[Random-bits] TLD fees

[James Love]

One of the issues in the TLD debate concerns the non-refundable fees for
a new TLD application.  Before the meeting, an ICANN staff paper said
the fees would be $7,500 to $50,000, assuming 7 to 20 applications would
be submitted.  During the public comment period, People said the fees
would be a problem for the non-commercial proposals.  However, the staff
proposal, which was approved by the Board today, choose a flat
non-refundable $50,000 fee, the high end.

I have asked Mike Roberts, the ICANN CEO, and some ICANN board members,
to raise the issue of whether or not this fee would "disappear" if an
application is rejected in the first round, or if the application
would have to pay again to be considered in the second round or third
round.  Mike said he had an open mind, as did one board member, but the
issue has not been addressed by the board.  We will press ICANN to at
least make the fee a credit to another application, and also ask the
board to create tiered fees for different types of TLDs, and even fee
waivers.  

In the first round, there is really very little information regarding
what would succeed, in terms of an application, and indeed, the board
has indicated that the numbers will be limited, even if there are a
large number of "qualifed" and quality applications.

The board also did not make any distinctions between fees for a
commercial TLD, that would be worth millions if approved, and a
non-commercial TLD that would be run as a public service.  Many see this
as running the risk that there will be big barriers to some of the types
of applications that would meet various civil society goals.  

  Jamie

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James Love, Consumer Project on Technology    
P.O. Box 19367        | http://www.cptech.org 
Washington, DC 20036  | love@cptech.org       
Voice 202/387-8030    | Fax 202/234-5176     
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