The BBC features my op-ed column (BBC version, website version) focusing on this week’s WSIS Internet governance agreement. Much like yesterday’s blog posting, I argue that the outcome reflects the bargaining position of the United States and the European Union, but that the deal may not be as lopsided as […]
Post Tagged with: "domain names"
The WSIS Deal
There is considerable coverage this morning (or this evening in Tunis) on the last minute WSIS deal struck yesterday. The gist of the coverage rightly reports that the U.S. emerged with the compromise they were looking for as the delegates agreed to retain ICANN and the ultimate U.S. control that […]
CIRA Launches Governance Public Consultation
The Canadian Internet Registration Authority, which manages to the dot-ca domain, today launched a critically important public consultation which raises the prospect of a dramatic change to the CIRA board, public elections, and other accountability issues. I have served for the past four years on the CIRA board and I’m […]
A Better Take on Dot-Ca Disputes
Last week I published my take on the sudden interest in dot-ca domain name disputes in the Canadian House of Commons arising from the Defend Marriage Coalition’s registration of domains bearing the names of several MPs.
Debating Domain Names
It is not often that Members of Parliament engage in debates on domain name policies so yesterday’s extended debate in the House of Commons is worth noting.
The impetus for the debate is the registration by an opponent of same sex marriage legislation of domain names bearing the name of MPs who favour the legislation. The sites are pretty deceptive. For example, the Don Boudria site looks like it could be the MP’s official site with only a disclaimer that it is not the official site.
The legal response to this issue is pretty complex. CIRA’s domain name dispute resolution policy is expressly designed to protect good faith criticism sites. That provision was adopted out of concern for the impact under the ICANN UDRP which has seen many legitimate criticism sites transferred under the questionable claims of cybersquatting.
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