Do you have any plans for this Tuesday evening, June 16th? If you are the savvy domain investor that we think you are, then you’ll be taking part in the ICA Auction running from 4p.m. – 7p.m. EDT. This auction will occur during the Aftermarket.com auction at Domain Roundtable in Washington, D.C. The conference attendees can walk away with Castaway.com, …
ICA Tells ICANN Ombudsman Office Its IRT Report is “Tardy, Nonresponsive and Non-Persuasive”
On April 21, 2009 the ICA filed a formal request with the ICANN Ombudsman requesting an investigation of our allegations that the Implementation Recommendation Team (IRT) established by ICANN to propose “solutions” for trademark owners at new gTLDs was a “constituent body” acting in violation of relevant ICANN Bylaws requiring the maximum feasible amount of transparency and fair procedures (click …
ICA Urges Commerce Department to Extend and Revise Joint Project Agreement with ICANN
On June 8, 2009 the ICA filed extensive comments with the U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC) urging that the Joint Project Agreement (JPA) between the U.S. government and ICANN not be allowed to expire on September 30th. The letter expresses ICA’s continued support for the four principles underlying ICANN’s creation as well as for its eventual full transition to an …
ICA Brief Is Decisive Factor in CFIT’s Successful Win Appeal Against VeriSign on .Com Pricing
A judge for the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals overturned a lower court’s decision on Friday after hearing the appeal from plaintiff Coalition for ICANN Transparency (CFIT) and considering an amicus (friend of the court) brief submitted by the Internet Commerce Association (ICA. The district court had ruled against plaintiff in the original proceeding, finding that CFIT had failed …
Congressional ICANN Oversight Hearing Has A Bipartisan Theme – It’s Too Soon To End U.S. Oversight
On Thursday, June 4th the House Subcommittee on Communications, Technology and the Internet held an oversight hearing on “Issues Concerning the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers”. The hearing was remarkable in a number of ways. First, given the technically arcane nature of its subject, the turnout was spectacular – more than half the Subcommittee’s members on a morning …
IRT Issues Final Report – Christmas in June Down Under?
The Implementation Recommendation Team (IRT) created by ICANN’s Board to allow its Intellectual Property Constituency to propose “solutions” for whatever trademark threat they believe is posed by new gTLDs has issued its final report (available at http://www.icann.org/en/topics/new-gtlds/irt-final-report-trademark-protection-29may09-en.pdf). This proposal is now open to public comment until June 29th. Perhaps in preparation for the upcoming ICANN meeting in Sydney, where the …
Domain Roundtable holds Auction to Benefit Internet Commerce Association
ICA seeks donors of domains with proceeds to help fund association lobbying in Washington Washington, May 22, 2009 – The Internet Commerce Association (ICA) today announced that Thought Convergence, Inc. the owner and operator of the popular Domain Roundtable conference, taking place June 14-17 in Washington, DC, has graciously offered time during the Aftermarket.com premium domain auction to sell domains …
IRT Report Delayed as Original UDRP Drafter Weighs in Critically
The final Report of the Implementation Recommendation Team (IRT) created by ICANN to propose trademark “solutions” for new gTLDs was due on Sunday, May 24th. We checked the IRT home page over the last three days but could find not find it, but did hear through the grapevine that it had been delayed. Today, ICANN finally posted an official notice …
ICA President Mingles with TM Professionals at Annual Gathering
Global trademark professionals converged on Seattle, Washington this week as the International Trademark Association (INTA) held its annual meeting from May 16-21. ICA president Jeremiah Johnston was in attendance in his capacity as Sedo’s General Counsel to represent the company, which has been an INTA member since 2004. While ICANN’s desire to move forward with their rollout of new gTLDs …
ICA Travels to San Francisco to Tell IRT That Domainers Need a Fair and Open Process For UDRP Reform
ICA Counsel Philip Corwin recently traveled to San Francisco to present ICA’s views to the Implementation Recommendation Team (IRT) created by the ICANN Board to propose “solutions” addressing the concerns of trademark owners about new gTLDs. The IRT letter of invitation noted ICA’s filing of a request for investigation by ICANN’s ombudsman, alleging that the IRT is an ICANN “constituent …