[ga] GNSO Meeting -- Washington DC -- Feb. 24/25

[Danny Younger <dannyyounger@xxxxxxxxx>]

Milton Mueller has just posted this note to the NCUC
list:

Based on information supplied to me by our GNSO
Council members, we learn that the Council is thinking
of having a physical meeting in late February in
Washington DC on new gTLDs. 

Superficially, it appears that the Council is holding
this meeting to "make progress on policy drafting" in
a face to face meeting in order to be ready for the
Wellington meeting. But take a closer look. 

The meeting is also being held to "provide an
opportunity for any additional public comment on the
reports published so far." What that means, basically,
is that it provides an opportunity for
Washington-based business lobbies (i.e., intellectual
property and BC) to come in and lobby the proceedings
in force. And it puts the whole thing before a US
government audience, just so we know who really calls
the shots. 
Naturally, the meeting was proposed by Marilyn Cade,
who has altruistically volunteered to take charge of
the arrangements. 

There is really no excuse for this. 

I urge our Council members to start raising tough
questions about the alleged purpose of this proposed
meeting. 

Holding this meeting in Washington and accepting
"public comment" turns this into a lobbying meeting
that will easily be dominated by Washington insiders,
the BC, IPC and incumbent registries, all of whom have
good reasons to be hostile to new gTLDs. This is a
transparent political ploy. What does this say to the
people in Asia, Africa and Latin America and even
Europe, that when the Council has to make a crucial
decision it sets up shop in Washington with a month's
notice and opens its doors to lobbyists? 

If the Council really needs to have a f2f meeting to
help it work out a common position, its members should
get together as far away from Washington DC as
possible, and they should keep ALL lobbying and
pressure from interest groups as far away from them as
possible!!!

We have heard the same arguments for and against new
gTLDs for years. We don't need more comment and
lobbying. We need to make decisions. The idea that the
council and its constituencies don't know what their
position is, or need to hear more, is ridiculous. What
needs to happen is for the various constituencies to
put their heads together and come up with a common
position. 

End message.

>From Danny:  If any of you can attend the DC session,
please write to me off-list
(dannyyounger[at]yahoo.com) and we will coordinate our
activities and/or travel arrangements.

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