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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Courier New"'>Well, it’s not as bad as it could be. The meeting will be viewable by anyone, i.e., “open” and webcast. I suspect that GAC and Board will decide for themselves what experts they want to attend however. It’s not like we could expect them to take comments from the floor. But this is a Board-GAC consultation not a re-discussion of the whole issue (I hope), so that isn’t such a problem, is it?<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Courier New"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Courier New"'>What’s more interesting to me is the _<i>absence</i>_ of .xxx from the announced agenda. XXX is actually a bylaws-required consultation, in that the Board has decided to go ahead and the GAC doesn’t want it to. In those cases a consultation is required by the bylaws and if, as the board has indicated, it doesn’t choose to take the GAC’s advice it can move ahead. This could be cleared up very quickly and easily. The whole new gTLD program, on the other hand, is likely to raise a number of complex objections; moreover, a consultation is not yet required because the Board hasn’t made a decision that contravenes GAC advice <span style='color:red'><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Courier New";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><div style='border:none;border-left:solid blue 1.5pt;padding:0in 0in 0in 4.0pt'><div><div style='border:none;border-top:solid #B5C4DF 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in'><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'>From:</span></b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'> NCSG-NCUC [mailto:NCSG-NCUC-DISCUSS@LISTSERV.SYR.EDU] <b>On Behalf Of </b>Robin Gross<br><b>Sent:</b> Saturday, January 22, 2011 2:05 PM<br><b>To:</b> NCSG-NCUC-DISCUSS@LISTSERV.SYR.EDU<br><b>Subject:</b> [NCSG-NCUC-DISCUSS] ICANN announcement on Board-GAC meeting - perhaps IPC "experts" get to speak also?<o:p></o:p></span></p></div></div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><div><p class=MsoNormal><a href="http://www.icann.org/en/announcements/announcement-21jan11-en.htm">http://www.icann.org/en/announcements/announcement-21jan11-en.htm</a><o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal>Note the following text from the ICANN press release:<o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span class=apple-style-span><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'> "... Only GAC members, ICANN Board members, select ICANN staff members and <b><u>subject matter experts</u></b> will participate in the discussion..." </span></span><o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal>Does this mean the Board/GAC will hear from representatives of the intellectual property industry (since this meeting is in response to the lobbying that the IPC has done to various government representatives for more trademark rights)? <o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal>That would be terribly one-sided and unfair if this meeting goes down that path - another forum for the IPC to lobby the board (and only the IPC gets to present its views?) <o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal>Who decides what "subject matter experts" will be invited - staff, IPC, Board, GAC??? <o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal>This announcement provides more questions than answers.<o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal>Best,<o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal>Robin<o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div><div style='margin-bottom:7.5pt' id=doctitle><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><b><span style='font-size:18.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>ICANN's Board and GAC to Meet on New gTLDs<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class=docdate align=center style='text-align:center'><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>21 January 2011<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><p><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>During the recent ICANN meeting in Cartagena, the ICANN Board of Directors and Governmental Advisory Committee agreed to meet at some time prior to the upcoming Silicon Valley/San Francisco meeting in order to devote significant time in the interest of resolving the outstanding issues the GAC has identified with the new gTLD process.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Planning for that meeting has occurred and the Board and the GAC have agreed to meet on 28 February and 1 March 2011, in Brussels, at the Square Brussels Meeting Centre, Mont des Arts – Kunstberg, Brussels.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>The purpose of the meeting is to:<o:p></o:p></span></p><ol start=1 type=1><li class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1'><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Identify the specific differences between Governmental Advisory Committee ("GAC") advice and the current implementation of the GNSO New gTLD Policy recommendations embodied in the Applicant Guidebook.<o:p></o:p></span></li></ol><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><ol start=2 type=1><li class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1'><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Through discussion among Board and GAC members, either:<o:p></o:p></span></li></ol><ol start=2 type=1><ol start=1 type=a><li class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;mso-list:l0 level2 lfo1'><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>arrive at an agreed upon resolution of those differences, or<o:p></o:p></span></li><li class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;mso-list:l0 level2 lfo1'><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>for those issues not resolved, identify what differences remain. This meeting is not intended to address the requirements/steps outlined in the Bylaws mandated Board-GAC consultation process.<o:p></o:p></span></li></ol></ol><p><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>The meeting will be open, scribed and streamed live over the Internet. Only GAC members, ICANN Board members, select ICANN staff members and subject matter experts will participate in the discussion, whether in person or remotely. It will be possible for interested parties to attend and observe proceedings. Remote participation facilities will also be made available. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Papers to inform the discussions will be published prior to the meeting. Details of the agenda and logistics will be made available closer to the meeting.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p><strong><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Background</span></strong><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>ICANN's Governmental Advisory Committee (GAC) plays a key role within ICANN, particularly with regard to providing advice to the Board on public policy issues. The GAC has been actively involved in the discussions on the introduction of new gTLDs and has regularly provided advice to the ICANN Board on a number of issues, which the Board has sought to address. The most recent <a href="http://gac.icann.org/system/files/Cartagena_Communique.pdf">GAC communiqué</a> [PDF, 45 KB] identified a number of issues associated with the introduction of new gTLDs that the GAC considers outstanding, or unresolved to the GAC's satisfaction.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>The new <a href="http://www.icann.org/en/topics/new-gtld-program.htm">gTLD program</a> has its origins in carefully deliberated policy development work by the ICANN community. In October 2007, following more than 18 months of community discussions, the GNSO formally completed its policy development work on new gTLDS and approved a set of 19 policy recommendations. In June 2008, ICANN's Board of Directors adopted the policy recommendations and directed staff to commence work on an implementation plan.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>The first version of the Applicant Guidebook was posted for public comment on 1 October 2008, and since that time a further four versions have followed with the most recent, the <a href="http://www.icann.org/en/topics/new-gtlds/comments-5-en.htm">Proposed Final Applicant Guidebook</a> published on 10 November 2010. Each version has been revised as a result of comments received via the respective public comment fora. The ICANN meeting in Cartagena provided the platform for discussion of the latest version, and provided an opportunity for the Board to hear first hand, the community's views.<o:p></o:p></span></p><div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif";color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif";color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif";color:black'>IP JUSTICE<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif";color:black'>Robin Gross, Executive Director<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif";color:black'>1192 Haight Street, San Francisco, CA 94117 USA<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif";color:black'>p: +1-415-553-6261 f: +1-415-462-6451<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif";color:black'>w: <a href="http://www.ipjustice.org">http://www.ipjustice.org</a> e: <a href="mailto:robin@ipjustice.org">robin@ipjustice.org</a><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif";color:black'><br><br></span><o:p></o:p></p></div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div></div></body></html>