Monopoly A Clinton administration working group examining the implications of a new Internet addressing scheme is focusing its attention on possible monopoly power that could result from a proposal put forth by a group of Internet governing bodies commonly known as the Policy Oversight Committee.
Specialists studying the issue say there are still more questions unanswered than answered.
Though an arbitration process run by the U.N.-affiliated World Intellectual Property Organization explicitly allows for international dispute settlement by national courts, the POC's home in Geneva could make binding settlements difficult. Even so, trademark law is national by nature, not international. Concerns over possible anti-competitive fallout from licensing new registrars are also on the agenda at the White House, but, here too, POC backers say parties that raise the concerns are throwing out red herrings. Financial requirements, too, he adds, were purposely set low. We'll even reduce those as things stabilize with time.