Loses case for .health — Independent Objector

Afilias successfully defends limited public interest objection against .health.

There were a couple firsts in the fresh top level domain name program today, all involving one objection.

An objection against .health was the first limited public interest objection to be decided, and also the first objection filed by the independent objector to meet its fate.

A three person panel found in the favor of .health applicant Afilias.

Limited Public Interest Objections were designed to to stop strings that are “contrary to general principles of international law for morality and public order”.

Independent Objector Professor Alain Pellet argued that health is “a crucial, existential need for each and every human being” and that .health ought to not be run by a private enterprise.

Pellet asked that, ought to Afilias get the domain name, the panel extend additional restrictions on how Afilias’ runs the domain name. The panel cannot do that. It can only decide if the objections succeeds or fails.

And it decided that Pellet failed to meet the burdens of winning a limited pubic interest objection.

Given the guidelines, this case always seemed to me like a throw-away case filed since the independent objector had to show something for his sizable budget. There are still four pending objections against .health applications.

You can read the full decision here (pdf).