[kictanet] Europe and US to meet on .xxx and new TLDs

[Alice Munyua]

*http://domainincite.com/europe-and-us-to-meet-on-xxx-and-new-tlds/
*

*
European Commissioner Neelie Kroes is to meet with the US Department of 
Commerce, a month after she asked it to delay the launch of the .xxx 
top-level domain.*

Tomorrow, Kroes will meet with Larry Strickling, assistant secretary of 
the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, 
according to a press release 
<http://europa.eu/rapid/showInformation.do?pageName=middayExpress&guiLanguage=en>:This 
follows the controversial decision of the ICANN Board in March to 
approve the ".XXX" Top Level Domain for adult content. Ms Kroes will 
make clear European views on ICANN's capacity to reform. In particular, 
Ms Kroes will raise ICANN's responsiveness to governments raising public 
policy concerns in the ICANN Governmental Advisory Council [Committee] 
(GAC) , the transparency and accountability of ICANN's internal 
corporate governance and the handling of country-code Top Level Domains 
for its most concerned public authorities.

In April, Kroes asked Strickling's boss, Commerce Secretary Gary Locke, 
to put a hold 
<http://domainincite.com/europe-did-ask-the-us-to-delay-xxx/> on the 
addition of .xxx to the domain name system root until the GAC had chance 
to discuss it further.

Strickling declined 
<http://domainincite.com/did-europe-ask-america-to-block-xxx/>, saying 
that for the US to take unilateral action over the root would provide 
ammunition to its critics in the international community.

The US and EC are two of the most active and vocal participants in the 
GAC -- at least in public. Whatever conclusions Strickling and Kroes 
come to tomorrow are likely to form the basis of the GAC's short-term 
strategy as negotiations about new TLDs continue.

ICANN's board is scheduled to meet with the GAC on May 20, for an 
attempt to come to some final conclusions about the new gTLD program, 
particularly in relation to trademark protection.

ICANN wants to approve the program's Applicant Guidebook on June 20, but 
is likely to face resistance from governments, especially the US.

Strickling has indicated that he may use the upcoming renewal of ICANN's 
IANA contract as leverage 
<http://domainincite.com/us-wants-to-delay-new-tlds/> to get the GAC a 
stronger voice in ICANN's decision-making process.


<http://domainincite.com/europe-and-us-to-meet-on-xxx-and-new-tlds/>

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