 0px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); 
font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: 
normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; 
text-align: auto; -khtml-text-decorations-in-effect: none; text-indent: 0px; 
-apple-text-size-adjust: auto; text-transform: none; orphans: 2; white-space: 
normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; "><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; 
margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><FONT 
class="Apple-style-span" color="#555555" face="Times New Roman" size="2"><SPAN 
class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 10px;; color: rgb(85, 85, 85); 
font-family: Times New Roman; "><B style="color: rgb(85, 85, 85); font-family: 
Times New Roman; font-size: 10px; font-weight: bold; "><SPAN 
class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(85, 85, 85); font-family: Times New 
Roman; font-size: 10px; font-weight: bold; "><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" 
style="color: rgb(85, 85, 85); font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 10px; 
font-weight: bold; "><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(85, 85, 
85); font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 10px; font-weight: bold; ">Andy 
Brown</SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></B></SPAN></FONT></DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; 
margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><FONT 
class="Apple-style-span" color="#555555" face="Times New Roman" size="2"><SPAN 
class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 10px;; color: rgb(85, 85, 85); 
font-family: Times New Roman; "><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="color: 
rgb(85, 85, 85); font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 10px; "><SPAN 
class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(85, 85, 85); font-family: Times New 
Roman; font-size: 10px; "><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(85, 
85, 85); font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 10px; ">Associate 
Editor</SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></FONT></DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; 
margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><FONT 
class="Apple-style-span" color="#555555" face="Times New Roman" size="2"><SPAN 
class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 10px;; color: rgb(85, 85, 85); 
font-family: Times New Roman; "><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="color: 
rgb(85, 85, 85); font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 10px; "><SPAN 
class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(85, 85, 85); font-family: Times New 
Roman; font-size: 10px; "><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(85, 
85, 85); font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 10px; 
">e-commercelaw&amp;policy</SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></FONT></DIV><DIV 
style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 
0px; "><FONT class="Apple-style-span" color="#555555" face="Times New Roman" 
size="2"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 10px;; color: rgb(85, 
85, 85); font-family: Times New Roman; "><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" 
style="color: rgb(85, 85, 85); font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 10px; 
"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(85, 85, 85); font-family: 
Times New Roman; font-size: 10px; "><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" 
style="color: rgb(85, 85, 85); font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 10px; 
">Unit 17 The Timber Yard</SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></FONT></DIV><DIV 
style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 
0px; "><FONT class="Apple-style-span" color="#555555" face="Times New Roman" 
size="2"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 10px;; color: rgb(85, 
85, 85); font-family: Times New Roman; "><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" 
style="color: rgb(85, 85, 85); font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 10px; 
"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(85, 85, 85); font-family: 
Times New Roman; font-size: 10px; "><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" 
style="color: rgb(85, 85, 85); font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 10px; 
">Drysdale Street</SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></FONT></DIV><DIV 
style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 
0px; "><FONT class="Apple-style-span" color="#555555" face="Times New Roman" 
size="2"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 10px;; color: rgb(85, 
85, 85); font-family: Times New Roman; "><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" 
style="color: rgb(85, 85, 85); font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 10px; 
"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(85, 85, 85); font-family: 
Times New Roman; font-size: 10px; "><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" 
style="color: rgb(85, 85, 85); font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 10px; 
">London N1 6ND</SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></FONT></DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 
0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><FONT 
class="Apple-style-span" color="#555555" face="Times New Roman" size="2"><SPAN 
class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 10px;; color: rgb(85, 85, 85); 
font-family: Times New Roman; "><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="color: 
rgb(85, 85, 85); font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 10px; "><SPAN 
class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(85, 85, 85); font-family: Times New 
Roman; font-size: 10px; "><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(85, 
85, 85); font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 10px; 
">----------------------------------------------------</SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></FONT></DIV><DIV
 style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 
0px; "><FONT class="Apple-style-span" color="#555555" face="Times New Roman" 
size="2"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 10px;; color: rgb(85, 
85, 85); font-family: Times New Roman; "><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" 
style="color: rgb(85, 85, 85); font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 10px; 
"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(85, 85, 85); font-family: 
Times New Roman; font-size: 10px; "><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" 
style="color: rgb(85, 85, 85); font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 10px; 
">tel: +44 (0)20 7012 1386</SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></FONT></DIV><DIV 
style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 
0px; "><FONT class="Apple-style-span" color="#555555" face="Times New Roman" 
size="2"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 10px;; color: rgb(85, 
85, 85); font-family: Times New Roman; "><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" 
style="color: rgb(85, 85, 85); font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 10px; 
"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(85, 85, 85); font-family: 
Times New Roman; font-size: 10px; "><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" 
style="color: rgb(85, 85, 85); font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 10px; 
">mob: +44 (0)7930 940 522</SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></FONT></DIV><DIV 
style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 
0px; "><FONT class="Apple-style-span" color="#555555" face="Times New Roman" 
size="2"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 10px;; color: rgb(85, 
85, 85); font-family: Times New Roman; "><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" 
style="color: rgb(85, 85, 85); font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 10px; 
"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(85, 85, 85); font-family: 
Times New Roman; font-size: 10px; "><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" 
style="color: rgb(85, 85, 85); font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 10px; 
">fax: +44 (0)20 7729 6093</SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></FONT></DIV><DIV 
style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 
0px; "><FONT class="Apple-style-span" color="#555555" face="Times New Roman" 
size="2"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 10px;; color: rgb(85, 
85, 85); font-family: Times New Roman; "><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" 
style="color: rgb(85, 85, 85); font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 10px; 
"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(85, 85, 85); font-family: 
Times New Roman; font-size: 10px; "><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" 
style="color: rgb(85, 85, 85); font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 10px; 
">email: <A 
href="mailto:andrew.brown@xxxxxxxxxxxx";>andrew.brown@xxxxxxxxxxxx</A></SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></FONT></DIV><DIV
 style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 
0px; "><FONT class="Apple-style-span" color="#555555" face="Times New Roman" 
size="2"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 10px;; color: rgb(85, 
85, 85); font-family: Times New Roman; "><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" 
style="color: rgb(85, 85, 85); font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 10px; 
"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(85, 85, 85); font-family: 
Times New Roman; font-size: 10px; "><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" 
style="color: rgb(85, 85, 85); font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 10px; 
">internet: <A 
href="http://www.e-comlaw.com";>http://www.e-comlaw.com</A></SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></FONT></DIV><DIV
 style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 
0px; "><FONT class="Apple-style-span" color="#555555" face="Times New Roman" 
size="2"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 10px;; color: rgb(85, 
85, 85); font-family: Times New Roman; "><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" 
style="color: rgb(85, 85, 85); font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 10px; 
"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(85, 85, 85); font-family: 
Times New Roman; font-size: 10px; "><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" 
style="color: rgb(85, 85, 85); font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 10px; 
">----------------------------------------------------</SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></FONT></DIV><DIV
 style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 
0px; "><FONT class="Apple-style-span" color="#555555" face="Times New Roman" 
size="2"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 10px;; color: rgb(85, 
85, 85); font-family: Times New Roman; "><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" 
style="color: rgb(85, 85, 85); font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 10px; 
">NOTICE: This e-mail is intended solely for the named recipient only, It 
may </SPAN></SPAN></FONT><FONT class="Apple-style-span" color="#555555" 
face="Times New Roman" size="2"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" 
style="font-size: 10px;; color: rgb(85, 85, 85); font-family: Times New Roman; 
"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(85, 85, 85); font-family: 
Times New Roman; font-size: 10px; ">contain privileged and / or confidential 
information. If you are not one of </SPAN></SPAN></FONT><FONT 
class="Apple-style-span" color="#555555" face="Times New Roman" size="2"><SPAN 
class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 10px;; color: rgb(85, 85, 85); 
font-family: Times New Roman; "><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="color: 
rgb(85, 85, 85); font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 10px; ">the intended 
recipients, please notify the sender immediately, and 
destroy </SPAN></SPAN></FONT><FONT class="Apple-style-span" color="#555555" 
face="Times New Roman" size="2"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" 
style="font-size: 10px;; color: rgb(85, 85, 85); font-family: Times New Roman; 
"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(85, 85, 85); font-family: 
Times New Roman; font-size: 10px; ">this e-mail; you must not disclose, 
distribute, copy, or print or rely on </SPAN></SPAN></FONT><FONT 
class="Apple-style-span" color="#555555" face="Times New Roman" size="2"><SPAN 
class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 10px;; color: rgb(85, 85, 85); 
font-family: Times New Roman; "><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="color: 
rgb(85, 85, 85); font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 10px; ">this e-mail. 
Whilst all efforts are made to safeguard Inbound and 
Outbound </SPAN></SPAN></FONT><FONT class="Apple-style-span" color="#555555" 
face="Times New Roman" size="2"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" 
style="font-size: 10px;; color: rgb(85, 85, 85); font-family: Times New Roman; 
"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(85, 85, 85); font-family: 
Times New Roman; font-size: 10px; ">e-mails, Cecile Park Publishing Ltd cannot 
guarantee that attachments are </SPAN></SPAN></FONT><FONT 
class="Apple-style-span" color="#555555" face="Times New Roman" size="2"><SPAN 
class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 10px;; color: rgb(85, 85, 85); 
font-family: Times New Roman; "><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="color: 
rgb(85, 85, 85); font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 10px; ">Virus- free 
or compatible with your systems and does not accept 
any </SPAN></SPAN></FONT><FONT class="Apple-style-span" color="#555555" 
face="Times New Roman" size="2"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" 
style="font-size: 10px;; color: rgb(85, 85, 85); font-family: Times New Roman; 
"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(85, 85, 85); font-family: 
Times New Roman; font-size: 10px; ">liability in respect of viruses or computer 
problems experienced.</SPAN></SPAN></FONT></DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; 
margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal 
normal 10px/normal Times New Roman; min-height: 11px; ; font-family: Times New 
Roman; font-size: 10px; "><FONT class="Apple-style-span" color="#555555"><BR 
style="color: rgb(85, 85, 85); font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 10px; 
"></FONT></DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 
0px; margin-left: 0px; "><FONT class="Apple-style-span" color="#555555" 
face="Times New Roman" size="2"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" 
style="font-size: 10px;; color: rgb(85, 85, 85); font-family: Times New Roman; 
"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(85, 85, 85); font-family: 
Times New Roman; font-size: 10px; "><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" 
style="color: rgb(85, 85, 85); font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 10px; 
"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(85, 85, 85); font-family: 
Times New Roman; font-size: 10px; ">e-commerce law &amp; policy is published by 
Cecile Park Publishing Ltd.</SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></FONT></DIV><DIV 
style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 
0px; "><FONT class="Apple-style-span" color="#555555" face="Times New Roman" 
size="2"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 10px;; color: rgb(85, 
85, 85); font-family: Times New Roman; "><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" 
style="color: rgb(85, 85, 85); font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 10px; 
"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(85, 85, 85); font-family: 
Times New Roman; font-size: 10px; "><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" 
style="color: rgb(85, 85, 85); font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 10px; 
">Registered Office: 80-82 Regent Street London W1R 
5PA</SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></FONT></DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; 
margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><FONT 
class="Apple-style-span" color="#555555" face="Times New Roman" size="2"><SPAN 
class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 10px;; color: rgb(85, 85, 85); 
font-family: Times New Roman; "><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="color: 
rgb(85, 85, 85); font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 10px; "><SPAN 
class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(85, 85, 85); font-family: Times New 
Roman; font-size: 10px; "><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(85, 
85, 85); font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 10px; ">Registered Number: 
2676976</SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></FONT></DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; 
margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><FONT 
class="Apple-style-span" color="#555555" face="Times New Roman" size="2"><SPAN 
class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 10px;; color: rgb(85, 85, 85); 
font-family: Times New Roman; "><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="color: 
rgb(85, 85, 85); font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 10px; "><SPAN 
class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(85, 85, 85); font-family: Times New 
Roman; font-size: 10px; "><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(85, 
85, 85); font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 10px; 
">--</SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></FONT></DIV><BR 
class="Apple-interchange-newline"></SPAN></SPAN></SPAN> </DIV><BR></DIV><DIV 
style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 
0px; "><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Arial" size="5"><SPAN 
class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 18px;"><B>Challenge to US control of 
website names</B></SPAN></FONT></DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 
0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><FONT class="Apple-style-span" 
face="Arial" size="3"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 
11px;">By Frances Williams in Geneva </SPAN></FONT></DIV><DIV 
style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 
0px; "><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Arial" size="3"><SPAN 
class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11px;">Published: May 12 2006 18:42 
| Last updated: May 12 2006 18:42</SPAN></FONT></DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 
0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal 
normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; min-height: 14px; "><BR></DIV><DIV 
style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 
0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; min-height: 14px; 
"><BR></DIV><BR><IMG src="cid:11F54E26-E81E-49A9-9FCB-3E7A26D4DBB9@local";><P 
style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 12.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Arial; min-height: 
14.0px"><BR></P><P style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 12.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Arial; 
min-height: 14.0px"><BR></P><P style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 12.0px 0.0px; font: 
12.0px Arial; min-height: 14.0px"><BR></P><P style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 12.0px 
0.0px"><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Arial">Fed up with the lack of an 
international system for internet addresses using non-western scripts, many 
countries are joining China in creating their own.</FONT></P><P style="margin: 
0.0px 0.0px 12.0px 0.0px"><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Arial">These 
moves are seen as a direct challenge to the authority of the US-based body that 
runs the international domain name system and a potential threat to the 
universality of the worldwide web.</FONT></P><P style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 
12.0px 0.0px"><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Arial">A United 
Nations-sponsored meeting on the multilingual internet this week called for 
faster progress in introducing so-called internationalised domain names (IDNs), 
which are seen as an essential tool in spreading internet use and combating the 
digital divide between rich and poor nations.</FONT></P><P style="margin: 0.0px 
0.0px 12.0px 0.0px"><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Arial">Icann (the 
Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers), which operates the global 
internet address system under the authority of the US commerce department, has 
been working for several years on IDNs and says it will be ready to start 
technical tests of an international naming system later this year.</FONT></P><P 
style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 12.0px 0.0px"><FONT class="Apple-style-span" 
face="Arial">But many countries have not bothered to wait and, like China, have 
found their own technical solutions. According to Subramanian Subbiah, 
co-founder of i-DNS.net, a Singapore company that sells internet domain names 
based on non-Roman characters, 2m such names have been registered since 1999 in 
nearly 40 countries.</FONT></P><P style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 12.0px 
0.0px"><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Arial">Although 90 per cent of 
these names are in Chinese, Japanese and Korean – which share a common 
character set – other countries using IDNs include India, Thailand, Russia, 
Greece, Brazil, Israel, Iran and a number of Arab states.</FONT></P><P 
style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 12.0px 0.0px"><FONT class="Apple-style-span" 
face="Arial">Icann has been wrestling with the technical problems of ensuring 
that a web address typed in any language directs users to the same 
site.</FONT></P><P style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 12.0px 0.0px"><FONT 
class="Apple-style-span" face="Arial">But Robert Shaw, internet adviser to the 
Geneva-based International Telecommunication Union, says countries are putting 
a higher priority on accessibility in their own language than on the “pure” 
Icann notion of a seamless global internet.</FONT></P><P style="margin: 0.0px 
0.0px 12.0px 0.0px"><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Arial">So far, the 
development of IDNs outside Icann has not compromised global interconnectivity 
because they relate to country domains, like .cn (China) or .jp (Japan), where 
addresses are allocated at a national level based on numbers assigned by 
Icann.</FONT></P><P style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 12.0px 0.0px"><FONT 
class="Apple-style-span" face="Arial">But in March this year China announced 
that it was creating Chinese language versions not only of .cn but also of “top 
level” domains such as .com and .net that are ostensibly the preserve of Icann. 
Arab countries, Israel and Iran also have plans for IDN versions of top-level 
domains.</FONT></P><P style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 12.0px 0.0px"><FONT 
class="Apple-style-span" face="Arial">This has increased pressure on Icann to 
devolve these addressing decisions to regional or local bodies familiar with 
the language, Mr Shaw said.</FONT></P><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; 
margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal 
normal 12px/normal Helvetica; min-height: 14px; "><BR></DIV><DIV 
style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 
0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; min-height: 14px; "><BR 
class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV></BODY></HTML>
<<< Chronological Index >>> <<< Thread Index >>>
Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Cookies Policy