On Mar 27, 2013, at 8:45 AM, Alain Berranger wrote:

> [...]
>
> 2) Robin, I fully understand your TM arguments and they make sense  
> to me as a non-specialist. Can you please elaborate a bit on who  
> the  "powerful political interests" you refer to are? This may help  
> me and others at the base of the NCSG pyramid understand the  
> context and the issue better...

The powerful political interest I am referring to is the big brand /  
trademark industry, which is near-universally from the US/EU.  These  
trademark lobbyists have captured ICANN since its inception (as  
evidenced in the creation of single-issue constituency (the IP  
Constituency), while all noncommercial users and their diverse  
interests had to share NCUC for over a decade, with equal weight to  
this single commercial interest).   That is just one example of how  
this organized narrow interest has been given priority over other  
equally legitimate interests in policy development at ICANN since the  
organization was created.  And because this focused narrow interest  
is constantly 'on message' beating on politicians' doors in  
Washington, Brussels, etc. to apply pressure to ICANN's staff, and  
because they know how to play the lobby game (campaign  
contributions), it is a very politically powerful interest.

Best,
Robin


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Robin Gross, Executive Director
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