[bc-gnso] FW: Chehade Calls for "Equal Playing Field"

[Phil Corwin <psc@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

FYI--

http://www.politico.com/morningtech/0313/morningtech10262.html


ICANN'S CHEHADE: WE NEED EQUAL PLAYING FIELD IN gTLD PROCESS - As the closely 
watched generic top-level domain progress continues to unfold, it's also become 
the latest arena for companies to snipe at their rivals. That continued Tuesday 
as FairSearch.org, an anti-Google group led by Microsoft and backed by 
companies like Oracle and Kayak, disclosed that it filed objections to Mountain 
View's applications for certain gTLDs, citing competition concerns. But even as 
big companies jockey for position in the key domain name space, the process 
needs to ensure that voices are heard equally, ICANN CEO Fadi Chehadé tells MT. 
"Our job is to keep everyone focused on the process of multistakeholderism. 
Bottom up, everyone involved, equal multistakeholders. And I think that's the 
difficult part, because you get people with either big names or big 
capabilities - or governments, by the way - who have a lot of say, making the 
balance lost in the process of building policy," he said. "So what we need to 
do is to keep bringing people back to that process to sit down, to discuss 
things at an equal level and have all voices heard together."

The ICANN leader spoke at the Computer and Communications Industry 
Association's 40th anniversary dinner last night, where he let slip to 
attendees that he's planning to head to and open the World Telecommunication 
Policy Forum in May. Rep. Zoe Lofgren also delivered remarks, telling attendees 
that her work on immigration policy is an "all day, every day" endeavor, and is 
confident that a deal on comprehensive reform can be reached. And Sen. Ron 
Wyden was there too, cautioning the room that ensuring Internet freedoms in 
America isn't sufficient - keeping the global marketplace open is necessary for 
American businesses to succeed.
ELSEWHERE TODAY - Federal Trade Commissioner Julie Brill and ICANN's Chehadé 
speak at the Association of National Advertisers conference


Philip S. Corwin, Founding Principal
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