<
https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2022/09/giving-big-corporations-closed-generic-top-level-domain-names-run-private-kingdoms>
"No business can own the generic word for the product it sells. We would find
it preposterous if a single airline claimed exclusive use of the word “air,” or
a broadband service tried to stop its rivals from using the word “broadband.”
Until this year, it seemed settled that the internet’s top-level domain names
(like .com, .org, and so on) would follow the same obvious rule. Alas, ICANN
(the California nonprofit that governs the global domain name system) seems
intent on taking domains in a more absurd direction by revisiting the
thoroughly discredited concept of “closed generics.”
In a nutshell, closed generics are top-level domain names using common words,
like “.car.” But unlike other TLDs like “.com,” a closed generic TLD is under
the control of a single company, and that company controls all of the domain
names within the TLD. This is a terrible idea, for all of the same reasons it
has failed twice already. And for one additional reason—defenders of open
competition and free expression should not have to fight the same battle a
third time."
Via Rixty Dixet.
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
