Question: Don't cry NO at once! We had a discussion concerning the responsibility for domain names in Germany not long ago, because some individuals registered domain names consisting of nazi terms. Should the ICANN, or the @large members be able to ban such domain names?

Nominee Replies

Winfried Schueller - posted on 2000-09-26 09:24:47 No, it is not within ICANNs scope to censure domains. There should be a balance between all interests of the community. To prohibit certain terms in domain names can not be handled on a global scale, this has to be done on a national basis because there is no international government or juristic entity. Andy Mueller-Maguhn - posted on 2000-09-24 03:13:51 Icann should allow the same amount of TLDīs as name space for cultures spaces, as there are cultural spaces: infinite. Cultural spaces and national (governmental) spaces take place under their own rules; so do name spaces. The gTLD currently do take place under american culture of freedom of speech, most of the ccTLDīs do not. I prefer freedom of speech, but ICANN can not and should not be able to make the worldwide rules for cultures. I see ICANNīs job to keep free flow of information and the networking of the cultural and name spaces up. In my point of view, neither Icann nor the @large members should be able to bann any domain names. gTLD and ccTLD will make their resctrictions following their believes and to change this, we will have to adress those organizations in RL. Jeanette Hofmann - posted on 2000-09-21 17:01:13 I take it you refer to second level domains to be registered under ccTLDs like .de. No, this is cleary beyond ICANN's responsibility. And, to tell you the truth, I am glad that ICANN's power is restricted to those functions that really need central control. Unlike all other networks and infrastructures I know of, the Internet succeeded exactly because of its decentralized structure. Technical and administrative authority is delegated as much as possible. With regard to domain names under the country code Top Level Domains, the national registrars are in charge. Their policy is subject to national law. This arrangement ensures that we never ever have to agree with China or Singapore about which domain names to ban ;-) Alf Hansen - posted on 2000-09-20 12:40:26 I assume you are talking about TLDs. The text string for new gTLDs are ICANN's responsibility. The 2nd level domains are managed by the TLD managers, not ICANN. When new gTLDs are considered, ICANN should check that the new text string do not violate the law(s).