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2016-11-08 Protection of IGO Names and Acronyms
GAC Advice
2016-11-08 Protection of IGO Names and Acronyms
ICANN57 Hyderabad Communique
Consensus met
2016-11-08 Protection of IGO Names and Acronyms
The GAC advises the ICANN Board:
To take action and engage with all parties in order to facilitate, through a transparent and good faith dialogue, the resolution of outstanding inconsistencies between GAC advice and GNSO recommendations with regard to the protection of IGO acronyms in the DNS and to report on progress at ICANN 58.
That a starting basis for resolution of differences between GAC Advice and existing GNSO Recommendations would be the small group compromise proposal set out in the October 4, 2016 letter from the ICANN Board Chair to the GNSO, namely that ICANN would establish all of the following, with respect to IGO acronyms at the second level:
- a procedure to notify IGOs of third-party registration of their acronyms;
- a dispute resolution mechanism modeled on but separate from the UDRP, which provides in particular for appeal to an arbitral tribunal instead of national courts, in conformity with relevant principles of international law; and
- an emergency relief (e.g., 24-48 hours) domain name suspension mechanism to combat risk of imminent harm.
That, to facilitate the implementation of the above advice, the GAC invites the GNSO Working Group on Curative Rights Protection Mechanisms to take the small group proposal into account.
That, until such measures are implemented, IGO acronyms on the GAC‑provided list remain reserved in two languages.
Rationale
IGOs undertake global public service missions, and protecting their names and acronyms in the DNS is in the global public interest.
IGOs are unique treaty-based institutions created by governments under international law.
The small group compromise strikes a reasonable balance between rights and concerns of both IGOs and legitimate third parties.
ICANN’s Bylaws and Core Values indicate that the concerns and interests of entities most affected, here IGOs, should be taken into account in policy development processes.
Responsible Party
ICANN Board
Board Action