GAC Advice to ICANN on new gTLD program

["IFPI Greece" <info@xxxxxxx>]

Dear Sirs

 

 

Belonging to one of the creative sectors suffering from internet piracy, we
are conducting you to ask ICANN to accept the proposals of the New gTLD
Safeguard Advice (the "Advice") from ICANN's Governmental Accountability
Committee (GAC).

 

The Association of Greek Producers of Phonograms is the Hellenic National
Group of the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry - IFPI
and represents the majority of record companies in Greece. Our decades of
anti-piracy experience, physical in the past and digital in the last few
years, compels us to express our opinion on this matter.

 

We strongly believe that ICANN should accept the suggestions of GAC on New
gTLDs and incorporate the basic parts of this Advice into the new gTLD
program as this will add to competition expansion and consumer choice
enhancement. Any ambiguities in the Advice can be clarified between ICANN
and both GAC, applicants and the community to ensure key elements of the
Advice are integrated.

 

Additionally we strongly support GAC's list of Safeguards Applicable to all
New gTLDs as these safeguards could minimize cases of disorientating
registrations in all gTLDs. Registrants should act responsibly and be bound
against abusive uses of domain names they register and provide complaint
channels to highlight abuses.

 

Such Safeguards do not infringe registrants' rights but on the contrary
protect them against illegal activity by registrants that infringe the
rights of others. Also, these Safeguards are similar features to the ones in
the revised Registrar Accreditation Agreement (such as verification
requirements of Whois data). 

 

Safeguards are of outmost importance, especially for sectors that are
affected by copyright infringement. Therefore, if not for all new gTLDs, the
GAC's six basic safeguards should be mandated for those listed as "sensitive
strings" within the GAC advice. 

 

 

For IFPI Greece

Irene Tsiliri

Nationa Group Coordinator