Thanks Gary. From: Zahid Jamil [mailto:zahid@jamilandjamil.com] Sent: 30 May 2009 01:38 To: owner-bc-gnso@icann.org Cc: 'BC Secretariat'; 'Mike Rodenbaugh'; 'Philip Sheppard' Subject: Trademark owners get a chance to have their say on new gTLDs International - Latest news May 29 2009 Trademark owners have been urged to submit comments on a report issued today that looks at how trademarks can be protected when new generic top-level domains (gTLDs) come on line in 2010. The report is the work of the Implementation Recommendation Team <http://www.icann.org/en/topics/new-gtlds/irt-list-23mar09-en.pdf> (IRT), which was created by the Internet Corporation <http://www.icann.org/en/> for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) at the end of March. The report should go live on ICANN's website before the end of business Pacific Standard Time today (early Saturday morning GMT). "Many mark owners have become cynical of ICANN and the ICANN process over the years - and for good reason in many cases," IRT member Stacey King told WTR yesterday. "I would hope that mark owners recognize that this is the time to re-engage." The IRT published its draft report at the end of April (see "Trademark owners urged to comment on gTLDs <http://www.worldtrademarkreview.com/daily/detail.aspx?g=aca7531c-4085-4678- 8791-b91ec8606d12> "). Significant changes to this are expected in the final report, especially around the proposals for the post-delegation dispute mechanism. This follows close consultation with a number of interested parties, including the World <http://www.wipo.int/portal/index.html.en> Intellectual Property Organization. "I think that that you should be particularly interested in the foreword to the report that we have drafted," Nick Wood, another IRT member, told WTR. "This explains why the team gave up six working weeks without remuneration and sets the context for what we have done. We just hope that the comments from business and the trademark community are forthcoming and taken seriously." Other IRT members include J Scott Evans, senior director - legal at Yahoo! <http://www.yahoo.com/> , who has been vocal in his condemnation of ICANN's plan to introduce gTLDs. "Yahoo! does not believe there should be gTLDs," he said at a special session added to the programme at the recent International Trademark Association (INTA) annual meeting. "Individuals' service on the IRT is a voluntary service to the community and is in no way an endorsement of the report," he explained. Fellow IRT member Ellen Shankman <http://www.ellenshankman.com/> added that it was important to recognize that gTLDs were going ahead, and that even stakeholders who disagreed with their introduction should become involved in the process. "A good deal of credit should be given to the ICANN Board for creating the IRT and to ICANN staff for working with the IRT," said King. "This is the time, while we have ICANN's ear, to re-engage." Once the report is live, it is open for public comment. Those wishing to engage can submit comments online, as well as at the 35th ICANN meeting <http://syd.icann.org/> , held in Sydney from June 21 - 26, or during the following public sessions (note: ICANN has changed these dates since WTR first published <http://www.worldtrademarkreview.com/daily/detail.aspx?g=58f43c9a-7fe4-46e1- 81f9-89a5d566d73e> the plans for open sessions): . London - July 15, 2009 - Jarvis Suite <http://www.architecture.com/RIBAVenues/RoomHire/Rooms/01-LowerGroundFloor/J arvisSuite.aspx> , Royal Institute of British Architects . New York - July 13, 2009 - venue to be confirmed . Hong Kong - between 20 and 24 of July 2009 - date/venue to be confirmed . Abu-Dhabi - between 2 and 6 of August 2009 - date/venue to be confirmed "Our work is just beginning," added King. "Those who were not able to be involved with the IRT or who are concerned with online brand abuse and fraud should take this opportunity to comment on the report, attend ICANN meetings, and have a say in the next phase of the Web." Zahid Jamil Barrister-at-law Jamil & Jamil Barristers-at-law 219-221 Central Hotel Annexe Merewether Road, Karachi. Pakistan Cell: +923008238230 Tel: +92 21 5680760 / 5685276 / 5655025 Fax: +92 21 5655026 www.jamilandjamil.com <http://www.jamilandjamil.com/> Notice / Disclaimer This message contains confidential information and its contents are being communicated only for the intended recipients . If you are not the intended recipient you should not disseminate, distribute or copy this e-mail. Please notify the sender immediately by e-mail if you have received this message by mistake and delete it from your system. 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