The European & International Booksellers Federation is against the use of closed generic TLD by commercial entities

[Françoise Dubruille <fran@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

The European and International Booksellers Federation, EIBF,  represents
Booksellers Associations in the European Union and in the world.  Through
its Members it represents more than 25.000 bookselling businesses worldwide.
Booksellers Associations in membership with EIBF have in membership all kind
of book retailers, terrestrial bookshops, online retailers, selling paper
and electronic books.

We  read   that at its February 2013 meeting, the ICANN Board of Directors
recognized the problems presented by applications that would restrict use of
generic industry terms to a single company. Granting monopoly control of a
TLD to a single industry member can create an unfair competitive advantage.
Such an arrangement would work against both consumers and the industry
associated with the generic term.

 

EIBF is of the strong opinion that indeed “closed generic” gTLD applications
have to be invalidated  when submitted by commercial entities operating in a
sector of activity related to the closed generic gTLD .

In the case of a closed generic TLD like .books,  the exclusivity granted to
the winning applicant would de facto strengthen the position of the biggest
bidder to have sole use of the gTLD in the book industry,  would be
anti-competitive and extremely  detrimental to the book  industry as a
whole.

We are therefore asking ICANN not to offer for sale a generic gTLD for .book
and other similar words in general usage.

 

 

Françoise Dubruille

Director

European and International Booksellers Federation – EIBF

 

 

 
<http://www.facebook.com/pages/European-and-International-Booksellers-Federa
tion/250168935067977> Description: Description: Follow us on Facebook  EIBF
on Facebook

 

Members can follow us on Twitter  <https://twitter.com/#!/Booksellers_Fed>
Description: twitter small

 

 

 

10 rue de la science

1000 Brussels – Belgium

fran@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

fran@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

www.europeanbooksellers.eu <http://www.europeanbooksellers.eu/> 

www.ibf-booksellers.org <http://www.ibf-booksellers.org/> 

Tel + 32 2 223 49 40

Fax + 32 2 223 49 38

Skype : frandubruille