March 2016 - IPC-GNSO - lists.icann.org

Middle East DNS Forum 2016 | Gammart, Tunis, Tunisia | 4-5 May 2016
by Chantelle Doerksen March 31, 2016

March 31, 2016

For IPC Members who may be interested. Kind regards, Chantelle __________________________ Friends and Colleagues, I trust this email finds you well. I am pleased to inform you that the work on the 3rd edition of the Middle East DNS Forum is currently underway, and we have some updates to share with you. Dates – The forum takes place on 4-5 May 2016. On both days, we will have panel discussions, and we expect to have some dedicated breakout sessions on day 2. We are also looking at ways to involve entrepreneurs and other stakeholder groups who are effected by the domain name industry in the forum. Venue – The venue is the Ramada Plaza Tunis Hotel in Gammarth, Tunis, Tunisia. You can find the address of the hotel as well as a Google Maps pin holder at http://tunis2016.mednsf.org/en/event/venue/. Special accommodation prices have been negotiated with the same hotel. The rate for a single room is USD 87.50 per room per night subject to Service Charges and Government Tax. The rate is inclusive of Bed, Breakfast, Wi-Fi, and airport pick-up. To benefit from the preferential rate, please write to us at contactus(a)mednsf.org. Agenda – The members of the Program Committee (PC) of the forum are currently working on finalizing a draft agenda. The PC have identified the following broad topics to be discussed during the forum: · The Internet Industry in the ME region and the Untapped Business Opportunities Available; · Startups, the Internet, and the Domain Name System; · The IANA Stewardship Transition and Enhancing ICANN’s Accountability; · The Domain Name Industry; · IDNs and Universal Acceptance; · The Domain Name Industry and Other Industries; and · Others. A provisional agenda has been posted online at http://tunis2016.mednsf.org/en/agenda/. Once the PC finalizes the draft agenda, we will share it with you and the wider community for feedback. Registration – Registration is now open. Kindly register your attendance to attend the forum at http://tunis2016.mednsf.org/en/registration/. Translation – Real-time English çè French translation will be provided on both days. Attendees and speakers are welcome to use the language of their choice. Remote Participation – Remote participation will be provided to all main panels/sessions during the two day forum. Instructions on how to join remotely shall be shared in due time. You can always refer to the forum’s microsite at http://tunis2016.mednsf.org/en/. The site will be updated regularly, so please make sure you check it from time-to-time. We look forward to seeing you at the forum soon. Thank you, The Middle East DNS Forum Organizers

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Re: [IPC-GNSO] Call for Volunteers: New GNSO Policy Development Process Working Group to Review All Rights Protection Mechanisms in All gTLDs
by Charne Le Roux March 30, 2016

March 30, 2016

Apologies for this late response, I have taken some time off. I have submitted my interest in joining this WG as a member. Regards Charne Le Roux Partner [cid:image006.jpg@01D18A6D.FB059350] DIRECT +27 21 441 3887 PHONE +27 21 418 8560 FAX +27 21 419 5729 EMAIL charne.leroux(a)adamsadams.com<mailto:charne.leroux@adamsadams.com> CAPE TOWN OFFICE: 28th Floor, 1 Thibault Square, Cnr. Long Street and Hans Strijdom Avenue, Cape Town, South Africa PO BOX 1513, Cape Town 8000, South Africa This email is subject to an electronic communication legal notice available at http://www.adamsadams.com/index.php/site/edisclaimer [cid:image007.jpg@01D18A6D.FB059350] From: ipc-gnso-bounces(a)icann.org<mailto:ipc-gnso-bounces@icann.org> [mailto:ipc-gnso-bounces@icann.org<mailto:ipc-gnso-bounces@icann.org>] On Behalf Of Chantelle Doerksen Sent: Monday, March 21, 2016 5:43 PM To: ipc-gnso(a)icann.org<mailto:ipc-gnso@icann.org> Subject: [IPC-GNSO] Call for Volunteers: New GNSO Policy Development Process Working Group to Review All Rights Protection Mechanisms in All gTLDs Dear IPC Members, Volunteers needed. Please see below. Kind regards, Chantelle _________ https://www.icann.org/news/announcement-2016-03-21-en<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__www.icann.org_news_ann…> Call for Volunteers: New GNSO Policy Development Process Working Group to Review All Rights Protection Mechanisms in All gTLDs In Brief The Generic Names Supporting Organization (GNSO) Council seeks volunteers for a new Working Group that will conduct a Policy Development Process (PDP) to Review All Rights Protection Mechanisms (RPMs) in All Generic Top-Level Domains (gTLDs). The GNSO Council approved the PDP Working Group's Charter<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__gnso.icann.org_en_draft…> [PDF, 510 KB] on 9 March 2016<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__community.icann.org_di…>. What This Team Will Do Conduct the PDP in two phases This PDP Working Group is being chartered to conduct a review of all RPMs in all gTLDs in two phases as defined in the approved charter<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__gnso.icann.org_en_draft…> [PDF, 524 KB]: Phase One will focus on a review of all the RPMs that were developed for the New gTLD Program (i.e. the Trademark Clearinghouse and associated notification and sunrise mechanisms, the Uniform Rapid Suspension procedure, and the Post-Delegation Dispute Resolution Procedures), and Phase Two will focus on a review of the Uniform Dispute Resolution Policy (UDRP). At a minimum, in each Phase of this PDP, the Working Group will be expected to first assess the effectiveness of the relevant RPM(s), for which it should seek the input of experienced online dispute resolution providers and other subject matter experts, as appropriate. The Working Group is also expected to look at the interplay between and complementary roles of each RPM in seeking to more fully understand their overall functioning and effectiveness. Ultimately, the goal is for the Working Group to consider the overarching issue as to whether or not all the RPMs collectively fulfill the purposes for which they were created, or whether additional policy recommendations are needed, including to clarify and unify the policy goals. In public comments to the UDRP Final Issue Report<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__gnso.icann.org_en_issue…> [PDF, 2.69 MB], the RPM Staff Paper<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__newgtlds.icann.org_en_r…> [PDF 2.5 MB], and the Preliminary Issue Report<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__www.icann.org_public-2…> for this PDP, various community groups and participants had identified a number of issues that they considered appropriate for review in a PDP. As such, the Working Group is expected to consider these community suggestions, which have been listed in the Working Group Charter, with further modifications, additions and deletions to be determined by consensus of the Working Group. Coordinate its work with other parallel efforts The Working Group will monitor the progress of and, where appropriate, coordinate with, other ICANN groups that are working on topics that may overlap with or otherwise provide useful input to this PDP. These other efforts include the Competition, Consumer Trust and Consumer Choice Review Team, the Trademark Clearinghouse Independent Review and the GNSO's PDP Working Group on New gTLDs Subsequent Procedures. In this regard, the GNSO Council directed that a GNSO community liaison be appointed by the two GNSO PDP Working Groups. Further, as the manager of the policy development process, the GNSO Council is to be kept informed about the various coordination efforts so that in case of conflict between these groups, the Council may take the appropriate action to align the different work processes. At the conclusion of Phase One of its work, the Working Group is expected to assess the need for modification to its Charter and, if appropriate, submit a request to the GNSO Council accordingly for the subsequent phase(s) of its work. How This Team Will Work ICANN Working Groups use transparent, open processes. The meetings of this PDP Working Group will be recorded and transcribed, and the recordings and transcriptions will be available to the public. The mailing list for the Working Group will be archived publicly. The group will collaborate using a public workspace for draft materials and all final work products and milestones will be documented on the WG's wiki<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__community.icann.org_di…>. The PDP WG is expected to follow the GNSO Working Group Guidelines<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__gnso.icann.org_en_counc…> [PDF, 350 KB] as well as the GNSO PDP Manual<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__gnso.icann.org_en_counc…> [PDF, 300 KB]. How to participate There are two ways to volunteer: * Individual Members – anyone interested can volunteer to join the PDP Working Group as a member, regardless of whether they are members of the ICANN community. Members are expected to actively contribute to mailing list conversations as well as meetings – it is anticipated that the Working Group will at a minimum meet on a weekly basis via teleconference. Members are expected to provide essential input to the process. Members will be required to provide a Statement of Interest (SOI<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__community.icann.org_di…>). * Mailing list observers – for those who are merely interested in monitoring the Working Group's deliberations, it is possible to sign up as a mailing list "observer" which offers read-only access to the mailing list. Mailing list observers will not be permitted to post, will not receive invitations to the meetings of the Working Group and will not have to complete a Statement of Interest. At any point in time, a mailing list observer can join the WG as a member simply by informing the GNSO Secretariat<mailto:gnso-secs@icann.org?subject=Call%20for%20volunteers>. In addition, there will be opportunities to provide input through public consultations and public comment processes that the PDP Working Group is expected to organize. How to Join If you are interested in joining the Working Group either as an individual participant or mailing list observer, please fill in the sign up form<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__goo.gl_forms_sMAaNujZdB…> or send the Word document<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__community.icann.org_do…> [DOCX, 72 KB], filled in, to the GNSO Secretariat<mailto:gnso-secs@icann.org?subject=Call%20for%20volunteers>. All members and observers will be listed on the PDP Working Group's wiki page. Next steps The GNSO Council directed that this call for volunteers be circulated as widely as possible in order to ensure broad representation and participation in the Working Group. it is anticipated that the Working Group will convene online for the first time in early April 2016. Following that, regular online meetings will be scheduled in accordance with the Working Group's work plan, which it is expected to develop as one of its first tasks. Further information and preparation For those interested in volunteering for this effort, you are strongly encouraged to review the following materials prior to the first meeting of the PDP WG: * The Final Issue Report<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__gnso.icann.org_en_issue…> [PDF, 1 MB] * The approved charter<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__gnso.icann.org_en_draft…> [PDF, 510 KB] * Materials available at the Working Group's online wiki workspace<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__community.icann.org_di…> Background The question of who legally has rights to, or is the legitimate holder of, a domain name can be open to dispute. In relation to domain name disputes concerning the registration and use of legally protected trademarks, the Uniform Dispute Resolution Policy (UDRP)<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__www.icann.org_resource…> is the longest standing alternative dispute resolution procedure. As a result of the New gTLD Program, several new rights protection mechanisms (RPMs) were developed to mitigate potential risks and costs to trademark rights holders that could arise in the expansion of the gTLD namespace, which included certain safeguards to protect registrants who engage in legitimate uses of domain names: the Uniform Rapid Suspension System (URS)<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__www.icann.org_resource…>; the Trademark Clearinghouse (TMCH)<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__newgtlds.icann.org_en_…> and the associated availability through the TMCH of Sunrise periods and the Trademark Claims notification service; and the Post-Delegation Dispute Resolution Procedures (PDDRPs)<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__www.icann.org_resource…>. Prior to the launch of the New gTLD Program, on 3 October 2011 ICANN staff had published a Final Issue Report on the current state of the UDRP. The recommended course of action in that UDRP Final Issue Report<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__gnso.icann.org_en_issue…> [PDF, 2.69 MB] was not to initiate a PDP at the time, but to hold off launching any such PDP until after the new URS had been in operation for at least eighteen (18) months. In addition, the September 2015 revised RPM Staff Paper<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__newgtlds.icann.org_en_r…> [PDF 2.5 MB] had explicitly noted that some of the concerns identified by the community for consideration as part of a review of the RPMs might be appropriate topics for policy development work. The UDRP has not been subject to comprehensive review. There has also not been a full review of all the RPMs developed to date by ICANN, to consider whether or not they are collectively achieving the objectives for which they were created. In preparation for this PDP, a new Preliminary Issue Report<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__gnso.icann.org_en_issue…> [PDF, 1.4 MB] was published for public comment<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__www.icann.org_public-2…> on 9 October 2015. A Final Issue Report<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__gnso.icann.org_en_issue…> [PDF, 1.2 MB] was subsequently published on 7 October 2015, including links to all public comments received, along with a draft charter for the PDP WG<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__gnso.icann.org_en_draft…> [PDF, 510 KB]. The final charter was approved by the GNSO Council on 9 March 2016<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__community.icann.org_di…>, enabling the formation of a GNSO working group of community volunteers to conduct this PDP. More information can be found on the activities webpage for GNSO PDP Review of All Rights Protection Mechanisms in All gTLDs<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__gnso.icann.org_en_group…> and the Working Group's online wiki workspace<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__community.icann.org_di…>, which includes the charter, community input provided during the public comment period, and an extensive library of foundational materials to inform the Working Group's deliberations. As this will be a complex multi-phase PDP, anyone interested in helping to shape the review of all RPMs in all gTLDs are encouraged to volunteer for this Working Group ________________________________ Glen de Saint Géry GNSO Secretariat gnso.secretariat(a)gnso.icann.org<mailto:gnso.secretariat@gnso.icann.org> http://gnso.icann.org<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__gnso.icann.org_&d=CwMFa…> ________________________________ Confidentiality Notice This message is being sent by or on behalf of a lawyer. It is intended exclusively for the individual or entity to which it is addressed. This communication may contain information that is proprietary, privileged or confidential or otherwise legally exempt from disclosure. If you are not the named addressee, you are not authorized to read, print, retain, copy or disseminate this message or any part of it. If you have received this message in error, please notify the sender immediately by e-mail and delete all copies of the message. _______________________________________________ IPC-GNSO mailing list IPC-GNSO(a)icann.org<mailto:IPC-GNSO@icann.org> https://mm.icann.org/mailman/listinfo/ipc-gnso<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__mm.icann.org_mailman_l…> ________________________________ This email is intended only for the use of the party to which it is addressed and may contain information that is privileged, confidential, or protected by law. If you are not the intended recipient you are hereby notified that any dissemination, copying or distribution of this email or its contents is strictly prohibited. If you have received this message in error, please notify us immediately by replying to the message and deleting it from your computer. Any tax advice in this email is for information purposes only. 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ICANN Blog: Conduct at ICANN Meetings
by Greg Shatan March 25, 2016

March 25, 2016

All: The latest post to the ICANN Blog is reproduced below. Greg ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: David Olive <david.olive(a)icann.org> Date: Fri, Mar 25, 2016 at 8:56 AM Subject: [Soac-infoalert] Conduct at ICANN Meetings - ICANN To: "soac-infoalert(a)icann.org" <soac-infoalert(a)icann.org> Cc: Hillary Jett <hillary.jett(a)icann.org>, Duncan Burns < duncan.burns(a)icann.org> https://www.icann.org/news/blog/conduct-at-icann-meetings - ICANN Blog - Author: Akram Atallah - 25 Mar 2016 Conduct at ICANN Meetings <https://www.icann.org/news/blog/conduct-at-icann-meetings#> <https://www.icann.org/news/blog/conduct-at-icann-meetings#> <https://www.icann.org/news/blog/conduct-at-icann-meetings#> <https://www.icann.org/news/blog/conduct-at-icann-meetings#> <https://www.icann.org/news/blog/conduct-at-icann-meetings#> <https://www.icann.org/news/blog/conduct-at-icann-meetings#> During and after ICANN55 the issue of certain community-member conduct toward one another has been raised in various sessions and lists. I wanted to re-confirm that ICANN’s staff and Board takes the issue of harassment or other improper conduct at its meetings very seriously. We do not condone any such conduct, and there should be zero tolerance for it within the community. As an organization, ICANN has robust internal policies regarding the issue, including mandatory training for staff and Board members. However, ICANN community members are not bound to the same policies and rules. We do require all community members to adhere to the Expected Standards of Behavior <https://www.icann.org/resources/pages/expected-standards-2012-05-15-en>. While we understand that the language of these Standards does not specifically address harassment, these Standards do provide our global, diverse multistakeholder community with a set of high-level guidelines for interacting with one another, which encompasses harassment and other improper treatment of others. As the Board previously committed, we are looking at whether it makes sense to enhance this language. Both staff and the Board are committed to starting a discussion with the community on a possible path forward as well. This is an area where we feel it most appropriate that the community should lead any policy development to look into a process for handling harassment complaints. ICANN staff and Board will support as appropriate. While the ICANN Ombudsman appropriately continues with his confidential investigation into specific matters, we ask that everyone read the Expected Standards of Behavior and conduct themselves with respect toward others. This includes: *Treat** all members of the **ICANN community equally, irrespective of nationality, gender, racial or ethnic origin, religion or beliefs, disability, age, or sexual orientation; members of the **ICANN community should treat each other with civility both face to face and online.* David A. Olive Senior Vice President, Policy Development Support General Manager, ICANN Regional Headquarters –Istanbul Hakki Yeten Cad. Selenium Plaza No:10/C K:10 34349 Fulya, Besiktas, Istanbul Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) Direct Line: +90.212.999.6212 Mobile: + 1. 202.341.3611 Mobile: +90.533.341.6550 Email: david.olive(a)icann.org www.icann.org _______________________________________________ soac-infoalert mailing list soac-infoalert(a)icann.org https://mm.icann.org/mailman/listinfo/soac-infoalert

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Call for Volunteers: New GNSO Policy Development Process Working Group to Review All Rights Protection Mechanisms in All gTLDs
by Chantelle Doerksen March 23, 2016

March 23, 2016

Dear IPC Members, Volunteers needed. Please see below. Kind regards, Chantelle _________ https://www.icann.org/news/announcement-2016-03-21-en Call for Volunteers: New GNSO Policy Development Process Working Group to Review All Rights Protection Mechanisms in All gTLDs In Brief The Generic Names Supporting Organization (GNSO) Council seeks volunteers for a new Working Group that will conduct a Policy Development Process (PDP) to Review All Rights Protection Mechanisms (RPMs) in All Generic Top-Level Domains (gTLDs). The GNSO Council approved the PDP Working Group's Charter [PDF, 510 KB] on 9 March 2016. What This Team Will Do 1. Conduct the PDP in two phases This PDP Working Group is being chartered to conduct a review of all RPMs in all gTLDs in two phases as defined in the approved charter [PDF, 524 KB]: Phase One will focus on a review of all the RPMs that were developed for the New gTLD Program (i.e. the Trademark Clearinghouse and associated notification and sunrise mechanisms, the Uniform Rapid Suspension procedure, and the Post-Delegation Dispute Resolution Procedures), and Phase Two will focus on a review of the Uniform Dispute Resolution Policy (UDRP). At a minimum, in each Phase of this PDP, the Working Group will be expected to first assess the effectiveness of the relevant RPM(s), for which it should seek the input of experienced online dispute resolution providers and other subject matter experts, as appropriate. The Working Group is also expected to look at the interplay between and complementary roles of each RPM in seeking to more fully understand their overall functioning and effectiveness. Ultimately, the goal is for the Working Group to consider the overarching issue as to whether or not all the RPMs collectively fulfill the purposes for which they were created, or whether additional policy recommendations are needed, including to clarify and unify the policy goals. In public comments to the UDRP Final Issue Report [PDF, 2.69 MB], the RPM Staff Paper [PDF 2.5 MB], and the Preliminary Issue Report for this PDP, various community groups and participants had identified a number of issues that they considered appropriate for review in a PDP. As such, the Working Group is expected to consider these community suggestions, which have been listed in the Working Group Charter, with further modifications, additions and deletions to be determined by consensus of the Working Group. 2. Coordinate its work with other parallel efforts The Working Group will monitor the progress of and, where appropriate, coordinate with, other ICANN groups that are working on topics that may overlap with or otherwise provide useful input to this PDP. These other efforts include the Competition, Consumer Trust and Consumer Choice Review Team, the Trademark Clearinghouse Independent Review and the GNSO's PDP Working Group on New gTLDs Subsequent Procedures. In this regard, the GNSO Council directed that a GNSO community liaison be appointed by the two GNSO PDP Working Groups. Further, as the manager of the policy development process, the GNSO Council is to be kept informed about the various coordination efforts so that in case of conflict between these groups, the Council may take the appropriate action to align the different work processes. At the conclusion of Phase One of its work, the Working Group is expected to assess the need for modification to its Charter and, if appropriate, submit a request to the GNSO Council accordingly for the subsequent phase(s) of its work. How This Team Will Work ICANN Working Groups use transparent, open processes. The meetings of this PDP Working Group will be recorded and transcribed, and the recordings and transcriptions will be available to the public. The mailing list for the Working Group will be archived publicly. The group will collaborate using a public workspace for draft materials and all final work products and milestones will be documented on the WG's wiki. The PDP WG is expected to follow the GNSO Working Group Guidelines [PDF, 350 KB] as well as the GNSO PDP Manual [PDF, 300 KB]. How to participate There are two ways to volunteer: Individual Members – anyone interested can volunteer to join the PDP Working Group as a member, regardless of whether they are members of the ICANN community. Members are expected to actively contribute to mailing list conversations as well as meetings – it is anticipated that the Working Group will at a minimum meet on a weekly basis via teleconference. Members are expected to provide essential input to the process. Members will be required to provide a Statement of Interest (SOI). Mailing list observers – for those who are merely interested in monitoring the Working Group's deliberations, it is possible to sign up as a mailing list "observer" which offers read-only access to the mailing list. Mailing list observers will not be permitted to post, will not receive invitations to the meetings of the Working Group and will not have to complete a Statement of Interest. At any point in time, a mailing list observer can join the WG as a member simply by informing the GNSO Secretariat. In addition, there will be opportunities to provide input through public consultations and public comment processes that the PDP Working Group is expected to organize. How to Join If you are interested in joining the Working Group either as an individual participant or mailing list observer, please fill in the sign up form or send the Word document [DOCX, 72 KB], filled in, to the GNSO Secretariat. All members and observers will be listed on the PDP Working Group's wiki page. Next steps The GNSO Council directed that this call for volunteers be circulated as widely as possible in order to ensure broad representation and participation in the Working Group. it is anticipated that the Working Group will convene online for the first time in early April 2016. Following that, regular online meetings will be scheduled in accordance with the Working Group's work plan, which it is expected to develop as one of its first tasks. Further information and preparation For those interested in volunteering for this effort, you are strongly encouraged to review the following materials prior to the first meeting of the PDP WG: The Final Issue Report [PDF, 1 MB] The approved charter [PDF, 510 KB] Materials available at the Working Group's online wiki workspace Background The question of who legally has rights to, or is the legitimate holder of, a domain name can be open to dispute. In relation to domain name disputes concerning the registration and use of legally protected trademarks, the Uniform Dispute Resolution Policy (UDRP) is the longest standing alternative dispute resolution procedure. As a result of the New gTLD Program, several new rights protection mechanisms (RPMs) were developed to mitigate potential risks and costs to trademark rights holders that could arise in the expansion of the gTLD namespace, which included certain safeguards to protect registrants who engage in legitimate uses of domain names: the Uniform Rapid Suspension System (URS); the Trademark Clearinghouse (TMCH) and the associated availability through the TMCH of Sunrise periods and the Trademark Claims notification service; and the Post-Delegation Dispute Resolution Procedures (PDDRPs). Prior to the launch of the New gTLD Program, on 3 October 2011 ICANN staff had published a Final Issue Report on the current state of the UDRP. The recommended course of action in that UDRP Final Issue Report [PDF, 2.69 MB] was not to initiate a PDP at the time, but to hold off launching any such PDP until after the new URS had been in operation for at least eighteen (18) months. In addition, the September 2015 revised RPM Staff Paper [PDF 2.5 MB] had explicitly noted that some of the concerns identified by the community for consideration as part of a review of the RPMs might be appropriate topics for policy development work. The UDRP has not been subject to comprehensive review. There has also not been a full review of all the RPMs developed to date by ICANN, to consider whether or not they are collectively achieving the objectives for which they were created. In preparation for this PDP, a new Preliminary Issue Report [PDF, 1.4 MB] was published for public comment on 9 October 2015. A Final Issue Report [PDF, 1.2 MB] was subsequently published on 7 October 2015, including links to all public comments received, along with a draft charter for the PDP WG [PDF, 510 KB]. The final charter was approved by the GNSO Council on 9 March 2016, enabling the formation of a GNSO working group of community volunteers to conduct this PDP. More information can be found on the activities webpage for GNSO PDP Review of All Rights Protection Mechanisms in All gTLDs and the Working Group's online wiki workspace, which includes the charter, community input provided during the public comment period, and an extensive library of foundational materials to inform the Working Group's deliberations. As this will be a complex multi-phase PDP, anyone interested in helping to shape the review of all RPMs in all gTLDs are encouraged to volunteer for this Working Group Glen de Saint Géry GNSO Secretariat gnso.secretariat(a)gnso.icann.org http://gnso.icann.org

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Interesting statistics from WIPO re UDRP in 2015
by Metalitz, Steven March 18, 2016

March 18, 2016

http://www.wipo.int/pressroom/en/articles/2016/article_0003.html [image001] Steven J. Metalitz | Partner, through his professional corporation T: 202.355.7902 | met(a)msk.com<mailto:met@msk.com> Mitchell Silberberg & Knupp LLP | www.msk.com<http://www.msk.com/> 1818 N Street NW, 8th Floor, Washington, DC 20036 THE INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THIS E-MAIL MESSAGE IS INTENDED ONLY FOR THE PERSONAL AND CONFIDENTIAL USE OF THE DESIGNATED RECIPIENTS. THIS MESSAGE MAY BE AN ATTORNEY-CLIENT COMMUNICATION, AND AS SUCH IS PRIVILEGED AND CONFIDENTIAL. IF THE READER OF THIS MESSAGE IS NOT AN INTENDED RECIPIENT, YOU ARE HEREBY NOTIFIED THAT ANY REVIEW, USE, DISSEMINATION, FORWARDING OR COPYING OF THIS MESSAGE IS STRICTLY PROHIBITED. PLEASE NOTIFY US IMMEDIATELY BY REPLY E-MAIL OR TELEPHONE, AND DELETE THE ORIGINAL MESSAGE AND ALL ATTACHMENTS FROM YOUR SYSTEM. THANK YOU.

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Fwd: PLEASE READ: ICANN 56 Meeting - Helsinki - Visa Applications
by Greg Shatan March 18, 2016

March 18, 2016

If you are thinking of traveling to Helsinki, please see note about VISAS, below. Greg *Date:* 18 mars 2016 16:34:45 *Objet:* *PLEASE READ: ICANN 56 Meeting - Helsinki - Visa Applications* Dear All, Our invitation letter for ICANN 56 Helsinki Meeting is now open. Individuals that will need a visa to enter Finland and/or any Schengen country to attend the meeting can go to our website: https://invitationletters.icann.org/, to apply for the letter. Our local host will be supplying the local host letter to those who apply on our invitation letter website. We highly urge individuals who do not have a valid Schengen visa to apply as early as possible as the visa process is time consuming. All participants who apply for a visa will have to book an appointment to have their fingerprints taken and etc. In some locations, Finland is represented by another government, in these cases our local host will have no way to influence the application process. Our local host confirmed that the deadline for visa application is *May 31, 2016.* Please feel free to share this with your constituents so that they can plan accordingly. Thank you!

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REMINDER: Ethos Award Nomination Period Closes Tomorrow | Thursday, 17 March 2016
by Chantelle Doerksen March 17, 2016

March 17, 2016

Dear all, As a reminder, the Ethos Award Nomination Period closes tomorrow; Thursday, 17 March. The purpose of the award is to recognize community members who have served in multiple leadership roles within ICANN. Anyone is able to nominate a community member. Please see below. Kind regards, Chantelle https://www.icann.org/news/announcement-2016-02-29-en Nomination Period Extended For ICANN Multistakeholder Ethos Award | Award Targeted for ICANN 56 | Nominations Close 17 March 2016 ICANN is pleased to announce that the nomination period for ICANN's Multistakeholder Ethos Award is extended until 17 March 2016. This award program, launched in June 2014 in London, seeks to recognize long-standing community members who have served in leadership roles in multiple ICANN working groups or committees, and demonstrated collaboration with different Supporting Organizationsand/or Advisory Committees. The Multistakeholder Ethos Award will recognize ICANN participants who have deeply invested in consensus-based solutions, acknowledging the importance of ICANN's multistakeholder model of Internet governance, and contributed in a substantive way to the higher interests of ICANN's organization and its community. The nomination period for community nominees closes on 17 March 2016. Community members interested in submitting a nomination are invited to send an email to ethosaward2016(a)icann.org including: · Name of nominee. · Community of nominee. · Reasons for nomination. Please note that the reasons outlining the candidate's merit for the nomination may be as brief or as long as required. Candidates for the award will demonstrate at least five years of participation in the ICANN Community. A panel of community members will review all community nominations and determine the best candidate(s) for the award(s). The decisions of the panel will be made based on the following criteria: 1. Demonstrated multistakeholder volunteer service via working groups or committees. 2. Demonstrated spirit of collaboration through engagement with other community members with the aim of consensus building. 3. Demonstrated facilitator of dialogue and open discussion in a fair, cordial and collegial manner. 4. Demonstrated additional devotional factors exhibited by time spent supporting ICANN's multistakeholder model and its overall effectiveness. Please submit your nominations via email to ethosaward2016(a)icann.org. Award recipient(s) will be announced in June 2016 at ICANN56. For more insights on the award program, please consult the ICANN Community Wiki.

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ICANN56: Visa Requirements for Helsinki, reminder | 27 - 30 June 2016
by Chantelle Doerksen March 16, 2016

March 16, 2016

Dear all, As Marrakech is now behind us, we prepare for ICANN56 in Helsinki, 27-30 June 2016. ICANN56 information can be found at https://meetings.icann.org/en/helsinki56 . Although ICANN has not released the official invitation letter yet, but it might be useful to begin researching the visa requirements in advance, using the links below: 1. Registration for ICANN56, https://registration.icann.org/ 2. Visa requirements for Finland, http://formin.finland.fi/public/default.aspx?nodeid=49459&contentlan=2&cult… and http://formin.finland.fi/public/default.aspx?nodeid=15720&contentlan=2 . Once the invitation letter link is ready, it will be found here https://invitationletters.icann.org/ . I will share any updates as they become available. Kind regards, Chantelle -- Chantelle Doerksen CSG Secretariat Support- BC, IPC, ISPCP ICANN - Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers

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Ethos Award Nomination Period | Closes 17 March 2016
by Chantelle Doerksen March 11, 2016

March 11, 2016

https://www.icann.org/news/announcement-2016-02-29-en Nomination Period Extended For ICANN Multistakeholder Ethos Award | Award Targeted for ICANN 56 | Nominations Close 17 March 2016 ICANN is pleased to announce that the nomination period for ICANN's Multistakeholder Ethos Award is extended until 17 March 2016. This award program, launched in June 2014 in London, seeks to recognize long-standing community members who have served in leadership roles in multiple ICANNworking groups or committees, and demonstrated collaboration with different Supporting Organizationsand/or Advisory Committees. The Multistakeholder Ethos Award will recognize ICANN participants who have deeply invested in consensus-based solutions, acknowledging the importance of ICANN's multistakeholder model of Internet governance, and contributed in a substantive way to the higher interests of ICANN's organization and its community. The nomination period for community nominees closes on 17 March 2016. Community members interested in submitting a nomination are invited to send an email to ethosaward2016(a)icann.org including: · Name of nominee. · Community of nominee. · Reasons for nomination. Please note that the reasons outlining the candidate's merit for the nomination may be as brief or as long as required. Candidates for the award will demonstrate at least five years of participation in the ICANN Community. A panel of community members will review all community nominations and determine the best candidate(s) for the award(s). The decisions of the panel will be made based on the following criteria: 1. Demonstrated multistakeholder volunteer service via working groups or committees. 2. Demonstrated spirit of collaboration through engagement with other community members with the aim of consensus building. 3. Demonstrated facilitator of dialogue and open discussion in a fair, cordial and collegial manner. 4. Demonstrated additional devotional factors exhibited by time spent supporting ICANN's multistakeholder model and its overall effectiveness. Please submit your nominations via email to ethosaward2016(a)icann.org. Award recipient(s) will be announced in June 2016 at ICANN56. For more insights on the award program, please consult the ICANN Community Wiki.

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Fwd: [Soac-infoalert] ICANN News Alert -- Plan to Transition Stewardship of Key Internet Functions Sent to the U.S. Government
by Greg Shatan March 11, 2016

March 11, 2016

FYI ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: *David Olive* <david.olive(a)icann.org> Date: Thursday, March 10, 2016 Subject: [Soac-infoalert] ICANN News Alert -- Plan to Transition Stewardship of Key Internet Functions Sent to the U.S. Government To: "soac-infoalert(a)icann.org" <soac-infoalert(a)icann.org> [image: ICANN] <http://www.icann.org/> News Alert https://www.icann.org/news/announcement-2016-03-10-en ------------------------------ Plan to Transition Stewardship of Key Internet Functions Sent to the U.S. Government Culmination of a Two-Year Effort by the Global Internet Community 10 March 2016 *Marrakech, Morocco…* Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) Board Chair Dr. Stephen D. Crocker today submitted to the U.S. Government a plan developed by the international Internet community that, if approved, will lead to global stewardship of some key technical Internet functions. "This plan is a testament to the hard work of the global Internet community and the strength of the multistakeholder model," said Crocker, who transmitted the plan on behalf of the global community. "The plan has now been sent to the U.S. Government for its review, and assuming it meets the necessary criteria, we will have reached an historic moment in the history of the Internet." The plan provides a comprehensive package to transition the U.S. Government's stewardship of these technical functions, called the IANA (Internet Assigned Numbers Authority), which are critical to the Internet's smooth operation. It also proposes ways to enhance ICANN's accountability as a fully independent organization. The transition is the final step in the long-anticipated privatization of the Internet's Domain Name System (DNS), first outlined when ICANN was incorporated in 1998. The ICANN Board received the package from the community during its 55th public meeting in Morocco, and today transmitted it to the U.S. National Telecommunication and Information Administration (NTIA). On 14 March 2014, NTIA announced its desire to transition its stewardship of the IANA functions to the global multistakeholder community. The package is the result of an inclusive, global discussion amongst representatives from government, large and small business, technical experts, civil society, researchers, academics and end users. "The Internet community has exhibited remarkable dedication to the IANA stewardship transition because we know just how important it is to complete," said Alissa Cooper, Chair of the IANA Stewardship Transition Coordination Group (ICG) that coordinated the development of the transition proposal. "Internet users the world over stand to benefit from its stability, security, and accountability enhancements to Internet governance once the proposal takes effect." The global Internet community has worked tirelessly to develop a plan that meets NTIA's criteria, logging more than 600 meetings and calls, more than 32,000 mailing list exchanges and more than 800 working hours. The package combines the technical requirements of a transition coordinated by the IANA Stewardship Transition Group (ICG) and enhancements to ICANN's accountability identified by the Cross Community Working Group on Enhancing ICANN Accountability (CCWG-Accountability). The two groups were composed of volunteers representing a broad range of interests from the wider multistakeholder Internet community. "This plan enjoys the broadest possible support from this very diverse community and I'm confident it will meet NTIA's criteria," said Thomas Rickert, one of the CCWG-Accountability co-Chairs. "The work of this group shows just how well the inclusive multistakeholder approach is working." The U.S. Government will now review the package to ensure that it meets NTIA's criteria. If approved, implementation of the plan is expected to be completed prior to the expiration of the contract between NTIA and ICANN in September 2016. ## To see further comments (quotes) on the transmission of the package go here: https://www.icann.org/resources/pages/iana-stewardship-final-package-quotes [PDF, 46 KB] To access the media contacts of Internet organizations involved, go here: https://www.icann.org/resources/pages/iana-stewardship-final-package-press-… [PDF, 284 KB] To read the IANA Stewardship Transition Proposal, go here: https://www.icann.org/en/system/files/files/iana-stewardship-transition-pro… [PDF, 2.32 MB] To read the Enhancing ICANN Accountability Final Report, go here: https://www.icann.org/en/system/files/files/ccwg-accountability-supp-propos… [PDF, 6.03 MB]

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