If you committed computer crimes forget about applying for a gTLD.
ICANN has been taking in applications for the new gTLDs to be rolled out as an infinite money maker for years to come.
For that matter, ICANN wants all sorts of different, personal information about the principals of the entities that apply for a gTLD.
The New gTLD Applicant Guidebook lists a dozen different types of crimes that range from hacking to violent sexual offenses:
Indicate whether the applicant or any of the individuals named above:
i. within the past ten years, has been convicted of any crime related to financial or corporate governance activities, or has been judged by a court to have committed fraud or breach of fiduciary duty, or has been the subject of a judicial determination that is the substantive equivalent of any of these;
ii. within the past ten years, has been disciplined by any government or industry regulatory body for conduct involving dishonesty or misuse of funds of others;
iii. within the past ten years has been convicted of any willful tax-related fraud or willful evasion of tax liabilities;
iv. within the past ten years has been convicted of perjury, forswearing, failing to cooperate with a law enforcement investigation, or making false statements to a law enforcement agency or representative;
v. has ever been convicted of any crime involving the use of computers, telephony systems, telecommunications or the Internet to facilitate the commission of crimes;
vi. has ever been convicted of any crime involving the use of a weapon, force, or the threat of force;
vii. has ever been convicted of any violent or sexual offense victimizing children, the elderly, or individuals with disabilities;
viii. has ever been convicted of the illegal sale, manufacture, or distribution of pharmaceutical drugs, or been convicted or successfully extradited for any offense described in Article 3 of the United Nations Convention Against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances of 1988;
ix. has ever been convicted or successfully extradited for any offense described in the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime (all Protocols);
x. has been convicted, within the respective timeframes, of aiding, abetting, facilitating, enabling, conspiring to commit, or failing to report any of the listed crimes (i.e., within the past 10 years for crimes listed in (i) – (iv) above, or ever for the crimes listed in (v) – (ix) above);
xi. has entered a guilty plea as part of a plea agreement or has a court case in any jurisdiction with a disposition of Adjudicated Guilty or Adjudication Withheld (or regional equivalents) within the respective timeframes listed above for
any of the listed crimes (i.e., within the past 10 years for crimes listed in (i) – (iv) above, or ever for the crimes listed in (v) – (ix) above);xii. is the subject of a disqualification imposed by ICANN and in effect at the time of this application.
If any of the above events have occurred, please provide details.
Companies that intend to apply for gTLDs with ICANN, should therefore run background checks on the individuals they hire!
Interestingly trademark ransom is not included in the list.