ICANN has been summoned to appear before the House Judiciary Committee who will hold a hearing called ICANN Generic Top-Level Domains (gTLD) Oversight Hearing. Getting the short straw from ICANN to appear has been Kurt Pritz, who will front a committee that seems mostly to have the ear of intellectual property interests.
"Arrayed against [Pritz] are a parade of intellectual property
interests, some reasonable, some pur et dur lobbyists for complete
corporate hegemony over all aspects of the Internet," writes Antony Van
Couvering on the Minds+Machiines blog. "Not invited are any existing
registries, any potential candidates, anyone representing free-speech
concerns or civil society. Except for Kurt, it's all intellectual
property interests, all the time."
Van Couvering lists those attending as witnesses with their credentials. They are:
- Steve Del Bianco, Net Choice. As a Washington insider, Steve Del Bianco is not a surprise choice. Last time he testified, he brandished a label-making machine, saying that new gTLDs were just labels. Expect a new prop or other easy-to-grasp soundbite prepared for the benefit of our elected representatives.
- Mei-lan Stark, Fox Legal. I'm not familiar with this person, but I wouldn't be going out on a limb to suppose that Fox Legal hates new gTLDs, especially given that "fox" is a common English word, which makes it hard to reserve entirely to themselves.
- Steve Metalitz, Mitchell Silberberg & Knupp LLP. Steve Metalitz sticks to his guns but he is someone looking for a solution, not a disruption.
- Mike Palage, Pharos Global. Mike seems to love the exercise of government power, but sings to his own tune, preferably with a puzzling metaphor as lyrics.
- Joshua Borne, CADNA. CADNA never met a restriction on domain names or free speech that it didn't celebrate with a press release. A reliable source of the most extreme and outrageous positions.
CADNA, who has been strongly opposed to the introduction of new gTLDs said in a statement that:
"This hearing was absolutely necessary. Chairman Goodlatte, Ranking
Member Watts and the Subcommittee will quickly learn through routine
questioning that ICANN is badly in need of attention. It has failed time
and time again to be responsive to the Internet community," CADNA
President Josh Bourne states. "This hearing is not about whether the
ICANN model is right or wrong; the hearing is about whether ICANN is
functioning properly and representing the interests of the Internet
community in a manner commensurate with the responsibilities it was
given."
But CADNA has used some dubious statistics in its time against ICANN's
proposed new gTLDs, with Van Couvering demolishing these arguments in
postings titled "Survey Shows Brands Don't Register Defensively in New gTLDs" and "What Cost New gTLD Trademark Infringements to Brands?", both back in February 2010.
Van Couvering writes that Pritz is a great choice to represent ICANN as
"most of those testifying have been targeting Kurt Pritz for years now
at ICANN meetings, and Kurt has always responded with civility."
"It should be clear to everyone that there will be no new information
coming out of this hearing. If previous meetings in front of this
committee are any indication, the congresspeople have little insight
into the issues. They will be reading the polemics handed to them by
their lobbyists and staff, and will not be asking follow-up questions
unless those too have been prepared."
Van Couvering also believes the hearing should not derail the new gTLD
process. And "while the House of Representatives can do what it wants,
the 'approved' channel for governments to beat up on ICANN is the GAC,
which is finally getting well integrated into the ICANN process and has
become part of the ICANN community, whether you like its positions or
not. Just another reason I've learned to stop worrying and love the
GAC."
To read Antony Van Couvering's posting on the Minds+Machines blog in full, see:
www.mindsandmachines.com/2011/05/intellectual-property-interests-line-up-to-crucify-icann-in-congress