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<TITLE>Re: trademark lobby still dominating discussion at ICANN</TITLE>
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<FONT FACE="Calibri, Verdana, Helvetica, Arial"><SPAN STYLE='font-size:11pt'>Dear Robin and all,<BR>
I agree with you – we need to be very strict and put as much pressure as we can in order to ensure that individual rights are protected and that trademark constituencies do not proceed to illegitimate actions. I would like to nominate myself in any team that might be formed or assist anyone in this task.<BR>
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Konstantinos<BR>
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On 09/03/2009 20:34, "Robin Gross" <<a href="robin@IPJUSTICE.ORG">robin@IPJUSTICE.ORG</a>> wrote:<BR>
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</SPAN></FONT><BLOCKQUOTE><FONT FACE="Calibri, Verdana, Helvetica, Arial"><SPAN STYLE='font-size:11pt'>Hi there,<BR>
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The trademark lobby has succeeded in convincing the ICANN Board it needs special treatments in the introduction of new gtlds (see below ICANN press release).<BR>
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We will need to ensure that this new "Team" includes a balanced perspective and not only trademark extremists who will over-state the rights of trademark holders and understate the rights of ordinary individuals or others who have a lawful right to discuss trademarked products and companies.<BR>
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Has there been any discussion of this IRT on the GNSO Counsel? How do we make sure that balanced perspectives make their way onto the new "ITR Team"?<BR>
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Thanks,<BR>
Robin
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</B></SPAN></FONT></FONT><FONT FACE="Arial"><B><FONT SIZE="6"><SPAN STYLE='font-size:24pt'>Trademark Issues to be Addressed Ahead of Internet Address Expansion<BR>
</SPAN></FONT></B><FONT SIZE="5"><SPAN STYLE='font-size:18pt'>Discussions Show Progress
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<FONT SIZE="5"><FONT FACE="Arial"><SPAN STYLE='font-size:18pt'>6 March 2009
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</SPAN></FONT><FONT SIZE="5"><FONT FACE="Arial"><SPAN STYLE='font-size:18pt'><B>Mexico City, Mexico… March 7, 2009: </B></SPAN></FONT></FONT><FONT FACE="Arial"><SPAN STYLE='font-size:11pt'>ICANN's 34th International public meeting in Mexico City has drawn to a close after the organization's Board of Directors approved the establishment by staff of an Implementation Recommendation Team (IRT) comprised of an internationally diverse group of people to develop and propose solutions to the over-arching issue of trademark protection in connection with the introduction of new generic top level domain names (gTLDs).<BR>
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</FONT></SPAN><FONT SIZE="5"><FONT FACE="Arial"><SPAN STYLE='font-size:18pt'>"The Board has clearly heard and believes strongly that the concerns of trademark holders must be addressed before this process is opened for applications," said Peter Dengate Thrush, Chairman of the Board of Directors of ICANN. "The establishment of this team, is an attempt to get proposed solutions from the people with skill in trademark protection and other issues."<BR>
</SPAN></FONT></FONT><FONT FACE="Calibri, Verdana, Helvetica, Arial"><SPAN STYLE='font-size:11pt'><BR>
</SPAN></FONT><FONT SIZE="5"><FONT FACE="Arial"><SPAN STYLE='font-size:18pt'>The IRT will be comprised of people who put forward solutions in the first public comment period on the new GTLD Applicant Guidebook. The IRT has been asked to draft a report by 24 April for comment and to produce a final report no later than 24 May so it can be considered at ICANN's Sydney meeting in June.<BR>
</SPAN></FONT></FONT><FONT FACE="Calibri, Verdana, Helvetica, Arial"><SPAN STYLE='font-size:11pt'><BR>
</SPAN></FONT><FONT SIZE="5"><FONT FACE="Arial"><SPAN STYLE='font-size:18pt'>The Mexico City meeting was also saw the release of a study that pointed to the public benefit of new gTLDs.<BR>
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</SPAN></FONT><FONT COLOR="#0032E6"><FONT SIZE="5"><FONT FACE="Arial"><SPAN STYLE='font-size:18pt'><U>The study</U></SPAN></FONT></FONT><FONT FACE="Arial"><SPAN STYLE='font-size:11pt'> <<a href="http://www.icann.org/en/announcements/announcement-04mar09-en.htm">http://www.icann.org/en/announcements/announcement-04mar09-en.htm</a>> </SPAN></FONT></FONT><FONT FACE="Arial"><FONT SIZE="5"><SPAN STYLE='font-size:18pt'>, commissioned by ICANN, was conducted by University of Chicago Economics Professor Dennis Carlton. <I>"</I></SPAN></FONT><SPAN STYLE='font-size:11pt'>The likely effect of ICANN's proposal is to increase output, lower price and increase innovation," said Carlton. "I conclude that ICANN's proposed framework for introducing new TLDs is likely to improve consumer welfare by facilitating entry and creating new competition."<BR>
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</FONT></SPAN><FONT SIZE="5"><FONT FACE="Arial"><SPAN STYLE='font-size:18pt'>In other notable decisions, the Board discussed the substance of changes to <FONT COLOR="#0032E6"><U>the Registrar Accreditation Agreement (RAA)</U></FONT></SPAN></FONT></FONT><FONT FACE="Arial"><SPAN STYLE='font-size:11pt'> <<a href="http://gnso.icann.org/drafts/current-list-proposed-raa-amendments-16dec08.pdf">http://gnso.icann.org/drafts/current-list-proposed-raa-amendments-16dec08.pdf</a>> which include:<BR>
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</FONT></SPAN><UL><LI><FONT SIZE="5"><FONT FACE="Arial"><SPAN STYLE='font-size:18pt'>New enforcement tools – new Registrar Audit and a group liability provision amongst other things.
</SPAN></FONT></FONT><LI><FONT SIZE="5"><FONT FACE="Arial"><SPAN STYLE='font-size:18pt'>Registrant protections – shining a light on the risks of proxy registration.
</SPAN></FONT></FONT><LI><FONT SIZE="5"><FONT FACE="Arial"><SPAN STYLE='font-size:18pt'>Consistent minimum standards of service for all registrars.
</SPAN></FONT></FONT><LI><FONT SIZE="5"><FONT FACE="Arial"><SPAN STYLE='font-size:18pt'>A modernizing of the agreement to get up-to-date with the domain name market.<BR>
</SPAN></FONT></FONT></UL><FONT SIZE="5"><FONT FACE="Arial"><SPAN STYLE='font-size:18pt'>These changes were unanimously agreed upon by the Generic Names Supporting Organization (GNSO). The Board asked that the changes be published for public comment for no less than thirty days with a commitment to act on approval of the amendments at the earliest opportunity.<BR>
</SPAN></FONT></FONT><FONT FACE="Calibri, Verdana, Helvetica, Arial"><SPAN STYLE='font-size:11pt'><BR>
</SPAN></FONT><FONT SIZE="5"><FONT FACE="Arial"><SPAN STYLE='font-size:18pt'>"This maintains a policy of timely, accurate and unrestricted public access to Whois data but also adds new enforcement tools which fits well with ICANN's increased emphasis on compliance" said Paul Twomey, President and CEO of ICANN.<BR>
</SPAN></FONT></FONT><FONT FACE="Calibri, Verdana, Helvetica, Arial"><SPAN STYLE='font-size:11pt'><BR>
</SPAN></FONT><FONT SIZE="5"><FONT FACE="Arial"><SPAN STYLE='font-size:18pt'>Attendees of the Mexico City conference also discussed the impacts of <FONT COLOR="#0032E6"><U>Internationalized Domain Names</U></FONT></SPAN></FONT></FONT><FONT FACE="Arial"><SPAN STYLE='font-size:11pt'> <<a href="http://www.icann.org/en/topics/idn/">http://www.icann.org/en/topics/idn/</a>> (IDN), which will allow internet uses to enter internet addresses in languages other than English.<BR>
</SPAN></FONT><SPAN STYLE='font-size:11pt'><FONT FACE="Calibri, Verdana, Helvetica, Arial"><BR>
</FONT></SPAN><FONT SIZE="5"><FONT FACE="Arial"><SPAN STYLE='font-size:18pt'>Further, implementation of the upgrade of the Internet's protocol to <FONT COLOR="#0032E6"><U>IPv6</U></FONT></SPAN></FONT></FONT><FONT FACE="Arial"><SPAN STYLE='font-size:11pt'> <<a href="http://www.icann.org/en/announcements/factsheet-ipv6-26oct07.pdf">http://www.icann.org/en/announcements/factsheet-ipv6-26oct07.pdf</a>> , which will vastly expand the number of available Internet addresses was also a topic of discussion. Estimates are that under the current protocol (IPv4) the number of available internet addresses will be exhausted in 3 to 4 years.<BR>
</SPAN></FONT><SPAN STYLE='font-size:11pt'><FONT FACE="Calibri, Verdana, Helvetica, Arial"><BR>
</FONT></SPAN><FONT SIZE="5"><FONT FACE="Arial"><SPAN STYLE='font-size:18pt'>Finally, ICANN Board Chairman Peter Dengate Thrush thanked the Internet Mexican Association (AMIPCI) for helping to coordinate and host the Mexico City Conference.<BR>
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</SPAN></FONT><FONT SIZE="5"><FONT FACE="Arial"><SPAN STYLE='font-size:18pt'>ICANN's next international public meeting is scheduled to take place in Sydney, Australia, 21- 26 June, 2009.<BR>
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IP JUSTICE<BR>
Robin Gross, Executive Director<BR>
1192 Haight Street, San Francisco, CA 94117 USA<BR>
p: +1-415-553-6261 f: +1-415-462-6451<BR>
w: <a href="http://www.ipjustice.org">http://www.ipjustice.org</a> e: <a href="robin@ipjustice.org">robin@ipjustice.org</a><BR>
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</SPAN></FONT></BLOCKQUOTE><FONT FACE="Calibri, Verdana, Helvetica, Arial"><SPAN STYLE='font-size:11pt'><BR>
-- <BR>
Dr. Konstantinos Komaitis,<BR>
Lecturer in Law,<BR>
GigaNet Membership Chair,<BR>
University of Strathclyde,<BR>
The Lord Hope Building,<BR>
141 St. James Road,<BR>
Glasgow, G4 0LT,<BR>
UK<BR>
tel: +44 (0)141 548 4306<BR>
email: <a href="k.komaitis@strath.ac.uk">k.komaitis@strath.ac.uk</a> <BR>
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