>
> Roeland M.J. Meyer wrote:
>
> > Martin makes a really good case for enforcing TLD charters. NSI
> has allowed
> > them to erode simply because the TLD space has been frozen. Do
> you think
> > enforced TLD charters would help in reducing this trademark pressure?
>
> Enforced by whom? Enforced how?
>
> --MM
>
Milton's point is the good one and the obvious one. Chartered TLDs only
make sense if the charter can be enforced. They can only be enforced under
the following circumstances:
1. The chartering authority is recognized by all potential registrants as
valid (e.g., Nominet is, without significant dispute, the authority for .UK)
2. The charter is clear enough and narrow enough to make any sense (e.g.,
.astronaut is for people who have been to outer space)
It won't work for a broad commercial space (e.g. .COM), which is,
unfortunately for chartered TLDs, where the vast majority of companies want
to be, and which, unfortunately for chartered TLDs, already exists. The
third corollary rule is, therefore:
3. Consumer-driven e-commerce will only work in chartered TLDs if there are
no unchartered TLDs. In other words, who the hell wants to be
ford.automakers when you can be ford.com, especially when .automakers is one
of thousands of chartered TLDs?
That's my 2 cents, anyway.
Antony
