[At-Large] Board/GAC - subject matter experts: how selected ? (Fwd: [NCSG-NCUC-DISCUSS] ICANN announcement on Board-GAC meeting - perhaps IPC "experts" get to speak also?)

[Carlton Samuels]

Indeed, it was noticed.  Concerns were raised [on the Ex-Com Skype chat and
elsewhere] of the possibility of encouraged 'canalized thinking'of what some
are already believe is a 'captured' audience for the well-financed trademark
lawyers on retainer.

We intend to discuss it openly in ALAC meeting tomorrow.

Carlton

==============================


On Sat, Jan 22, 2011 at 2:43 PM, Adam Peake <ajp at glocom.ac.jp> wrote:

> Robin Gross makes a good point.
>
> Hope ALAC will advise that experts representing a balance of views are
> invited to speak.
>
> Adam
>
>
> ---------- Forwarded message ----------
> From: Robin Gross <robin at ipjustice.org>
> Date: Sun, Jan 23, 2011 at 4:05 AM
> Subject: [NCSG-NCUC-DISCUSS] ICANN announcement on Board-GAC meeting -
> perhaps IPC "experts" get to speak also?
> To: NCSG-NCUC-DISCUSS at listserv.syr.edu
>
>
> http://www.icann.org/en/announcements/announcement-21jan11-en.htm
> Note the following text from the ICANN press release:
>   "... Only GAC members, ICANN Board members, select ICANN staff
> members and subject matter experts will participate in the
> discussion..."
> Does this mean the Board/GAC will hear from representatives of the
> intellectual property industry (since this meeting is in response to
> the lobbying that the IPC has done to various government
> representatives for more trademark rights)?
> That would be terribly one-sided and unfair if this meeting goes down
> that path - another forum for the IPC to lobby the board (and only the
> IPC gets to present its views?)
> Who decides what "subject matter experts" will be invited - staff,
> IPC, Board, GAC???
> This announcement provides more questions than answers.
> Best,
> Robin
>
>
> ICANN's Board and GAC to Meet on New gTLDs
>
> 21 January 2011
>
> During the recent ICANN meeting in Cartagena, the ICANN Board of
> Directors and Governmental Advisory Committee agreed to meet at some
> time prior to the upcoming Silicon Valley/San Francisco meeting in
> order to devote significant time in the interest of resolving the
> outstanding issues the GAC has identified with the new gTLD process.
>
> Planning for that meeting has occurred and the Board and the GAC have
> agreed to meet on 28 February and 1 March 2011, in Brussels, at the
> Square Brussels Meeting Centre, Mont des Arts – Kunstberg, Brussels.
>
> The purpose of the meeting is to:
>
> Identify the specific differences between Governmental Advisory
> Committee ("GAC") advice and the current implementation of the GNSO
> New gTLD Policy recommendations embodied in the Applicant Guidebook.
> Through discussion among Board and GAC members, either:
>
> arrive at an agreed upon resolution of those differences, or
> for those issues not resolved, identify what differences remain. This
> meeting is not intended to address the requirements/steps outlined in
> the Bylaws mandated Board-GAC consultation process.
>
> The meeting will be open, scribed and streamed live over the Internet.
> Only GAC members, ICANN Board members, select ICANN staff members and
> subject matter experts will participate in the discussion, whether in
> person or remotely. It will be possible for interested parties to
> attend and observe proceedings.  Remote participation facilities will
> also be made available.
>
> Papers to inform the discussions will be published prior to the
> meeting. Details of the agenda and logistics will be made available
> closer to the meeting.
>
> Background
>
> ICANN's Governmental Advisory Committee (GAC) plays a key role within
> ICANN, particularly with regard to providing advice to the Board on
> public policy issues. The GAC has been actively involved in the
> discussions on the introduction of new gTLDs and has regularly
> provided advice to the ICANN Board on a number of issues, which the
> Board has sought to address. The most recent GAC communiqué [PDF, 45
> KB] identified a number of issues associated with the introduction of
> new gTLDs that the GAC considers outstanding, or unresolved to the
> GAC's satisfaction.
>
> The new gTLD program has its origins in carefully deliberated policy
> development work by the ICANN community. In October 2007, following
> more than 18 months of community discussions, the GNSO formally
> completed its policy development work on new gTLDS and approved a set
> of 19 policy recommendations. In June 2008, ICANN's Board of Directors
> adopted the policy recommendations and directed staff to commence work
> on an implementation plan.
>
> The first version of the Applicant Guidebook was posted for public
> comment on 1 October 2008, and since that time a further four versions
> have followed with the most recent, the Proposed Final Applicant
> Guidebook published on 10 November 2010. Each version has been revised
> as a result of comments received via the respective public comment
> fora. The ICANN meeting in Cartagena provided the platform for
> discussion of the latest version, and provided an opportunity for the
> Board to hear first hand, the community's views.
>
>
> IP JUSTICE
> Robin Gross, Executive Director
> 1192 Haight Street, San Francisco, CA  94117  USA
> p: +1-415-553-6261    f: +1-415-462-6451
> w: http://www.ipjustice.org     e: robin at ipjustice.org
>
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