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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-GB link=blue vlink=purple><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Bodoni MT Condensed","serif";color:#1F497D'>Dear friends,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Bodoni MT Condensed","serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Bodoni MT Condensed","serif";color:#1F497D'>I am not sure whether you are aware of the recent attempt by the United States Government to enact legislation that seeks to combat copyright infringement and the illegal sale of counterfeit goods. Although this is very plausible, the way this new Bill suggests to do that is highly problematic, especially in relation to the protection of free speech and, more importantly, the potential impact that this legislation will have upon the global Internet. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Bodoni MT Condensed","serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Bodoni MT Condensed","serif";color:#1F497D'>Although there was hope that the Bill will not go through because of the various voices expressing serious concerns over it, it appears that now the Bill </span><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Bodoni MT Condensed","serif";color:#1F497D'>is due for markup and passage from the Senate Judiciary Committee later this week (the 19th). So with all due speed, I think that it would be a great idea for us, a home of global civil society, to express our concerns by sending out a letter. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Bodoni MT Condensed","serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Bodoni MT Condensed","serif";color:#1F497D'>I have drafted a letter, which so far has myself, Robin and Milton as signatories, and I am sending it to you for your consideration and hopefully support. If you are unfamiliar with the Bill, I am attaching the Manager’s amended version. I would also urge you to read Brenden Kuebris blog on COICA (<a href="http://blog.internetgovernance.org/blog/_archives/2010/10/6/4648186.html">http://blog.internetgovernance.org/blog/_archives/2010/10/6/4648186.html</a>), my posts (<a href="http://www.komaitis.org/1/post/2010/09/impressed-no-not-really-my-views-on-the-new-online-infringement-and-counterfeits-act.html">http://www.komaitis.org/1/post/2010/09/impressed-no-not-really-my-views-on-the-new-online-infringement-and-counterfeits-act.html</a> and <a href="http://www.komaitis.org/1/post/2010/10/combating-online-infringement-and-counterfeits-act-coica-continued-part-two.html">http://www.komaitis.org/1/post/2010/10/combating-online-infringement-and-counterfeits-act-coica-continued-part-two.html</a>) David Post’s letter (<a href="http://www.temple.edu/lawschool/dpost/COICALetter.pdf">http://www.temple.edu/lawschool/dpost/COICALetter.pdf</a>) and also the letter from the Centre of Technology and Democracy (<a href="http://www.cdt.org/files/pdfs/Leahy_bill_memo.pdf">http://www.cdt.org/files/pdfs/Leahy_bill_memo.pdf</a>) .<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Bodoni MT Condensed","serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Bodoni MT Condensed","serif";color:#1F497D'>Unfortunately, this letter has to go out as soon as possible and I understand that there might be time issues involved here. So, I would like to make the following suggestion for those of you who wish to sign this letter: i) a 24 hour emergency signature and ii) a deadline until Thursday. The idea is for me to send the letter tomorrow with the 24 hour signatures and resend it on Wednesday or Thursday with the additional signatures. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Bodoni MT Condensed","serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Bodoni MT Condensed","serif";color:#1F497D'>When adding your names, please use the template that can be found at the very end of the letter.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Bodoni MT Condensed","serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Bodoni MT Condensed","serif";color:#1F497D'>Again apologies for the short deadlines with this and I hope that we as civil society will show our support against this Bill. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Bodoni MT Condensed","serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Bodoni MT Condensed","serif";color:#1F497D'>With many thanks<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Bodoni MT Condensed","serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Bodoni MT Condensed","serif";color:#1F497D'>KK<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Bodoni MT Condensed","serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bodoni MT Condensed","serif";color:#1F497D'>Dr. Konstantinos Komaitis,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bodoni MT Condensed","serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bodoni MT Condensed","serif";color:#1F497D'>Law Lecturer,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bodoni MT Condensed","serif";color:#1F497D'>Director of Postgraduate Instructional Courses<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bodoni MT Condensed","serif";color:#1F497D'>Director of LLM Information Technology and Telecommunications Law<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bodoni MT Condensed","serif";color:#1F497D'>University of Strathclyde,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bodoni MT Condensed","serif";color:#1F497D'>The Law School,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bodoni MT Condensed","serif";color:#1F497D'>Graham Hills building, <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bodoni MT Condensed","serif";color:#1F497D'>50 George Street, Glasgow G1 1BA</span><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bodoni MT Condensed","serif";color:#1F497D'> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bodoni MT Condensed","serif";color:#1F497D'>UK<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bodoni MT Condensed","serif";color:#1F497D'>tel: +44 (0)141 548 4306<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bodoni MT Condensed","serif";color:#1F497D'>http://www.routledgemedia.com/books/The-Current-State-of-Domain-Name-Regulation-isbn9780415477765</span><span style='color:#1F497D'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bodoni MT Condensed","serif";color:#1F497D'>Selected publications: http://hq.ssrn.com/submissions/MyPapers.cfm?partid=501038</span><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bodoni MT Condensed","serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bodoni MT Condensed","serif";color:#1F497D'>Website: www.komaitis.org</span><span style='color:#1F497D'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bodoni MT Condensed","serif";color:#1F497D'> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div></body></html>