ANA Tells House That ICANN’S Program for an Unlimited Expansion of Top Level Domain Names Is a Reckless Experiment That Should Be Delayed
WASHINGTON (Dec. 14, 2011) — The Association of National Advertisers (ANA) told the Subcommittee on Communications and Technology of the House Energy and Commerce Committee today that ICANN's plan for an unlimited expansion of the generic Top Level Domain (TLD) Name program is a "reckless experiment" that would seriously threaten both businesses and consumers in the online marketplace.
Dan Jaffe, ANA Executive Vice President, Government Relations testified today on behalf of the Association and CRIDO, the Coalition for Responsible Internet Domain Oversight. CRIDO is a coalition of 156 major national and international companies and trade associations united in opposing the roll-out of ICANN's program, which is scheduled for next month. The ANA/CRIDO written statement is available here.
Jaffe stated: "The ICANN program would pile billions of dollars of cost onto a challenging global economy, resources that could be much better spent on job creation. This is not merely a bad policy choice but a serious threat to the legitimate interests of both companies and consumers on the internet. We believe that both the decision and the process ICANN followed are fundamentally flawed and the roll-out should be delayed."
On November 10, ANA and CRIDO sent a Petition to the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Commerce expressing strong objections to the new TLD expansion program. In addition to the members of CRIDO, other groups including the Council of Better Business Bureaus (CBBB), the National Retail Federation (NRF), the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA) have written to the Department of Commerce expressing opposition to the ICANN expansion.
Jaffe stated: "These are not just the concerns of the business community. Last week, the general counsel of the YMCA told the Senate Commerce Committee that the ICANN program could be financially devastating and dangerous for the 1.5 million nonprofit organizations in the U.S. Also, FTC Chairman Jon Leibowitz told a House Judiciary Subcommittee that the unlimited gTLD roll-out could be a 'disaster' for businesses and consumers and could dramatically increase problems for law enforcement. When the Chairman of one of the chief consumer protection agencies in the U.S. labels the program a potential 'disaster,' that should be a clear signal to everyone that this program should be delayed."
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About the ANA
The ANA (Association of National Advertisers) accelerates growth for marketing professionals, brands, and the entire industry. With a mission to shape the future of marketing, the ANA sets the agenda for the industry, connecting its members to unparalleled expertise, industry-leading resources, and an influential global network. Representing over 1,600 companies — including 1,000+ client-side marketers, 600 marketing solutions providers, and 20,000 brands — ANA members collectively influence $400 billion in annual marketing spending. By championing the 12-point ANA Growth Agenda and the CMO Growth Council, the ANA drives actionable change, empowers marketers, shapes the marketing ecosystem, and delivers exceptional experiences at every touchpoint. Since 1910, the ANA has been setting the agenda for industry transformation. It enables marketers to advance their ambitions, make better decisions, and create lasting impact for their organizations and the industry.
About CRIDO
The Coalition for Responsible Internet Domain Oversight (CRIDO) represents 154 influential national and international trade associations and companies, including all the members of the World Federation of Advertisers that have joined together to oppose the roll-out of the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) program to expand internet top-level domain names. CRIDO members, representing some 90 percent of global marketing communications spending (equivalent to $700 billion annually), cite the proposal's deeply flawed justification, excessive cost and harm to brand owners, likelihood of predatory cyber harm to consumers and lack of stakeholder consensus, a core requirement of its commitment to the U.S. Department of Commerce. For more information, visit http://www.crido.org/.
Press Contacts
Luna Newton, CooperKatz & Company for the ANA
lnewton@cooperkatz.com or 917.595.3061
Jamie Bezozo, CooperKatz & Company for the ANA
jbezozo@cooperkatz.com or 917.595.3032