Month: June 2002

Here‘s a summary of most of the documents currently available on what went on during the ICANN meetings in Bucharest. The summary is organized chronologically, so you can easily find the various items in this blog, Bret’s Bucharest.BLOG, and in the Bucharest Protocols collection. I’ll try to update the document regularly; an RSS feed pointing to the latest updates is also available.

Bret has also started a list of final links.

Google’s news search proves to be a very helpful tool when you’re looking for recent online coverage of current topics. With respect to ICANN, the following articles may merit some attention: At BBC News, there’s a brief report on ICANN reform and the relationship to ccTLDs, with an interesting picture from Romania. It’s not the Marriot, I suppose… The Mercury News run two new articles: A very brief AP piece, and Dan Gillmor’s column, titled ICANN’s accountability just a charade. Gilmor characterizes the reform process as bana-republic moves. The ICANN-related part of the article ends like this: Prediction: Governments will step in. And ICANN will have only itself to blame. Finally, there is David McGuire writing on washingtonpost.com. He discusses the reform process, the at-large elections, and quotes James Love’s note and the CDT press release linked earlier by Bret. (Unfortunately, the second half of the article is currently inaccessible due to server maintenance at the Washington Post.)

Jon Weinberg has an ICANNwatch story on the .biz Startup Trademark Opposition Policy‘s effects. Bret Fausett further recommends an article by Patrick Jones in which some trends of the first 166 decisions are discussed.

Bret says that he has the final text of the resolution on ICANN reform.

Reports and comments after ICANN’s Bucharest meeting start coming in. For instance, Jamie Love sent out a statement which paints the meeting’s outcome from his unique perspective. Quite frankly, I don’t see much point in complaining that ICANN is even going so far as to remove the ability of the public to […] have votes in public forums that have no legal power. Why vote when it’s pointless and meaningless (the sentence alludes to the E&R committee’s recommendations on the GA) anyway? If you read the entire message, it looks like the author is entirely frustrated with the reform process and looks for ways to change ICANN from the outside. On the other hand, Izumi Aizu has sent an interesting message to the atlarge-discuss list. He writes: I think the At-Large Advisory Committee idea is not in anyway the best or idea […] It is a difficult situation and difficult judgment. I hope those who stand with the principle of direct representation and participation will not simply deny the other approach who still think direct representation and participation is the goal. The difference to me is not the goal, but how to reach there.

“Mainstream” net media are also taking up the ICANN topic: For instance, the San Jose Mercury News has taken up some criticism from European ccTLDs; a Reuters Story is covering the reform decisions. Monika Ermert has this story (in German) at Heise, including some remarks from board member Andy Müller-Maguhn on the reform process.

In order to stay up to date on the “press coverage”, you may wish to do an occasional Google News search.

The ICANN meetings in Bucharest are over now. I hope that the notes in the items below are useful. More about what went on during the meeting is available from Bret Fausett’s Bucharest.BLOG. Official minutes of some of the meetings will probably show up quite soon on the ICANN site (as far as the board meeting is concerned), on the GAC web page (as far as their communiqué is concerned), and with the DNSO (for the Names Council meeting). For some part of the meetings, there will even be professional word-by-word transcripts. Video archives for a significant part of the meetings are already available.

The board unanimously adopted resolutions to thank the local organizers, Andrew McLaughlin (adopted with standing ovations), and Karen Rose. Andrew is going to return to the Berkman Center; Karen is going to leave her position with the US Department of Commerce.

A visibly moved Vint Cerf read a resolution in memoriam Peter de Blanc. Elisabeth Porteneuve read an address on behalf of the ccTLD managers’ community, in which Peter’s achievements for the Internet Community were recalled. The board resolution was subsequently adopted unanimously. Those attending the meeting then expressed the community’s deep respect for Peter by a minute of silence.

Jonathan Cohen just seems to indicate that the next meetings after Shanghai are going to happen in South America, and Africa. However, the number of meetings in 2004 is still open, and the meetings’ structure will be reviewed and revised.

Update: Bret apparently had a better audio feed than I during that part. You better read his notes.

The motion was read by Vint; Stuart asked for special acknowledgement of the work done by Andrew McLaughlin (and some other individual), who were not mentioned (Stuart was). Resolution accepted unanimously.