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<p><strong><a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://domainincite.com/europe-and-us-to-meet-on-xxx-and-new-tlds/">http://domainincite.com/europe-and-us-to-meet-on-xxx-and-new-tlds/</a><br>
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<p><strong><br>
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.</strong></p>
<p>Tomorrow, Kroes will meet with Larry Strickling, assistant
secretary of the National Telecommunications and Information
Administration, according to a <a
href="http://europa.eu/rapid/showInformation.do?pageName=middayExpress&guiLanguage=en">press
release</a>: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. </p>
<p>In April, Kroes asked Strickling’s boss, Commerce Secretary
Gary Locke, to <a
href="http://domainincite.com/europe-did-ask-the-us-to-delay-xxx/">put
a hold</a> on the addition of .xxx to the domain name
system root until the GAC had chance to discuss it further.</p>
<p>Strickling <a
href="http://domainincite.com/did-europe-ask-america-to-block-xxx/">declined</a>,
saying that for the US to take unilateral action over the
root would provide ammunition to its critics in the
international community.</p>
<p>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.</p>
<p>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.</p>
<p>ICANN wants to approve the program’s Applicant Guidebook on
June 20, but is likely to face resistance from governments,
especially the US.</p>
<p>Strickling has indicated that he may use the upcoming
renewal of ICANN’s <a
href="http://domainincite.com/us-wants-to-delay-new-tlds/">IANA
contract as leverage</a> to get the GAC a stronger voice
in ICANN’s decision-making process.</p>
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