<html><head></head><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "><div><a href="http://www.icann.org/en/announcements/announcement-21jan11-en.htm">http://www.icann.org/en/announcements/announcement-21jan11-en.htm</a></div><div><br></div><div>Note the following text from the ICANN press release:</div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial; font-size: small; "> "... Only GAC members, ICANN Board members, select ICANN staff members and </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial; font-size: small; "><b><u>subject matter experts</u></b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial; font-size: small; "> will participate in the discussion..."</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial; font-size: small; "> </span></div><div><br></div><div>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)? </div><div><br></div><div>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?) </div><div><br></div><div>Who decides what "subject matter experts" will be invited - staff, IPC, Board, GAC??? </div><div><br></div><div>This announcement provides more questions than answers.</div><div><br></div><div>Best,</div><div>Robin</div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial; font-size: small; "><div id="doctitle" style="font-size: small; width: 962px; text-align: center; clear: both; margin-bottom: 10px; "><div style="font-size: large; text-align: center; font-weight: bold; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">ICANN's Board and GAC to Meet on New gTLDs</div><p class="docdate" style="font-size: small; text-align: center; font-style: normal; ">21 January 2011</p></div><p style="font-size: small; ">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.</p><p style="font-size: small; ">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.</p><p style="font-size: small; ">The purpose of the meeting is to:</p><ol><li style="font-size: small; ">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.</li><br><li style="font-size: small; ">Through discussion among Board and GAC members, either:<ol style="list-style-type: lower-alpha; list-style-position: initial; list-style-image: initial; "><li style="font-size: small; ">arrive at an agreed upon resolution of those differences, or</li><li style="font-size: small; ">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.</li></ol></li></ol><p style="font-size: small; ">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. </p><p style="font-size: small; ">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.</p><p style="font-size: small; "><strong>Background</strong></p><p style="font-size: small; ">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" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255); ">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.</p><p style="font-size: small; ">The new <a href="http://www.icann.org/en/topics/new-gtld-program.htm" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255); ">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.</p><p style="font-size: small; ">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" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255); ">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.</p></span><div>
<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><br class="Apple-interchange-newline"><br class="khtml-block-placeholder"></div><div><br class="khtml-block-placeholder"></div><div>IP JUSTICE</div><div>Robin Gross, Executive Director</div><div>1192 Haight Street, San Francisco, CA 94117 USA</div><div>p: +1-415-553-6261 f: +1-415-462-6451</div><div>w: <a href="http://www.ipjustice.org">http://www.ipjustice.org</a> e: <a href="mailto:robin@ipjustice.org">robin@ipjustice.org</a></div><br class="Apple-interchange-newline"></span><br class="Apple-interchange-newline">
</div>
<br></body></html>