[bc-gnso] FW: ICANN chair expects more new TLDs delay

[Phil Corwin <pcorwin@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

http://domainincite.com/icann-chair-expects-more-new-tlds-delay/

ICANN chair expects more new TLDs 
delay<http://domainincite.com/icann-chair-expects-more-new-tlds-delay/>
Kevin Murphy<http://domainincite.com/about>, February 3, 2011, 10:55:21 (UTC), 
Domain Registries<http://domainincite.com/category/domain-registries/>
ICANN's new top-level domains program is unlikely to be approved at its San 
Francisco meeting next month, according to chairman Peter Dengate Thrush.
"We don't think we'll be able to approve the final applicant guidebook in 
March," he said in a new interview with World Trademark 
Review<http://www.worldtrademarkreview.com/daily/detail.aspx?g=62470E83-F9B8-4921-9823-72D0FF149415>.
This confirms my 
suspicion<http://domainincite.com/governments-to-take-trademark-concerns-to-icann/>
 that changes to the Guidebook made following the upcoming meeting between 
ICANN and its Governmental Advisory Committee may be too extensive for ICANN to 
rubber-stamp without first consulting the community.
The ICANN board and the GAC are due to 
meet<http://domainincite.com/details-of-icanns-government-showdown-emerge/> in 
Brussels, February 28 and March 1, to discuss the GAC's outstanding concerns.
Chief among these concerns is trademark protection, where the GAC is pretty 
much aligned with the interests of the intellectual property constituency.
Brussels will also cover matters such as geographic names protection and 
procedures for dealing with controversial 
strings<http://domainincite.com/us-wants-veto-power-over-new-tlds/> that 
governments may want to object to.
While ICANN is under no obligation to adopt the GAC's suggestions wholesale, if 
it makes substantial concessions its bylaws will likely demand more public 
comment on the changes.
ICANN's board indicated last week that it plans to tell the GAC where it 
disagrees with its advice at a consultation March 17, one day before its San 
Francisco meeting.
It also said that it plans to approve a 
Guidebook<http://domainincite.com/breaking-icann-sets-march-deadline-for-new-tlds/>
 "as close as practically possible to the form as set out in the Proposed Final 
Applicant Guidebook" published in November.
UPDATE: I had an opportunity to put Dengate Thrush's comments to ICANN CEO Rod 
Beckstrom this afternoon. He said: "I'm not going to forecast when the final 
Applicant Guidebook will be approved."


Philip S. Corwin
Partner
Butera & Andrews
1301 Pennsylvania Ave., NW
Suite 500
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202-347-6875 (office)
202-347-6876 (fax)
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"Luck is the residue of design." -- Branch Rickey