Re: [wg-c] Interests may be broader than some would like to acknowledge

[Milton Mueller <mueller@syr.edu>]

I'm happy to acknowledge that the interests of many corporations in new gTLDs
are--or should be--broader than a simple concern with the expansion of  existing
trademark protections. I suspect that if the CEOs and entrepreneurs of the major
ISPs were paying attention to this debate, they would support a far more open
and free market in the name space, because they would perceive opportunities
where TM/IP lawyers perceive only threats.

AT&T is a good example of a company that could be running a TLD or two, or five,
or 20, and using them to introduce value-added services. It is also a company
whose interests in the expansion of Internet traffic and usage generally ought
to far outweigh the 1/3 of one percent--and declining--domain name registrations
that cause problems.

Let us explore this relationship a bit further.

I believe that if, say, a company like AT&T invests in a cable transmission
infrastructure that has to compete in the market with other transmission
infrastructures, that it owns that infrastructure and gets to determine what
content goes over it. Others believe that the infrastructure should be
compulsorily shared according to rules dictated by regulators.

It's interesting to apply this logic to the domain name situation. If AT&T
invests in the infrastructure of a domain name registry, should it be able to
"brand" the TLDs operated by that registry and control the type of services
offered through it? Or should it be forced to share registrations with any
registrar in the world, according to rules created by ICANN?

Looking forward to your answer, Ms. Cade.

Cade,Marilyn S - LGA wrote:

> Many companies who are identified as "TM" are actually much broader in their
> interests, including my own. We are actively interested in numbering,
> naming, and protocol issues. Trademark protection, consumer protection,
> concern about consumer fraud, and disruption of the role of ISPs in
> interacting with consumers are also of high concern and interest to us.
>
> You'll find that many who are "TM" in the eyes of some engaged in this
> community are certainly concerned about how and when new gTLDs should and

--
m i l t o n   m u e l l e r // m u e l l e r @ s y r . e d u
syracuse university          http://istweb.syr.edu/~mueller/