Hi Olivier, Asking for a survey of the costs and benefits of the new gTLD program to name holders is beyond ALAC's mandate and scope. To the extent that the new program might increase brand confusion amongst shoppers, this issue is of interest, but as a matter of asking the PoV of brand "users" as opposed to the brand "owners". I suspect that answers will be in sync generally but not totally. As we saw in the GAC Sorecard, there was much that ALAC agreed with related to brand protection, but we believed that the intellectual property interests carry the issue too far with a number of demands so ludicrous as to demean their entire case. Doing a survey of brand owners is a useful activity -- and one that ICANN should have undertaken *before* it launched the program -- but it beyond our role to approve or disapprove. Our focus here should be to ensure that ICANN is aware of the extent of demand for the program, and the consequences borne, by non-registrant end-users. We are the only community in ICANN speaking for them. Clearly the brand holders don't need our help in bringing their point across. It is unfortunate that the Department of Commerce's letter continues to use the term "consumer" in a manner ambiguous enough to allow ICANN to continue to dodge tough questions that might call into serious question its current path. - Evan On 15 May 2012 20:03, Olivier MJ Crepin-Leblond <ocl@gih.com> wrote:

Dear ALAC colleagues,

My action item from today's WG call is to ask you whether you believe that any set of surveys of Internet users asking them about the benefits/problems of an enhanced gTLD namespace might also be extended to Trademark Owners, especially enquiring about their experience with regards to cybersquatting and their assessment of incurred costs and satisfaction with results when a resolution is sought. Comments eagerly welcome!

Also -- just arrived as a public comment from USG, please read below, FYI.

Kind regards,

Olivier

-------- Message original -------- Sujet: [gnso-consumercci-dt] Comments from US DoC regarding CCTC WG work Date : Wed, 16 May 2012 01:44:32 +0200 De : Olivier MJ Crepin-Leblond <ocl@gih.com> Pour : gnso-consumercci-dt@icann.org <gnso-consumercci-dt@icann.org>

Hello everyone,

whilst preparing an email to follow-up on the Action Item which was assigned to me today to ask the ALAC about expansion of survey to trademark owners, I just came across an added entry on the Comments Forum from US Dept. of Commerce, from Vernita D. Harris. (Received & Dated 15th May 2012)

http://forum.icann.org/lists/cctc-draft-advice-letter/msg00013.html

You might wish to read this and staff might wish to forward to Steve Crocker, if he hasn't caught glimpse of this yet.

Kind regards,

Olivier

-- Olivier MJ Crépin-Leblond, PhD http://www.gih.com/ocl.html

_______________________________________________ ALAC mailing list ALAC@atlarge-lists.icann.org https://atlarge-lists.icann.org/mailman/listinfo/alac

At-Large Online: http://www.atlarge.icann.org ALAC Working Wiki: https://community.icann.org/display/atlarge/At-Large+Advisory+Committee+(ALA...)

-- Evan Leibovitch Toronto Canada Em: evan at telly dot org Sk: evanleibovitch Tw: el56