Great message, David, thank you!! All NCUCers, Please feel free to distribute a similar message about the NYC meeting on Monday, 7/13. Most information is the same; details are, of course, different. Hudson Theatre, Millennium Hotel 145 West 44th Street | New York NYC Agenda: http://www.icann.org/en/topics/new-gtlds/ny-agenda-speakers-13jul09-en.pdf Registration link is: same (deadline is 7/10). I am the contact for NYC and will be getting people together ahead of time to talk about the issues. My email is [log in to unmask] Tx for posting - we definitely need people! Kathy (Kathy Kleiman, Esq., Co-Founder, NCUC) > Here is the message I just sent to ORGs discussion list. > > As an aside, has ORG been asked about involvement in NCUC? > Regards > David > > At 5:16 AM +0800 8/7/09, David Cake wrote: >> I'll be unfamiliar to most of ORG, because I'm an Australian, on >> the board of Electronic Frontiers Australia over here. But some >> issues are global, and require global coordination from like minded >> organisations, so I'm reaching out to ORG members to see if ORG can >> help with an issue. >> ICANN, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers, >> is the body that oversees and sets policy for domain names on the >> internet. It is currently preparing to allow many more generic top >> level domain names (gTLDs), and deciding on the policies that >> registries for these new top level domains will have to abide by. >> As part of that process, a group consisting of trademark lawyers >> and professionals created a report on protecting trademark owners >> rights. Many people believe that report goes too far, introducing new >> rights for trademark owners and heavily slanting the process in their >> favour, and impacting free speech rights. It includes special rights >> for large trademark holders, a new process for fast takedown of >> domain names based on trademark infringement, and would commit ICANN >> to incorporating intellectual property enforcement into domain >> registration. This proposal has been rushed through with minimal >> opportunity for comment so far, so it is vital that criticism and >> comment from those who believe in free speech and balance in >> intellectual property enforcement is heard now. The NCUC (Non >> Commercial Users Constituency), the group within ICANN where most >> civil rights and free speech organisations with goals similar to ORG >> are found, is trying to make sure voices critical of this proposal >> are heard, and we need help from people who can attend the various >> consultation sessions being held on the issues, including an upcoming >> session in London. >> There will be a New gTLDs global outreach and consultation event >> in London on 15 July 2009 at the Royal Institute of British >> Architects, 66 Portland Place, London, W1B 1AD. It's free an open to >> anyone interested in the issue and having their say. >> Registration at <http://www.registration123.com/ICANN/GTLD/> >> http://www.registration123.com/ICANN/GTLD/ >> Agenda for London meeting >> http://www.icann.org/en/topics/new-gtlds/london-agenda-speakers-15jul09-en.pdf >> >> If anyone who is interested in the issue can attend, we think it >> would be really valuable. If you'd be interested in coordinating >> comments with other non-commercial organisations with a similar >> agenda, and getting some introduction to the issues, Konstantinos >> Komaitis <[log in to unmask]> from NCUC will be at the meeting, >> and hopes to gather and greet those sympathetic to free speech and >> non-commercial internet use. >> And if you wish to read some of our criticisms of the proposal >> ahead of time, they are available online >> The NCUC substantive response >> http://forum.icann.org/lists/irt-final-report/pdf0VWmEpzuNr.pdf >> The NCUC response to ICANN internal procedural issues to do with the >> report >> http://forum.icann.org/lists/irt-final-report/pdftuYUj5owHE.pdf >> >> Thanks in advance to anyone who can help. >> >> Regards >> David >>