Warren� s Washington Internet Daily

DOMAIN NAMES: Australian barrister
presses ICANN to recognize
alternate root... (P. 5)

[This article also reproduced at http://www.site.humanrights/media.html
and also, using ICANN root, at http://www.humanrights.com.au/dhr/media.html]

Domain Names
Australian barrister Len Lindon, who has been waging a solitary campaign
against alleged anticompetitive activities by ICANN and the .au Domain
Administration (auDA), Thurs. advised ICANN CEO Stuart Lynn, Vp-Gen. Counsel
Louis Touton and Chief Policy Officer Andrew McLaughlin that he expected the
Internet body to recognize the �Human Rights Root Service� and to resolve
.humanrights on the ICANN root. In his letter, posted online the day before
the opening of the ICANN meeting in Stockholm, Lindon said ICANN, the
Australian Competition & Consumer Commission (ACCC) and Australia�s Minister
for Communications were �well aware� of allegations that ICANN was breaching
the Australian Trade Prac-tices Act by limiting competition in the domain
space. �The most recent proof of ICANN�s intent to destroy non-ICANN root
services and [top-level domains (TLDs)] was published by the ICANN President
on Tuesday 28 May 2001,� Lindon wrote. That�s the day Lynn posted a White
Paper that has infuriated alternate root proponents and prompted a response
from upstart registry New.net outlining a proposal to introduce
�market-based principles into domain name governance.� While Lindon�s
.humanrights site is �prepared to mutually recognize ICANN TLDs and the
ICANN Root Service for the purpose of Internet Addressing,� he said, it
can�t have any other connection to ICANN. �The corrupt processes and
decisions of ICANN have been analysed [sic] at length,� Lindon said. �No
wonder Europeans call ICANN Œthe American Joke!�� Last Nov., Lindon asked
the ACCC to investigate claims that ICANN and auDA were anticompetitive. At
the ICANN meeting in March in Melbourne, Lindon sought an injunction against
both bodies, a request that was denied by a justice of Australia�s federal
court. The ACCC earlier had indicated that it might look into Lindon�s
allegations. However, an e-mail seeking comment hadn�t been answered by our
deadline. Wran-gling over the need for alternate roots has become so heated
that the topic been put on the agenda for ICANN�s public forum June 3. ‹ DS

c. Warren� s Washingtion Internet Daily
FRIDAY, JUNE 1, 2001
page 5, Vol 2, No 106
http://www.warren-news.com/

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