Saudi Arabia objects to some new gTLDs

[Edward Morris]

Some of the parties to potential lawsuits make the ICANN/ICM alliance seem
like a natural pair. How about the Roman Catholic Church versus an ICANN
supported by the Church of England and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia  over
.catholic?

If the board rejects otherwise legitimate domain names inconsistently on
the basis of less than transparent policy the $65,000 charged applicants
will likely be insufficient to cover the costs of litigation. As Robin
correctly points out,  the principle of free expression in the GNSO
recommendations exist and are also  buttressed by Constitutional provisions
both in the State of California and in the United States of America that,
as a California public benefits corporation, may apply to ICANN.

The Board did not handle these issues with any great dexterity in the long
and torturous .XXX process. We can only hope that lessons have been learned
and, with our support, will be applied.

Ed Morris



On Wed, Aug 15, 2012 at 10:29 PM, Tamir Israel <tisrael at cippic.ca> wrote:

>  Not to add to your cynicism, but apparently religion ('.church'),
> children ('.kids') or anything negative ('.sucks') are also potentially
> sensitive (and hence not allowed online either?), say the house/senate
> judiciary committees:
>
>
> http://www.leahy.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/8-7-12%20Letter%20from%20Senate%20and%20House%20Judiciary%20Committees.pdf
>
> Also some shots there at the Trademark clearinghouse notification
> process....
>
> (sorry if this is a repost....)
>
> Best,
> Tamir
>
> On 8/15/2012 5:18 PM, Andrei Barburas wrote:
>
> If I learned something by being a techie, is to expect the unexpected;
> literally from anyone.
>
>  From the reasons behind their objections, for me it seems like
> currently, online, there is no sex or gambling or anything at all related
> to babies online.
>
>  I might be overreacting or exaggerating a bit, but I do not see the
> rationale behind some of their objections.
>
>
>
>  *Andrei Barburas*
>
> Community Relations Services Officer
>
>
>
> International Institute for Communication and Development (IICD)
>
> P.O. Box 11586, 2502 AN The Hague, The Netherlands
>
>
>  Mobile: +31 62 928 2879
>
> Phone: +31 70 311 7311
> Fax: +31 70 311 7322
> Website: www.iicd.org
>
>
>
> *People  ** **ICT   Development*
>
>
>
> On Wed, Aug 15, 2012 at 11:10 PM, Avri Doria <avri at acm.org> wrote:
>
>> > On the other hand, it seems like the potential of the new gTLDs is
>> still a bit misunderstood, simply because some "techies" believe that ICANN
>> is creating new "Internets".
>>
>>  I would be shocked if there was a single Internet technical person on
>> the planet who thought that the creation of new gTLDs was the creation of
>> new Internets
>>
>> avri
>>
>>
>> On 15 Aug 2012, at 21:50, Andrei Barburas wrote:
>>
>>  > While the situation indeed is a bit "sad", I don't think it's
>> unmanageable.
>> >
>> > What can also be mentioned is that the potential registrars of these
>> gTLDs are respectable organizations (.baby, .virgin, etc).
>> >
>> > On the other hand, it seems like the potential of the new gTLDs is
>> still a bit misunderstood, simply because some "techies" believe that ICANN
>> is creating new "Internets".
>> >
>> > Just because there will be no gTLD like for example, .buddha, that
>> doesn't mean that people will not be able to find information about Buddha.
>> The same applies to gambling, sex, poker, tattoos and pretty much all the
>> "moral grounds" the KSA based its objections.
>> >
>> > Cheers,
>> >
>> >
>> > Andrei Barburas
>> > Community Relations Services Officer
>> >
>> > International Institute for Communication and Development (IICD)
>> > P.O. Box 11586, 2502 AN The Hague, The Netherlands
>> >
>> > Mobile: +31 62 928 2879
>> > Phone: +31 70 311 7311
>> > Fax: +31 70 311 7322
>> > Website: www.iicd.org
>> >
>> > People   ICT   Development
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> > On Wed, Aug 15, 2012 at 8:45 PM, Milton L Mueller <mueller at syr.edu>
>> wrote:
>> > This link doesn't get you directly to the article. I had to search for
>> "ICANN" within the site
>> > Maybe this link will work:
>> http://www.electronista.com/articles/12/08/14/icann.receives.registration.complaints.on.moral.health.grounds/#ixzz23drBbmjd
>> >
>> > Once you get there, it is a good example of how GAC facilitates a
>> censorship mentality. The Saudis should be publicly ridiculed for their
>> absurd and restrictive ideas; they seem to think that because they have
>> dirty minds they have the right to impute their own wild associations to
>> the rest of us. For example, they objected to Johnson & Johnson's .baby
>> because "there is a risk that this string is used in the same way as .XXX
>> to host pornographic websites."
>> >
>> > Yes, and there is a risk that KSA might be used by someone as an
>> acronym for Kiss my Ass. So Maybe the name of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
>> should be banned...
>> >
>> > > -----Original Message-----
>> > > From: NCSG-Discuss [mailto:NCSG-DISCUSS at LISTSERV.SYR.EDU] On Behalf
>> > > Of Horacio T. Cadiz
>> > > Sent: Wednesday, August 15, 2012 12:39 AM
>> > > To: NCSG-DISCUSS at LISTSERV.SYR.EDU
>> > > Subject: [NCSG-Discuss] Saudi Arabia objects to some new gTLDs
>> > >
>> > >    We've been discussing new gTLDs and HR. Milton objected to the
>> > > statement:  "Consideration of applications for new TLDs should be
>> > > mindful of sensitivities."
>> > >
>> > >    KSA objects to .virgin, .baby, and others
>> > >
>> > >
>> http://www.electronista.com/articles/12/0/14/icann.receives.registration.co
>> > > mplaints.on.moral.health.grounds/
>> > >
>> > >
>> > >     The sensitivities of the KSA have been aroused.
>> > >
>> > > --
>> > > Bombim Cadiz
>> > > *****************************************
>> > > *  Free/Open Source Software (FOSS) --  *
>> > > * No windows. No gates. It is open.     *
>> > > * No Bill. It is Free.                  *
>> > > *****************************************
>> >
>>
>
>
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