The post-.COM internet: toward regular and objective procedures for internet governance

This article makes the case for using regular and objective procedures to assign new Internet top-level domain names (TLDs) instead of the unscheduled, irregular, discretionary and ad hoc processes and criteria currently used by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN). The paper shows that ICANNs current approach to TLD additions is anti-competitive and fosters rent-seeking, political strife, and the potential for corruption. The article argues that there is now and likely always will be demand for TLD additions. The article suggests that ICANN's role is not to second-guess the marketplace by choosing which of these TLDs are "good ideas" or most likely to succeed, but simply to coordinate TLD assignments. The article concludes by anticipating arguments that might be advanced against the proposed procedure, and welcoming the initial steps of ICANN, the OECD, and WIPO to address this issue.