[gnso-whois-wg] Statement of Interest - Whois Working Group

["Michael Warnecke" <mwarnecke@xxxxxxxxxx>]

1.    Current occupation, employer and position

Counsel, IP and Technology Policy, Entertainment Software Association.
The ESA is a Washington, D.C.-based trade group that represents the
public policy interests of video game publishers.

2.    Type of work performed in 1 above

I provide analysis on various IP and technology public policy issues
that intersect with the video game industry.  These include: digital
rights management, user-generated content, virtual property, and other
legal issues related to online games and virtual worlds.  My duties also
extend to working with our anti-piracy team in furthering policy goals
that adequately protect our member-companies' IP rights.

3.    Financial ownership or management leadership of registries,
registrars or other firms that are interested parties in Whois

None.

4.    Nature of your interest in Whois

The video game industry continues to suffer significant financial losses
from online piracy.  Like law enforcement, we have a legitimate need for
continued access to Whois information.  The Whois databases play a key
role in our efforts, and those of our members, to identify individuals
who are stealing our property.  My participation is with a view to both
learning more about other stakeholders' perspectives and communicating
our industry's concern for reasonable access to these databases.