Nick, comments follow your text: A couple of points here: 1) IGOs are by treaty protected from action in national courts. Whether or not you think that's right, that is the current state of international law. (Response) -- The Convention on the Privileges and Immunities of the United Nations allows for the waiver of immunity. In particular, please see the sections positing a duty to waive immunity in any case where immunity would impede the course of justice. 2) Per the USG for Legal Affairs' letter to ICANN, they do understand that disputes about domain names involving IGO names can be subject to a review that is not based upon court action in national courts. (Response) -- The non-IGO respondant has a right to judicial review in all actions potentially involving a "taking". The protection that they have stated that they seek is that protection which they see as congruent with international law and the PCT Article 6ter. (Response) Even ICANN's own IPC doesn't see such congruence, and in fact has called for ICANN to ask WIPO "to provide a substantive opinion to confirm the applicability of of Article 6ter in non-trademark related areas" (as 6ter deals "solely with the registration of IGO names and acronyms as trademarks"). see http://www.ipconstituency.org/PDFs/2006-Jan31_IPC%20Response%20to%20New%20gT... ____________________________________________________________________________________ Got a little couch potato? Check out fun summer activities for kids. http://search.yahoo.com/search?fr=oni_on_mail&p=summer+activities+for+kids&c...