Boycott the Internet Commerce Association (ICA)

[YAYnames.com]

The Internet Commerce Association, who in the first line of their Mission Statement claims that they are "a non-profit trade organization representing domain name investors and developers and the direct search industry" today weighed in on the ICANN Registrar Accreditation Agreement. You can read their comments in full here: http://forum.icann.org/lists/raa-consultation/msg00067.html

Unbelievably, for a group who purports to represent domain name investors, they were completely silent on the subject of Registrars tasting and appropriating expired names without releasing them to the available pool of names. Read this thread if you don't know what I'm talking about http://www.namepros.com/domain-name-discussion/487472-expired-domain-skimming-by-registrars.html

If this is their idea of "representing" us, I have to say "no thanks".

Please DO NOT SUPPORT THESE CLOWNS, because they definitely do not represent the average domainer.


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[Michael]

According to your other thread there is already language in the RAA that prohibits warehousing by registrars. The email sent by the ICA was simply commenting on the ammendments.

I think getting ICANN to actually enforce their own rules should be done in a different venue than that email, although I agree the ICA isn't doing enough on that front. More specifically, if ICANN isn't doing their job someone needs to go over their head to the Department of Commerce.

 

[YAYnames.com]

According to your other thread there is already language in the RAA that prohibits warehousing by registrars. The email sent by the ICA was simply commenting on the ammendments.

The language needs to be tightened up because it's being ignored by registrars like Tucows (an ICA member, what a surprise).

I think getting ICANN to actually enforce their own rules should be done in a different venue than that email, although I agree the ICA isn't doing enough on that front. More specifically, if ICANN isn't doing their job someone needs to go over their head to the Department of Commerce.

The RAA amendments have been negotiated in the dark between the registrars and ICANN, the only opportunity for the general public to have any input has been in the public comments.

I agree that Commerce should be putting heat on ICANN to enforce provisions of the RAA, but in the immediate term the public comments could have an impact.

ICA does not represent domainers (at least not those that don't own their own registrar). If they did, they would've had the courage to loudly protest this unethical garbage.


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[Michael]

I agree, but I don't think calling for a boycott is going to solve anything. I'm sure donations to the ICA from all the little guys combined pale in comparison to what a single entity such as Tucows contributes.

This is the same kind of lobbying you see on Capitol Hill where a few corporations have the decision-makers in their pockets. The little guy can kick and scream all he wants, but he doesn't have the bargaining power (read: money) to be heard.

Unless of course the have-nots form their own lobbying interest that isn't headed by corrupt individuals that are willing to look the other way as long as they're doing it from their private yacht.