<html><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8"></head><body ><div>MM gets nervous easily... :)</div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><div style="font-size:100%">------------<br>C. A. Afonso</div></div> <br><br><br>-------- Original message --------<br>From: Milton L Mueller <mueller@SYR.EDU> <br>Date: 16/03/2013 11:23 (GMT-03:00) <br>To: NCSG-DISCUSS@LISTSERV.SYR.EDU <br>Subject: Re: [NCSG-Discuss] Independent Objector Weighs In on "closed/private" tlds <br> <br><br>> -----Original Message-----<br>> <br>> Actually Argentina is far from the Amazon region, but they participated<br>> in the campaign regarding .amazon as we supported the one against<br>> .patagonia.<br><br>And both objections are silly and parochial, imho. Argentina's fight against .patagonia in particular is a petulant claim to a property right over a word, worse than the trademark maximalists. It's worse because at least with TM claims there is a law that defines (and limits) the rights and an economic rationale for some kind of exclusivity (consumer confusion). What law supports and what limits apply to a national government's claim to own a word? <br><br>Please tell me, all you information commons supporters, why you have a soft spot for exclusivity when nationalist sentiment is involved? <br><br>Please tell me, what exactly is the harm that will be done to anyone by a sports equipment mfr having .patagonia as a domain, or by a famous company having .amazon as a domain? I would really like to know. Concrete harms, please, not symbolic. It's not like anyone else had big plans for those domains. <br><br>And also let me ask: do you think the companies should have been denied the right to use the words "Amazon" and "Patagonia" as their brands to begin with? <br><br>Let's go further: When Terry Gilliam named his 1980s film "Brazil" should he have been subject to an "independent objector"? If I want to name my pet snake "Amazon" do I need the permission of the governments? Or the aboriginal tribes (who don't even call it that?) Or the permission of ICANN? <br></body>