[bc-gnso] Public Comment: IRT Final Report on Trademark Protection in New gTLDs

["BC Secretariat" <secretariat@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

ICANN News Alert
Public Comment: IRT Final Report on Trademark Protection in New gTLDs
29 May 2009

The Implementation Recommendation Team (IRT) posted its Final Report on 
Trademark Protection in New gTLDs [PDF, 300K].

The IRT (Members of the IRT are listed here [PDF, 88K]) was formed by 
ICANN's Intellectual Property Constituency in accordance with the 6 March, 
2009 ICANN Board resolution 
(http://www.icann.org/en/minutes/resolutions-06mar09.htm). The resolution 
was in response to the request by the community seeking solutions for 
potential issues for trademark holders in the implementation of new gTLDs. 
The team reflects experiential and geographic diversity and is comprised of 
18 members and two alternates.

The IRT team participated in numerous teleconferences and several 
face-to-face meetings in Washington, D.C. and San Francisco, California, 
over a two month period. The resulting recommendations report on Trademark 
Protection Issues identifies several proposed solutions, including:

  a.. IP Clearinghouse, Globally Protected Marks List and associated Rights 
Protection Mechanisms, and standardized pre-launch rights protection 
mechanisms;
  b.. Uniform Rapid Suspension System;
  c.. Post delegation dispute resolution mechanisms;
  d.. Whois requirements for new TLDs; and
  e.. Use of algorithm in string confusion review during initial evaluation.
In the process of developing its recommendations, the IRT consulted with 
WIPO and the broader community, and evaluated the public comments received 
in response to the posting of the Draft IRT Report [PDF, 431K] on 24 April, 
2009. These comments are posted at 
http://forum.icann.org/lists/irt-draft-report/. In addition, several 
community members who had submitted substantive comments and proposals on 
trademark protection in new TLDs were invited to participate in the IRT 
meeting held on 11 May, 2009 in San Francisco.

This Final IRT Report will be posted for a thirty (30) day comment period 
that closes on 29 June, 2009. Comments can be sent to 
irt-final-report@xxxxxxxxx and reviewed at 
http://forum.icann.org/lists/irt-final-report.

The community will have additional opportunity to discuss the IRT proposal 
in an open forum discussion at the Sydney Meeting and in public 
consultations to be scheduled in July and August 2009. These consultations 
will take place in diverse geographic regions, and will provide a forum for 
ICANN to hear from the community on the effectiveness of proposals that 
address the overarching issues submitted by the IRT and others.

For additional information:

WIKI for Overarching Issues discussions: 
https://st.icann.org/new-gtld-overarching-issues/index.cgi?new_gtld_overarching_issues.

New gTLD Page: http://www.icann.org/en/topics/new-gtld-program.htm.


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