Jay Westerdal has the scoop: "Advanced word at the ICANN meeting tonight in Lisbon just came in. I understand that the board has voted down the Dot XXX proposal tonight, the board decided behind closed doors tonight that the new TLD should not be added to the Internet root."

While I generally support the work of the ALAC, I don't agree with its recent statement that includes a discussion of "domain monetization." Here's the comment I sent to the ALAC a couple of days ago. I wish I had been in Lisbon to argue this point face to face.

Here's something for the Public Forum on Thursday. Can someone read this for me?

A lot happened over the weekend, as the ICANN meetings in Lisbon Portugal got underway. I'm not there, but I'm trying to participate remotely. I describe how I plan to attack the three days of transcripts now posted on the ICANN website. (IPR 78: 9 minutes / 5.2 megabytes). Opening Music: "Men of Station" by 13 & God.

The proposal for a new .XXX top-level domain is on the agenda for next week's meeting of the ICANN Board, and it's sure to be a topic of discussion at the ICANN meetings in Lisbon, Portugal. I talk about why I support it. It may not be for the reasons you think. (iPro Radio 77: 11 minutes / 6 megabytes). Opening Music: "I Hate Everything," by Charlie Chesterman.

Here's a new podcast. I didn't quit podcasting! Of course, I didn't. I just didn't have anything to say until now.

The sky is falling over Geneva....

WIPO Press Release: "[T]he evolution of the domain name registration system is causing growing concern for trademark owners, in particular some of the effects of the use of computer software to automatically register expired domain names and their ‘parking’ on pay-per-click portal sites, the option to register names free-of-charge for a five-day ‘tasting’ period, the proliferation of new registrars, and the establishment of new generic Top Level Domains (gTLDs)."

At a time when Verisign claims it needs to raise prices on .COM and .NET registrations, CNNIC is lowering the price of .CN registrations to 13 cents. Yes, 13 cents.

This should be required reading for everyone in all of ICANN's many circles.

From that other ICANN Blog: "Yesterday .TEL was added to the root zone, becoming the 15th gTLD under contract with ICANN on the Internet. Congratulations to Telnic on this achievement."