[Random-bits] Brock on $50k TLD fee

[James Love]

Subject:  RE: [Random-bits] TLD fees
   Date:  Sat, 15 Jul 2000 21:39:41 -0700
   From: "Meeks, Brock" <Brock.Meeks@MSNBC.COM>
     To:  "'James Love'" <love@cptech.org>,
random-bits@venice.essential.org

This 50k non-refundable fee is fucking extortion.  All this talk about
making this process inclusive and open and then ICANN sets the bar to
simply toss your hat in the ring at $50k?

It's a fucking TLD Poll Tax folks... they should be ashamed.

<------end Brock's missive------->

Brock,

   It is my impression from talking with ICANN board members, that the
$50k non-refundable application fee for the TLD testbed is designed to
generate a "resource infusion" (in the words of one board member) for
ICANN.  Then, if you "win," and have permission to create a TLD, you pay
fee to ICANN for being a registry, plus fees for paticipation in various
DNSO activities.   

   The ICANN board is explicit that test bed applications will rejected,
even if they are qualified on technical grounds, because the test bed
will be delibertly smaller than demand.  The early applications will
likely generate a lot of money for ICANN.  20 applications would
generate 20 percent of ICANN's budget.

   Jamie   

=============================================
James Love, Consumer Project on Technology    
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