RE: [idn] Document Status?

[Erik Nordmark <Erik.Nordmark@sun.com>]

> There are some domain name registries that prohibit certain combinations of
> characters in the name spaces they administer.  The administrator of the .us
> ccTLD, for example, prohibits use of the seven "dirty words" described by
> the US FCC and George Carlin.  While this isn't a restriction on the set of
> valid characters, it _is_ a restriction on how they may be combined.  I read
> Erik's note to mean that registries may well prohibit certain Unicode code
> points or combinations of code points for various policy or legal reasons,
> and I'd agree with that assessment.
> 
> Please correct me if my interpretation is wrong, Erik.

Our interpretation is correct.

The "dirty words" was one type of restriction I had in the back of my head.

Another type of restriction is the one I've vaguely heard about .se
(and I don't know the actual policy rules so I'll be vague) which
is that in order to be able to register a name in .se there has to
be a corresponding (approximate?) legal company name being registered
with Patent och Registreringsverket in Sweden.
Just like the "dirty words" this is not a limitation in code points
but a restriction that applies to the whole label.

Another type of restriction might appear with the introduction of IDN
is a "go slow" approach for allowing Uncode code points. For instance, a ccTLD
registry might initially limit the IDNs that can be registered to
use LDH plus additional code points used in the language(s) in that country.

I don't see how any of these would cause interoperability problems,
even though users might be inconvinienced by not being able to register
arbitrary names in arbitrary TLDs.

  Erik