On Tuesday, May 10th ICANN will hold a webinar on the Current State of the UDRP. Details can be found at http://icann.org/en/announcements/announcement-21apr11-en.htm; those who wish to participate need to send an e-mail to gnso.secretariat@gnso.icann.org to receive the details. The Webinar will last for two hours and commences at 15:00 UTC (11 am Eastern time in the USA; check http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/converter.html for …
American University to Hold Program on Global Internet Governance
On May 5-6 American University in Washington, DC will host a program on “Global Internet Governance: Research and Public Policy Challenges for the Next Decade”. Registration for the event, which will also be webcast, is free and can be made at http://www.amiando.com/GigaNET-DC-2011.html?page=518918. The program will feature a May 5th keynote speech by Assistant Secretary for Commerce Larry Strickling, who harshly …
ICA Counsel Interviewed on Webmaster Radio’s CyberLaw and Business Report
On Wednesday, April 20th ICA Counsel Philip Corwin was interviewed on Webmaster Radio’s CyberLaw and Business Report. A podcast of the wide-ranging discussion with host Bennet Kelley can be listened to or downloaded at http://www2.webmasterradio.fm/cyberlaw-and-business-report/. Topics covered in the interview include: • The origins and activities of the Internet Commerce Association • The direct search business model that underlies the …
ICANN’s Latest gTLD Guidebook Issued Without Waiting for GAC Response on Trademark Issues — But Still Nicks AT URS
Sticking rigorously to it’s the timetable (http://icann.org/en/minutes/draft-timeline-new-gtlds-18mar11-en.pdf ) for pre-launch wrap-up of the new gTLD program, ICANN has issued the latest and near-final version of the Applicant Guidebook (http://icann.org/en/announcements/announcement-2-15apr11-en.htm ). However, while ICANN is sprinting toward a mid-June Singapore meeting finish line, its Governmental Advisory Committee (GAC) seems to be in no similar haste. The timetable called for the GAC …
ICA Comments on Inter-Registrar Transfer Policy Report
While not every ICANN policy issue generates as much controversy or notice as new gTLDs, many seemingly mundane matters can nonetheless have a substantial impact on domainers and other registrants. One of those is the Inter-Registrar Transfer Policy (IRTP) that sets the rules for domain transfers between registrars. Good rules facilitate the workings of the secondary domain marketplace and help …
ICANN Board Locks Down New gTLD Timeline, Approves .XXX Contract
ICANN’s Board of Directors moved decisively toward final implementation of the new gTLD program with a unanimous vote in favor of setting a timeline that contemplates final approval of the Applicant Guidebook (AG) at the June 2011 ICANN meeting in Singapore. The Board also voted to move forward and sign a contract with ICM Registry to operate the controversial .XXX …
Glacial Progress in San Francisco ICANN Board/GAC Discussions
The second day of public consultation between ICANN’s Board of Directors and its Governmental Advisory Committee (GAC) ended on Thursday, March 17, 2011 with scant narrowing of remaining differences on multiple issues in the proposed Applicant Guidebook (AG) for new gTLDs – but with the revelation that opaque exchanges of views on trademark issues have taken place in apparent disregard …
ICA on the Record at ICANN San Francisco
On Monday, March 14th the ICANN Board held a public forum to discuss issues identified by the Governmental Advisory Committee (GAC) in regard to new gTLDs (full transcript available at http://svsf40.icann.org/node/22097). Following their recent meeting in Brussels, the GAC sent a communiqué to the Board (available at http://gac.icann.org/press-release/gac-brussels-intersessional-meeting-communique-2011) and the Board released a detailed response (see http://icann.org/en/correspondence/dengate-thrush-to-dryden-05mar11-en.pdf ) to the …
ICA Inquires Whether Third Party Counsel Will Be invited to Participate in ICANN/Board GAC IP Teleconferences – and Suggests a Better Alternative to URS Domain Transfer
The Internet Commerce Association has just sent an urgent letter of inquiry to ICANN’s Board Chairman and CEO raising two critical issues arising out of the just-concluded Board/GAC meeting in Brussels. The first issue is whether the GAC will be permitted to invite corporate brand trademark counsel to participate as the exclusive “IP experts” in upcoming Board/GAC teleconferences on IP …
Brussels Meeting Semi-Ends with Semi-Response and All Issues Still in Play
Having canceled all scheduled afternoon discussions to confer separately, the ICANN Board and GAC returned to their Brussels meeting room late Tuesday afternoon for a short and inconclusive exchange of views on their Applicant Guidebook disagreements, as well on as mapping the path forward. Opening the session, ICANN Chairman Peter Dengate Thrush announced that, while the Board had not yet …