Question: Will the proposed test-bed for multilingual gTLDs create problems for existing ccTLD registries in this Region? Unlike traditional gTLDs which have global precense, multilingual gTLDs can effectively be used to target each affected geographic region. Should different registration practice be adopted for multilingual gTLDs?

Nominee Replies

Sureswaran Ramadass - posted on 2000-09-30 04:54:48 I could give at ad-hoc answer, but such issues really have to be studied in dept. I always believe in a well studied, well formulated implementation policy, that once created, will try to cover all the possible problems. In general, I think the same registration process, with slight alterations, can be used. Masanobu Katoh - posted on 2000-09-21 14:35:19 Multilingual domain names are very useful, very important, but at the same time we need a very careful study on both the technological and legal implications. I am working on this issue not only with my Asian colleagues but also with U.S. and European friends. We need to solve many issues quickly - including the development of technical standards maintaining the compatibility and interoperability of the global domain name system (both ccTLDs and gTLDs), and the establishment of a legal framework to avoid cybersquatting and other unfair practices. I should emphasize that the multilingual domain name issue is one in which we Asians should take more of a leadership role (relatively speaking). We have a rich linguistic background with different alphabets, and we should demonstrate to the world that the Internet can accommodate cultural diversity. Johannes Chiang - posted on 2000-09-19 05:57:11 Multilingual gTLDs could cause a lot of problems if things were pushed without careful planning. We need to ensure that the service follows the technical standards and meets the requirements. We need to ensure systems are backward compatible and interoperable. There are still a lot of multilingual domain name issues to work out such as scalability and translation mechansims. Perhaps there is no complete solution right now, but we still need to compromise with technical solutions and regional equirements.