<html><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0; "><div><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent:.5in"><b>RE: ICANN Stakeholder Group Charter Injustices</b></p><div class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></div> <div class="MsoNormal">Dear ICANN:</div> <div class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></div> <div class="MsoNormal">IP Justice appreciates this opportunity to provide public comment. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Founded in 2002, IP Justice is an international civil liberties organization that works on intellectual property and Internet law and policy issues.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>IP Justice is a noncommercial 501(c)(3) public benefit organization based in San Francisco with an international board of directors and members in countries from all corners of the globe (<a href="http://www.ipjustice.org">http://www.ipjustice.org</a>).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>IP Justice participates in the Generic Names Supporting Organization (GNSO) as a member of the Noncommercial Users Constituency (NCUC).</div> <div class="MsoNormal"><b> <o:p></o:p></b></div> <div class="MsoNormal"><b>ICANN Cannot Ignore the Consensus Charter Created by Noncommercial Users in a Bottom-Up Process<o:p></o:p></b></div> <div class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></div> <div class="MsoNormal">IP Justice is writing to express our deep disappointment with the unjust manner in which previous public comment (period ending 15 April 2009) was discarded by ICANN in the reformulation of the proposed Noncommercial Stakeholder Group Charter<a style="mso-footnote-id:ftn1" href="#_ftn1" name="_ftnref1" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character:footnote">[1]</span></span></a>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span></div> <div class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></div> <div class="MsoNormal">NCUC undertook months of consultations with a diverse range of parties in the creation of its draft charter<a style="mso-footnote-id:ftn2" href="#_ftn2" name="_ftnref2" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character:footnote">[2]</span></span></a> proposed for a Noncommercial Stakeholder Group (NCSG).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>NCUC participated in an extended consensus process that involved global civil society, ICANN board, staff, members of the At-Large community, and other noncommercial actors in the creation of the charter submitted by NCUC in March 2009.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span></div> <div class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></div> <div class="MsoNormal">Civil society’s NCSG charter was explicitly supported by over 80 noncommercial organizations and individuals in the April 2009 Public Comment period.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Every single noncommercial organization that submitted a comment during the period supported NCUC’s charter and asked ICANN not to force noncommercial users into constituencies for electing leadership positions (the “silo-model”).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span></div> <div class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></div> <div class="MsoNormal">During discussions at the March 2009 ICANN meeting in Mexico, NCUC specifically asked ICANN if the NCSG charter it was drafting was inconsistent with the report of the ICANN Board Structural Improvements Committee (SIC) and NCUC was told its draft charter was not inconsistent.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span></div> <div class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></div> <div class="MsoNormal">Yet in June, without any explanation or regard for democratic or bottom-up processes, ICANN staff and Board SIC threw out the consensus charter that civil society developed and replaced it with an entirely different model -- the silo-model that civil society explicitly said would stranglehold noncommercial users in policy development.<a style="mso-footnote-id: ftn3" href="#_ftn3" name="_ftnref3" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character:footnote">[3]</span></span></a></div> <div class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></div> <div class="MsoNormal"><b>Why ICANN’s Proposed Silo-Model is Bad for Noncommercial Users<o:p></o:p></b></div> <div class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></div> <div class="MsoNormal">NCUC and civil society made numerous efforts in public statements in April to explain why the silo-model of governance being imposed by ICANN harms noncommercial interests in the overall GNSO policy process.<a style="mso-footnote-id:ftn4" href="#_ftn4" name="_ftnref4" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character:footnote">[4]</span></span></a><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Yet these concerns remain unanswered by ICANN.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span></div> <div class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></div> <div class="MsoNormal">In particular, ICANN’s attempt to divide the GNSO Council and Executive Committee seats among arbitrary (and board-selected) constituencies within the NCSG encourages competition among constituencies, while an entire stakeholder group wide election (as proposed by civil society) encourages consensus building and cooperation between constituencies to elect NCSG representatives.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Noncommercial users will be in a constant stranglehold with each other, competing for scarce resources and representation, and will remain ineffective in the larger GNSO policy negotiations, if the ICANN drafted charter is allowed to replace the consensus charter drafted by noncommercial users.</div> <div class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></div> <div class="MsoNormal">Noncommercial users understand well what we are up against in the ICANN policy development arena: full-time highly paid lobbyists from the wealthiest industries relentlessly lobby the ICANN Board and staff for preferential advantages for their companies.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Noncommercial users understand that if we are to have any chance of influencing ICANN policy it can only happen when we join together and are able to work cooperatively toward our shared objectives.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>This can be accomplished by stakeholder group wide elections, which encourage candidates to reach beyond their own constituency for support.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>But the charter drafted by ICANN to keep noncommercial users accountable only to their own focused constituency, rather than the entire stakeholder group, will render all noncommercial interests dead on arrival in the new GNSO.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>That is exactly what the commercial constituencies want and why they lobbied the board to change the NCSG charter to benefit commercial participants.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>(Remember the commercial representatives are still angry that noncommercial users are supposed to be given parity to commercial actors on the GNSO Council, and this is one way of keeping noncommercial users less effective on the council).</div> <div class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></div> <div class="MsoNormal"><i>ICANN's attempt to impose a top-down governance structure on noncommercial users against our will calls into question ICANN's legitimacy to govern; it undermines confidence in ICANN's commitment to democratic values; and it appears ICANN is unable or unwilling to protect the broader public interest against commercial pressures.<o:p></o:p></i></div> <div class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></div> <div class="MsoNormal">Now ICANN should listen to noncommercial users and finally respect our democratic wishes regarding a governance structure that advances noncommercial interests.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Thus ICANN should seriously reconsider its attempt to impose a controlling top-down charter on noncommercial users against their expressed will.<o:p></o:p></div> <div class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></div> <div class="MsoNormal"><b>Board Gives Commercial Constituencies a VETO Over Any Board Decision to Permit Future Constituencies</b><span style="font-weight: normal"><o:p></o:p></span></div> <div class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></div> <div class="MsoNormal">Amazingly, the Commercial Stakeholder Group Charter<a style="mso-footnote-id:ftn5" href="#_ftn5" name="_ftnref5" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character:footnote">[5]</span></span></a> that was drafted by the 3 existing commercial constituencies and which gives each of those 3 constituencies a VETO over any board vote creating a new commercial constituency to be represented on the GNSO Council was rubber-stamped for approval by the ICANN Board SIC.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span></div> <div class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></div> <div class="MsoFootnoteText">In particular see ICANN’s proposed Commercial Stakeholder Group Charter: </div><p class="MsoFootnoteText" style="margin-left:.5in">"4.2. Membership shall also be open to any additional constituency recognised by ICANN’s Board under its by-laws, <i>provided</i><span style="font-style:normal"> that such constituency, </span><i>as determined by the unanimous consent of the signatories to this charter</i><span style="font-style:normal">, is representative of commercial user interests which for the purposes of definition are distinct from and exclude registry and prospective registry, registrar, re-seller or other domain name supplier interests." (italics added)<o:p></o:p></span></p> <div class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></div> <div class="MsoNormal">If commercial constituencies can veto a decision by the Board of Directors, who is running ICANN?</div> <div class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></div> <div class="MsoNormal">How will giving existing participants a veto to block new participants on the GNSO Council encourage new commercial entrants?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>If adopted, the CSG charter will ensure that no new commercial perspectives are allowed to take hold in the CSG – only the 3 existing constituencies can hold all power in the future under the CSG charter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span></div> <div class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></div> <div class="MsoNormal"><b>Treatment of Stakeholder Group Charters Shows ICANN Unaccountable to Public Interest<o:p></o:p></b></div> <div class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></div> <div class="MsoNormal">Why did ICANN take all decision making authority away from the noncommercial users, but give total decision making authority (+ veto power) to commercial participants in the draft charters? </div> <div class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></div> <div class="MsoNormal"><i>The difference in treatment by ICANN between commercial and noncommercial users in the charters is astounding -- but points solidly to one of ICANN’s biggest flaws: its subordination of the public interest to select commercial interests engaged in insider-lobbying.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span><o:p></o:p></i></div> <div class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></div> <div class="MsoNormal">Fixing the SG charters to hold ICANN accountable to the public interest and Internet users (instead of only commercial lobbyists) would be a good start to addressing the pervasive lack of confidence in ICANN’s ability to govern fairly.</div> <div class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></div> <div class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></div> <div class="MsoNormal">Respectfully submitted,</div> <div class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></div> <div class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></div> <div class="MsoNormal">Robin D. Gross</div> <div class="MsoNormal">Executive Director</div> <div class="MsoNormal">IP Justice </div> <div class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.ipjustice.org">http://www.ipjustice.org</a></div> <div class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></div> <div class="MsoNormal"><i>“Is ICANN Accountable to the Global Public Interest?”</i><span style="font-style:normal"> see:</span><span style="font-family:ArialMT; color:#0032E6"> <a href="http://bit.ly/34tmz"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">http://bit.ly/34tmz</span></a></span><o:p></o:p></div> <div style="mso-element:footnote-list"><br clear="all"> <hr align="left" size="1" width="33%"> <div style="mso-element:footnote" id="ftn1"> <div class="MsoFootnoteText"><a style="mso-footnote-id:ftn1" href="#_ftnref1" name="_ftn1" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote">[1]</span></span></a> Public Comments Filed in Comment Period Ending 15 April 2009 on Stakeholder Group Charters: <span style="color:blue"><a href="http://forum.icann.org/lists/sg-petitions-charters/">http://forum.icann.org/lists/sg-petitions-charters/</a> </span>see also <i>“Is ICANN Accountable to the Global Public Interest?”</i><span style="font-style:normal"> at <a href="http://ipjustice.org/ICANN/NCSG/NCUC-ICANN-Injustices.html">http://ipjustice.org/ICANN/NCSG/NCUC-ICANN-Injustices.html</a></span></div> <div class="MsoFootnoteText"> <o:p></o:p></div> </div> <div style="mso-element:footnote" id="ftn2"> <div class="MsoFootnoteText"><a style="mso-footnote-id:ftn2" href="#_ftnref2" name="_ftn2" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote">[2]</span></span></a><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Consensus charter for noncommercial users developed by civil society and submitted by NCUC: <a href="http://gnso.icann.org/en/improvements/ncsg-petition-charter.pdf">http://gnso.icann.org/en/improvements/ncsg-petition-charter.pdf</a> and its Executive Summary: <a href="http://gnso.icann.org/en/improvements/executive-summary-ncsg-proposal.pdf">http://gnso.icann.org/en/improvements/executive-summary-ncsg-proposal.pdf</a></div> <div class="MsoFootnoteText"> <o:p></o:p></div> <div class="MsoFootnoteText"> <o:p></o:p></div> </div> <div style="mso-element:footnote" id="ftn3"> <div class="MsoFootnoteText"><a style="mso-footnote-id:ftn3" href="#_ftnref3" name="_ftn3" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote">[3]</span></span></a> ICANN drafted NCSG Charter: <a href="http://gnso.icann.org/en/improvements/ncsg-proposed-petition-charter-22jun09.pdf">http://gnso.icann.org/en/improvements/ncsg-proposed-petition-charter-22jun09.pdf</a> and its intended “mystery” Section 5 at: <a href="http://www.ipjustice.org/ICANN/NCSG/Council_Seat_Vacancies_Section_%285.0%29_DRAFT-1.pdf">http://www.ipjustice.org/ICANN/NCSG/Council_Seat_Vacancies_Section_%285.0%29_DRAFT-1.pdf</a></div> <div class="MsoFootnoteText"> <o:p></o:p></div> </div> <div style="mso-element:footnote" id="ftn4"> <div class="MsoFootnoteText"><a style="mso-footnote-id:ftn4" href="#_ftnref4" name="_ftn4" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote">[4]</span></span></a> For example, see Comment by Adam Peake at <a href="http://forum.icann.org/lists/sg-petitions-charters/msg00013.html">http://forum.icann.org/lists/sg-petitions-charters/msg00013.html</a>; Joint Civil Society Statement at <a href="http://forum.icann.org/lists/sg-petitions-charters/msg00019.html">http://forum.icann.org/lists/sg-petitions-charters/msg00019.html</a>; Comment from Milton Mueller at <a href="http://forum.icann.org/lists/sg-petitions-charters/msg00011.html">http://forum.icann.org/lists/sg-petitions-charters/msg00011.html</a>; Comment from WSIS Civil Society Internet Governance Caucus at <a href="http://forum.icann.org/lists/sg-petitions-charters/msg00009.html">http://forum.icann.org/lists/sg-petitions-charters/msg00009.html</a> for just a sampling of the many comments making this point.</div> <div class="MsoFootnoteText"> </div><div class="MsoFootnoteText"><o:p></o:p></div> <div class="MsoFootnoteText"> <o:p></o:p></div> </div> <div style="mso-element:footnote" id="ftn5"> <div class="MsoFootnoteText"><a style="mso-footnote-id:ftn5" href="#_ftnref5" name="_ftn5" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote">[5]</span></span></a> Proposed Commercial Stakeholder Group Charter (drafted by existing constituencies and rubber-stamped by ICANN posted to: <a href="http://gnso.icann.org/en/improvements/csg-proposed-petition-charter-22jun09.pdf">http://gnso.icann.org/en/improvements/csg-proposed-petition-charter-22jun09.pdf</a>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span><o:p></o:p></div> </div> </div> <!--EndFragment--> </div></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; 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