New gTLD

[Gabriele Werner <Gabriele.Werner@xxxxxx>]

For the 3rd Draft Applicant Guidebook we have comments and change requests by 
which we are aiming to get a fair and timely treatment on our way to acquire 
our own identity on the Internet.

Capital Names need to be protected
**********************************
Capital Names like BERLIN or PARIS have been noted as separate sub-category of 
Geographic Names in DAG3; this is a step forward to their protection. As we and 
others understand DAG3 it is still possible to file an application for .berlin 
if the applicant is the Town of Berlin (Vermont) with a support letter of the 
US Government. This is not acceptable for Capital Cities.

Creating Competition do not mean Lower Prices for Domains
*********************************************************
Price competition is not necessarily associated with lower domain prices; it is 
also a question of the added value a new domain name offers. If a Berlin based 
sunflower shop can reach a better search engine position with a US$ 50.00 
www.sunflower.berlin than with a US$ 20.00 www.sunflower-online.net then the 
initially more expensive .berlin domain name offers huge cost saving at the end 
of the day. 

There is a clear Demand for GeoTLDs
***********************************
City and Geo TLDs are always mixed up with other new gTLDs in the discussion on 
economic parameters. First of all the studies the German Internet Association 
eco and separately we as dotBERLIN have conducted show that e.g.
80% of businesses would be interested to register a .berlin domain name and 43% 
of individuals prefer www.mayor.berlin as their preferred domain name to find 
the Berlin mayor. Secondly we do not see any economic consultant or ICANN in 
the position to decide if a city or geographic region has a demand for its own 
identity. It should just simply be mentioned in the upcoming economic studies 
that there is a significant demand of cities, cultural, linguistic and 
geographic regions for their own TLD.

New gTLD Applicants need a Timeline!
************************************
We urge ICANN to proceed with the introduction of new gTLDs. Arguments on this 
topic have been articulated on plenty occasions by new gTLD prospects and other 
members of the ICANN community, we do not want to repeat them here.



Friendly regards
 
Dumrath & Fassnacht KG (GmbH & Co.) 
 
i. V. Gabriele Werner 
_______________________________________________________________ 
Winsbergring 38, D-22525 Hamburg 
Tel. 0 40/800 80-1400, Fax. 0 40/800 80-1913
gabriele.werner@xxxxxx 
www.duf.de 
www.hamburg-magazin.de 
www.kiel-magazin.de 
 
Dumrath & Fassnacht KG (GmbH & Co.) 
Sitz der Gesellschaft in Hamburg
HR Amtsgericht Hamburg A 43989
USt-IdNr. DE 117978505
 
Pers. haft. Ges.
Dumrath & Co. G.m.b.H.
mit Sitz in Hamburg
HR Amtsgericht Hamburg B 15245
 
Geschäftsführer Dr. Christoph Dumrath, Olaf H. Tonner