[ga] Names Council, new TLDs, and interests in pending applications

[James Love <love@cptech.org>]

This is a request that the Names Council address a basic issue
concerning ethics.  I would think that for starters, each member of the
Names Council should declare any interest they have in any pending TLD
applications (including interests as competitors), and they should adopt
procedures to address the issue of such interests.  The Names Council
should also indicate what role it should play in the selection process,
and how its rules regarding member interests in applications relate to
what the Names Council does.  

I am not asking that the Names Council members automatically recuse
themselves from any and all issues, and of course, some Names Council
members have zero interests in specific new applications, but have an
interest in stopping the new TLDs go forward, and so there are also
problems with limiting votes.   

A minimum standard would seem to be more disclosure, and more self
awareness of the issues that such interest present.  Even more is
probably appropriate.  The Names Council should really consider how it
can fairly address these issues, which are now front and center.  

  Jamie


-- 
James Love  mailto:love@cptech.org http://www.cptech.org
Consumer Project on Technology, P.O. Box 19367, Washington, DC 20036
voice 1.202.387.8030  fax  1.202.234.5176
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