<HTML><FONT FACE=arial,helvetica><HTML><FONT SIZE=2 PTSIZE=10 FAMILY="SANSSERIF" FACE="Arial" LANG="0">All:<BR>
I wanted to share an update on the elections at the GNSO Council level. I am not a Council member, but as a former Council member and veteran of several elections, I am helping with strategy and communication.<BR>
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Below is some background about the current position that is open, and who is running. I hope it will start a dialogue on our list. Should we invite them to talk on a call with the NCUC -- one in which we express our concerns and ask whether they can help and support us?<BR>
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Regards, Kathy<BR>
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Background:<BR>
Michael Palage, an ICANN Board member elected from the GNSO Council, resigned suddenly a few weeks ago. The GNSO Council is now in the process of electing a replacement. <BR>
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As of the close of the nomination period, 5 candidates were nominated and properly seconded to run for the position: <BR>
Michael Geist - by us!<BR>
Marilyn Cade - from Business Constituency<BR>
Philip Sheppard - also from Business Constituency<BR>
Rita Rodin - a joint nomination by Registry and Registrar Constituencies<BR>
At the last minute, Michael Roberts was nominated by the ISP Constituency<BR>
Subsequently, Marilyn Cade withdrew her name.<BR>
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Nominees: <BR>
Our nomination of Michael Geist was a superb move. Geist is a Professor of Law. University of Ottowa, Canada, with a long history of working on ICANN projects, writing criticism of ICANN (including its uniform dispute resolution policy), urging more openness in ICANN's work, and opposing the .COM settlement. He is also a well-known writer about and expert on Internet law, and publisher of the BNA's daily Internet Law News with summaries of recent developments (a free publication!). As the first nomination before Council, Geist set the bar very high for other candidates.<BR>
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Philip Sheppard is the Manager Branding & Marketing Affairs for the European Brands Association. An oldtimer in ICANN and the Council, his views in the Business Constituency are very, very closely affiliated with the Intellectual Property Constituency.<BR>
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Rita Rodin is a young partner with Skadden Arps in New York City. When she and I worked together on the final UDRP drafting committee, she represented the Registrar Constituency (though her work on behalf of Register.com). Subsequently, she went on to organize the registry Affilias on behalf of about a dozen registrars, and now represents registries and those who would like to be registries. She represents other areas of new technology, including Skype. An intellectual property attorney, she just drafted the Free Software Foundation's new General Public License. <BR>
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Michael Roberts was the first President and CEO of ICANN (1998-2001). He was a founder of the Internet Society and is now a policy consultant in the field of Internet technology. To be candid, I never found Roberts to be candid or receptive to much of what NCUC tried to do in the early days of ICANN. <BR>
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