DRAFT
Joint
Statement on the DIRT Report
From
ALAC and NCUC
The
At-Large Community, ALAC and the Non-Commercial Users Constituency of
In
the case of the IRT Report, we had neither transparency nor openness.
The IRT Report
and its recommendations harm the interests of domain name Registrants
and
Internet end users, and consequently we must object to the vast bulk of
its recommendations.
To
be more specific:
1.
The Globally Protected Marks List – the GPML database- is a matter well
beyond ICANN's
scope and its core competence. It presumes to be able to resolve an
issue that
even WIPO wrestles with. Clearly the creation of the GPML, if even
possible,
would cause enormous complexity. Instead of speeding up the process of
creating
new gTLDs, it would introduce delays that would last for years. But the
creation of this list must take place outside of ICANN.
2.
The GPML takes no consideration of the actual limits of rights and
protections
allowed to trademarks. In the real world, trademark owners apply for a
trademark in a specific class of goods and services, and their use is
bound to
that class or classes. By protecting a string of letters in all new
gTLDs, the GPML
would extend trademarks into new gTLDs far beyond the bounds of their
class of
goods and services, far beyond existing national laws and
internationatreaties.
3.
We have enormous problems with the Uniform Suspension Service (URS).
The URS
mechanism subverts conventional UDRP practice as it gives entirely
insufficient
time for notice to the registrant of the pending dispute. Thus, the
registrant
is unfairly limited in his/her right of response and the process is
missing the
fundamental principle of due process.
[ Kathy Note:
This paragraph below seems to be somewhat controversial within ALAC. I
think we will be dropping it. Don't worry, we'll include the statement
in our comments -- if you all agree]
4.
ALAC and NCUC strongly object to the Thick Whois Registry. In mandating
such,
the IRT Committee did not address any of the privacy issues that arise
from
moving personal data from many countries with data protection laws,
perhaps, to
a single country without data protection. Does ICANN really want to be
in a
position in which it may be violating national laws?
We
can do better; we must do better before we move forward.
Consequently,
NCUC and ALAC stand before this forum together in fundamental
opposition to
many of the IRT Results.
Signed [for
sharing a written cop y of a floor statement with the Board]
ALAC NCUC
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