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<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><b><i>NCUC@ICANN: Internet
Governance and the Global Public Interest<o:p></o:p></i></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">11 March 2011 – Westin St. Francis Hotel -- San Francisco<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><b> <o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><b>Public Interest Groups to
Discuss Controversial Plans to Add New Domains at San Francisco ICANN Meeting
Pre-Event<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><b> <o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><b>craigslist Founder Craig
Newmark to Keynote Internet Policy Conference<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun:
yes"> </span>(San Francisco)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>ICANN’s Non-Commercial Users
Constituency (NCUC) is pleased to host a policy conference<span style="font-style:
normal"><a href="http://www.tinyurl.com/NCUC-SF"> <i>“NCUC@ICANN:
Internet Governance and the Global Public Interest”</i></a> on Friday 11 March 2011 at the Westin St. Francis Hotel at Union
Square in San Francisco.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">The all-day civil society policy conference will be held
immediately before the 40<sup>th</sup> International ICANN Meeting takes place
at the same historic hotel in San Francisco over the next week.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>NCUC’s conference is targeted at
international Internet governance participants, as well as Bay Area law and
policy experts, digital rights activists and other civil society organizations
concerned with Internet governance policies.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><i>“NCUC@ICANN: Internet Governance and the Global Public
Interest”</i><span style="font-style:normal"> will explore a number of Internet
policy issues in which NCUC is engaged, including panel discussions on
censorship, privacy, intellectual property rights and domain name
take-downs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Panelists will examine
the appropriate role for national governments vis-ŕ-vis other stakeholders in
Internet governance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>The
conference will also consider ICANN’s ability to address the concerns of
developing countries and serve the global public interest.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"> </div><div class="MsoNormal">Internet entrepreneur Craig Newmark, founder of the
popular website <span style="font-family:Helvetica"><a href="http://craigslist.org/"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman";
color:#1037A5">craigslist.org</span></a></span> will deliver a keynote address
at the conference during lunch. For many years, he has been a vocal
advocate of free expression on the Internet, and a strong supporter of many
nonprofits that work, online and offline, to serve and unite people worldwide.</div><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;
text-autospace:none"><o:p></o:p></p><div class="MsoNormal">"ICANN's work in the area of Internet freedom is vital
to the future of all enterprises online, and I'm pleased to be a part of this
important program," said Newmark.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">ICANN Chairman of the Board of Directors Peter Dengate
Thrush will deliver the closing remarks at the NCUC policy conference. Former
ICANN Board Member Karl Auerbach will lead a discussion on the emerging issue
of an independent compatible domain name system and the challenges and
opportunities such services provide for Internet users.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">The conference is free and open to the public, but advance
registration is required to attend. <span style="mso-spacerun:
yes"> </span>NCUC plans to webcast the policy conference and provide
online remote participation for those who cannot attend in person on 11 March
in San Francisco.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">The conference host, NCUC, represents more than 200
non-commercial organizations and individuals engaged in Internet policymaking
within ICANN’s Non-Commercial Stakeholder Group (NCSG).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>NCUC’s membership includes educational
institutions, human rights groups, religious institutions, development-oriented
nonprofit organizations, consumer groups, individuals and other non-commercial
participants.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">For more information on the NCUC conference, including a
detailed discussion agenda, speaker list and online registration, visit the <a href="http://www.tinyurl.com/NCUC-SF">website</a> or email conference organizer Robin Gross <a href="mailto:Robin@IPJustice.org">Robin@IPJustice.org</a>.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">NCUC@ICANN Conference Website:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.tinyurl.com/NCUC-SF">http://www.tinyurl.com/NCUC-SF</a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">NCUC Website:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://ncdnhc.org/">http://ncdnhc.org/</a><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">ICANN’s 40<sup>th</sup> International Meeting Website: <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://svsf40.icann.org/">http://svsf40.icann.org/</a><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></div>
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<div style="font-size: 12px; "><br class="Apple-interchange-newline"><br class="khtml-block-placeholder"></div><div style="font-size: 12px; "><br class="khtml-block-placeholder"></div><div style="font-size: 12px; ">IP JUSTICE</div><div style="font-size: 12px; ">Robin Gross, Executive Director</div><div style="font-size: 12px; ">1192 Haight Street, San Francisco, CA 94117 USA</div><div style="font-size: 12px; ">p: +1-415-553-6261 f: +1-415-462-6451</div><div style="font-size: 12px; ">w: <a href="http://www.ipjustice.org">http://www.ipjustice.org</a> e: <a href="mailto:robin@ipjustice.org">robin@ipjustice.org</a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px; "><br class="Apple-interchange-newline"></span><br class="Apple-interchange-newline">
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