[NCUC-DISCUSS] Amazon.com gets big win in domain battle, may yet get .Amazon domain

[Malisa Richards]

>
> Independent review process recommends ICANN reconsider .amazon top level
> domain name application.
>
> One of the biggest controversies in ICANN’s new top level domain name
> program has been the denial of Amazon.com’s applications for the .Amazon
> top level domain as well as the Chinese and Japanese equivalents.
>
> Amazon.com was one of the largest applicants for new domain names, but its
> .brand strategy was thrown into disarray when when governments opposed its
> .amazon application.
>
> This was bad for the new TLD programs supporters, as any use of .Amazon by
> the internet giant would drastically increase awareness of alternative
> endings to the right of the dot in domain names. Amazon has created some
> sites on its other .brand domains, such as .AWS. But a major push on
> .Amazon would raise the bar.
>
> On the surface, there was nothing in the new top level domain applicant
> guidebook that disallowed the company from getting .amazon. Notably, it
> wasn’t on a list of protected geographic names.
>
> But the governments of Brazil and Peru, which are among the countries
> along the Amazon river, filed an early warning notice about the domain.
> They had concerns that Amazon.com getting the domain name would somehow
> hurt the people of the Amazon. It was perplexing
> <http://domainnamewire.com/2013/12/10/hardheaded-governments-vs-amazon-com/>
> .
>
> Yet, they were able to convince the ICANN Governmental Advisory Committee
> (GAC) to issue consensus advice objecting to the issuance of the .amazon
> domain. (A community objection filed by the independent objector was
> denied.)
>
> The GAC advice didn’t come with much of a rationale. Nevertheless, ICANN’s
> board gave deference to the advice and denied Amazon.com’s applications for
> the three domains.
>
> Amazon filed for Independent Review and just got a big win
> <http://domainnamewire.com/2013/12/10/hardheaded-governments-vs-amazon-com/> (pdf).
> The panel determined that ICANN’s board gave too much deference to the GAC
> and that it should reconsider its decision.
>
> The panel:
>
> …recommends that the Board of ICANN promptly re-evaluate Amazon’s
> applications in light of the Panel’s declarations above. In its
> re-evaluation of the applications, the Board should make an objective and
> independent judgment regarding whether there are, in fact, well-founded,
> merits-based public policy reasons for denying Amazon’s applications….The
> GAC consensus advice, standing alone, cannot supplant the Board’s
> independent and objective decision with a reasoned analysis.
>
> Following the decision, an Amazon.com spokesperson issued this statement
> to Domain Name Wire:
>
> “We look forward to the ICANN Board re-evaluating our application for the
> .AMAZON top level domain so that we may develop new experiences and
> innovations on behalf of our customers.”
>
> *------------------------------*
> *Best Regards,*
>
>
> *Bertnell A. Malisa Richards *
>
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