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Username: philberent
Date/Time: Thu, October 19, 2000 at 11:46 PM GMT
Browser: Microsoft Internet Explorer V5.0 using Windows 98
Score: 5
Subject: Belize etc

Message: 		 

 
Mr. Kinney contends that because Belize has "intentions" to market the ".bz" TLD as a TLD for business that they automatically have a right to do so. Clearly this is not the case. Belize does have the right to market the .bz domain as an internal TLD for the use of their citizens. They do not necessarily have the right to market their TLD as the sole TLD exclusively for business. It is ICANN’s responsibility to decide which entity should be given this right, based on the interest of the Internet community as a whole.

ICANN is currently considering a number of proposals from those that wish to serve the business community by providing a “.biz”, a “.ecom” a “.ebiz”, a “.inc” or a “.firm” TLD.  In order to determine who would best fulfill this role (or that of managing any of the other contested new TLDs) ICANN requested and received the completion of extremely complex and detailed application materials. If Belize wished to be considered for this very important role they should of course have submitted an application at the same time as other applicants.

It is possible that Belize does indeed have the knowledge and resources to most effectively fulfill this role. If this is indeed the case ICANN might consider their suit to be assigned the responsibility of running the primary TLD for business on the net. However, with the current complete lack of information I would suggest that there is no way that ICANN can accurately assess the merit of what is effectively an application from an unidentified party claiming to speak on behalf of Belize. I therefore suggest that if as, Mr. Kinney states, there is a fully fledged effort in progress that Mr. Kinney and Belize submit materials which are at least equivalent to those required in the ICANN application materials so that ICANN can make an assessment of the merits of their proposed operation. This would of course at least include a business and technical plan, disclosure of all of the individuals and entities involved and so on. It would also, of course include a disclosure of the affiliations of Mr. Kinney himself.

Finally Mr. Kinney claims that Belize has the right to prevent the assignment of a “.biz” or “.ebiz” TLD as they have already marketed the “.bz” TLD as “dot BIZ”. Even if Mr. Kinney could show that Belize has marketed the “.bz” TLD this would, for the reasons given above, not give strength to their case. However without evidence and detail of the extent of such supposed marketing, this claim is clearly completely without merit.

In summary:
Mr. Kinney does not identify himself or his affiliations.
No detailed plan for managing a business TLD has been presented.
No identification of the supposed technical experts who will run the TLD has been given, or details of their technical proposal.
No evidence has been presented that they intend to implement any tentative plans that they may have.
No information has been given on the purported advertising efforts.

Without this information and the other detail required in a full application the attempt of Mr. Kinney to prevent ICANN from creating a TLD serving the business community is frivolous and should be ignored.


 

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