.amazon and .africa gTLD applicants fight for their rights at ICANN
Jeffrey P. Bezos
Amazon.com, CEO
Both Refuse to Withdraw:
In what is to be the next online real estate grab, gTLD applicants at ICANN objected by GAC continue to fight for their rights.
ICANN has released the latest NGPC Action on GAC Durban Advice on New gTLDs, according to that report, the NGPC indicated it would take action on the advice concerning the .amazon string at a future meeting. Meanwhile, Amazon is not backing down from ICANN or the GAC .
DotConnectAfrica has also been reported to proceed with its bid to have .africa. In a summary analysis, The Reporter Daily provided an up to date investigative report on the status of the dotafrica (.africa) project and the complicated issues that DCA has been subjected to in its application regarding Governmental Support saying:
“A delayed evaluation “pass” score for .Africa competition, as DotConnectAfrica refuses to withdraw before Accountability Hearing.”
Ms. Sophia Bekele
CEO, DotConnectAfrica
In Amazon’s case, although most of the responses were simply boilerplate requests for reconsideration, similar to DotConnectAfrica, Amazon filed a 20+ page response that accused the GAC and ICANN of violating International Law, its own New gTLD program rules, and being blatantly discriminatory and biased towards the company. In what can be consider a parallel reaction, Amazon also explained that it sees the GAC advice as overstepping its role because that advice contravenes international and national trademark laws, stating:
“While the GAC has an appropriate role to play in providing advice to the ICANN Board on matters related to government policy and international and national laws, the GAC Advice here substantially oversteps those bounds. ICANN’s failure to reject that advice would plainly violate relevant principles of international law and applicable conventions and local law, and therefore violate ICANN’s Governing Documents.” (emphasis added) – read more here:
Maybe a Class Action IRP Legal Suit again ICANN on those who fell victim to wholesale fraud, incompetency and illegality at ICANN and GAC level may be what the industry needs. More