message sent to ORG-discuss list

[David Cake]

Here is the message I just sent to ORGs discussion list.

As an aside, has ORG been asked about involvement in NCUC?
Regards
	David

At 5:16 AM +0800 8/7/09, David Cake wrote:
>	I'll be unfamiliar to most of ORG, because I'm an Australian,
>on the board of Electronic Frontiers Australia over here. But some
>issues are global, and require global coordination from like minded
>organisations, so I'm reaching out to ORG members to see if ORG can
>help with an issue.
>	ICANN, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and
>Numbers, is the body that oversees and sets policy for domain names
>on the internet. It is currently preparing to allow many more
>generic top level domain names (gTLDs), and deciding on the policies
>that registries for these new top level domains will have to abide
>by.
>	As part of that process, a group consisting of trademark
>lawyers and professionals created a report on protecting trademark
>owners rights. Many people believe that report goes too far,
>introducing new rights for trademark owners and heavily slanting the
>process in their favour, and impacting free speech rights. It
>includes special rights for large trademark holders, a new process
>for fast takedown of domain names based on trademark infringement,
>and would commit ICANN to incorporating intellectual property
>enforcement into domain registration. This proposal has been rushed
>through with minimal opportunity for comment so far, so it is vital
>that criticism and comment from those who believe in free speech and
>balance in intellectual property enforcement is heard now. The NCUC
>(Non Commercial Users Constituency), the group within ICANN where
>most civil rights and free speech organisations with goals similar
>to ORG are found, is trying to make sure voices critical of this
>proposal are heard, and we need help from people who can attend the
>various consultation sessions being held on the issues, including an
>upcoming session in London.
>	There will be a New gTLDs global outreach and consultation
>event in London on 15 July 2009 at the Royal Institute of British
>Architects, 66 Portland Place, London, W1B 1AD.  It's free an open
>to anyone interested in the issue and having their say.
>	Registration at <http://www.registration123.com/ICANN/GTLD/>
>http://www.registration123.com/ICANN/GTLD/
>	Agenda for London meeting
>http://www.icann.org/en/topics/new-gtlds/london-agenda-speakers-15jul09-en.pdf
>	If anyone who is interested in the issue can attend, we think
>it would be really valuable. If you'd be interested in coordinating
>comments with other non-commercial organisations with a similar
>agenda, and getting some introduction to the issues, Konstantinos
>Komaitis <k.komaitis at strath.ac.uk> from NCUC will be at the meeting,
>and hopes to gather and greet those sympathetic to free speech and
>non-commercial internet use.
>	And if you wish to read some of our criticisms of the
>proposal ahead of time, they are available online
>The NCUC substantive response
>http://forum.icann.org/lists/irt-final-report/pdf0VWmEpzuNr.pdf
>The NCUC response to ICANN internal procedural issues to do with the report
>http://forum.icann.org/lists/irt-final-report/pdftuYUj5owHE.pdf
>
>	Thanks in advance to anyone who can help.
>
>	Regards
>		David
>