[wg-c] Comments?

[Craig Simon <cls@flywheel.com>]

Principles to Guide ICANN's Delegation of gTLD Management.


1.   The Internet naming system is a public resource and the TLD
     space is an essential facility of the public Internet. 

2.   Correspondingly, the management of the root zone and of gTLD
     registries must be performed on behalf of the public
     interest in a manner that ensures the world-wide
     interoperability of unique Internet identifiers and their
     traceability back to the Internet's publicly coordinated
     root.

3.   Accordingly, the WG-C affirms that no private intellectual
     or other property rights inhere to an assigned gTLD itself,
     nor accrue to the delegated manager of the gTLD as the
     result of such delegation.

4.   Furthermore, the WG-C affirms that the assignment and
     delegation of a gTLD registry is subject to the ultimate
     authority of ICANN.

5.   Considering that, under the current applications of Internet
     technology, mnemonically and semantically useful domain
     names have become an important and convenient tool of human
     communication. 

6.   Considering also that expansion of the gTLD space is
     necessary to ensure there will be continue to be an abundant
     choice of names available for people who wish to acquire
     useful Internet identifiers. 

7.   Considering further that expansion of the gTLD space is also
     necessary to ensure that current Internet users and
     newcomers alike will be afforded the continuing opportunity
     to communicate by way of domain names which have mnemonic
     and semantic utility.

8.   Considering also that domain names themselves are often used
     as mechanisms for conveying normative expressions and
     opinions.

9.   Affirming that ICANN should not be turned into an instrument
     which imposes biased or arbitrary restrictions on political,
     religious, and other normative speech or content.

10.  Noting that ongoing work relevant to the specification and
     documentation of best practices for the administration of
     gTLDs is being conducted by various parties within the
     Internet engineering community. 

11.  Expecting that this work will be completed and published
     within an Internet Current Practice (ICP) series prior to
     the delegation of any new gTLD registries.

12.  The WG-C therefore resolves that new gTLDs should be added
     to the root. The process of addition should begin with
     between 6 and 10 gTLDs. 

13.  The WG-C further resolves that, as the first set of new
     gTLDs is introduced, an impact study should be conducted
     with a view to adding more in a reasonable and timely
     manner.

14.  Concerned that these principles receive proper and
     legitimate exposure prior to their possible implementation,
     the WG-C further resolves that no directive assigning a
     delegation should be issued by ICANN until these principles
     have been considered by a duly constituted and fully seated
     ICANN Board of Directors.