Q63: Should ICANN accept proposals from companies formed/forming for the purpose
of operating or sponsoring a new TLD? If so, how should ICANN determine the competence
of the company?A63: Proposed should not be rejected.
Of course preference should
be given, in this initial phase, to companies that can provide a good record.
Q64:
If a company has significant operational or policy positions not yet filled, how
should ICANN evaluate the level of competence of officers and employees?
A64: See
A63 above.
Q67: Should ICANN seek diversity in business models as well as TLD
types? Which, if any, business models are essential to a successful evaluation phase?
A67:
At least one proposal for a Registry open for registration from multiple Registrars
(ideally, all ICANN-accredited Registrars) should be included in the initial group.
Q68:
What measures should be in place to protect registrants from the possibility of a
registry operator's business failure?
A68: It depends on the TLD type.
For fully
open TLDs, the best guarantee is the commercial viability of the TLD.
If the proposed
string is meaningful and appealing, other companies will be willing to take over
the business, that can be auctioned. In this case, the protection of the data is
the only concern, and that can be achieved with data escrow from third parties.
For
chartered TLDs, the "sponsoring organization" should provide sufficient guarantees
to run the business, even at a loss, as a service to the targeted customers. This
will happen if the "sponsoring organization" is some sort of recognized authority
that already provides services in this area.
Consider, for instance, the case
of the ILO/OIT for a .union, INTA for a .trademark, SITA or ICAO for .airline, and
so on.