In many instances the principle first come, first served
is logical. But it is not always the best principle. When allocating domain names
under the new gTLDs there is going to be an avalanche of applications. I apply for
"business.tld" and you do the same. I get it, because I am nano second faster, or
because I have a faster connection or switch than you do. These factors do not have
anything to do with fastness, but all to do with randomness. I must confess that
to allocate something by random, also can be the fairest principle under certain
circumstances, but that does not apply to domain names.
Secondly, why is it so
that it is fairer to give the fastest man around the best domain name and not the
richest man? I would not so much focus on who is the richest, but who is wiling to
invest most money on a specific domain name. The one who is willing to pay the highest
rent on Main Street will also most often be the one that can generate most out of
that specific property. The same applies for domain names.
Further an auction
model will of course price some domains higher than the mere registration fee. But
so does the secondary market. Both under an auction model and in a secondary market,
the “richest man” will eventually end up with the domain of his desire. What we are
discussing here is whether it is the Internet Community or the fastest man who shall
be able to harvest the value of a domain name. In my opinion the answer to this will
depend upon whether the domain name in question is a generic name or a coined name.
In
my opinion the holder of e.g. “boo.com” should be able to harvest the reward of the
domain name they have coined and created a market value for.
"Business.com" on
the other hand is valuable because it is a generic English term. The holder of that
domain did neither coin the word nor create market recognition for it. In my opinion
the value of such a term should be used to finance ICANN and any exceeds to charity
to be distributed by e.g. UN. Most countries distribute parts of the income of legal
lottery services to charity. Profits from the auction could be distributed on the
same model.
Lastly, I will remind the fact that we are here talking of using an
auction model on a limited amount of gTLDs. The existing gTLDs and other new gTLDs
will still be available for whoever is fast enough and lucky enough to grab them.
With
regard to seeing all the angels of a case, I find your view on ICANN pretty one-dimensional
and your way of arguing is more like a Picasso painting than multi angular.
Georg
Panzer