New Generic Top Level Domains

International Conference Supported by: Dot FUTURE International Symposium on New Generic Top Level Domains and the challenges of a post-dot age Topics † New gTLDs risks and opportunities for brand owners † ICANN's perspective of the new gTLD programme and objectives † Potential rights protection mechanisms † The brand owners perspective † Current domain name registries perspective Your Speakers Conference Leader David Taylor Partner, Lovells LLP Intellectual Property, Media and Technology Group, Paris, France Lucy Nichols Global Director of Brand Protection Nokia, Beijing, China Mathieu Weil General Manager, AFNIC, Saint Quentin en Yvelines cedex, France Kurt Pritz Senior Vice President, ICANN, Marina del Ray, USA Erik Wilbers Director, World Intellectual Property Organisation Arbitration and Mediation Center, Geneva, Switzerland Stephan Welzel General Counsel, DENIC eG, Frankfurt, Germany Russell C. Pangborn Associate General Counsel for trademarks, Microsoft, Redmond, USA Jeff Neuman Vice President, Law & Policy, NeuStar Inc., Washington D.C., USA Nick Wenban-Smith Senior Legal Counsel, Nominet UK, Oxford, UK Fabricio Vayra Senior Counsel – Intellectual Property, Time Warner Inc., New York, USA Nick Wood Managing Director, Com Laude, London, UK December 10th 2009 in London DotFUTURE About this Conference The proposed launch of new generic top-level domains in 2010 is likely to cause an unprecedented shake-up to the domain name system and the Internet. It presents a significant challenge and considerable burden on rights owners who will need to reconsider their online strategies carefully. The issue of trademark protection has risen to the forefront and it has become clear that careful management of the launch is critical to avoid these new TLDs offering the opportunity of a fertile field for cybersquatting, phishing and other illegal and unacceptable behaviour. What is the ICANN process that has led to this? How should brand owners react to this potential explosion in new generic top-level domains? What changes in strategy are necessary to protect brands and customers? What rights protection mechanisms will be in place? Should brand owners be considering applying themselves to run a TLD? What type of TLD and for whom? This conference will provide an overview of the current new gTLD process, the risks to brand owners as well as the opportunities, together with first hand experience and observations from those who are involved in the new gTLD process or have provided significant input. The speakers are from ICANN, WIPO but also include major brand owners who are carefully considering the options and will share this with the audience. The panels also include members of the IRT being a group created by ICANN to develop and propose solutions to the overarching issue of trademark protection in connection with the introduction of new gTLDs. A final session is comprised of experts who currently run TLD registries from France, Germany, the UK and the US. A topic that potentially touches everyone who uses the Internet, with diverse and distinguished panel, I hope that you will find this a rewarding day. Your Speakers Kurt Pritz Senior Vice President, ICANN, Marina del Ray, USA Russell C. Pangborn Associate General Counsel for trademarks, Microsoft, Redmond, USA Fabricio Vayra Senior Counsel – Intellectual Property, Time Warner Inc., New York, USA Lucy Nichols Global Director of Brand Protection Nokia, Beijing, China Erik Wilbers Director, World Intellectual Property Organisation Arbitration and Mediation Center, Geneva, Switzerland Nick Wenban-Smith Senior Legal Counsel, Nominet UK, Oxford, UK Mathieu Weil General Manager, AFNIC, Saint Quentin en Yelines cedex, France Conference Leader David Taylor Partner, Lovells LLP Intellectual Property, Media and Technology Group, Paris, France Stephan Welzel General Counsel, DENIC eG, Frankfurt, Germany Jeff Neuman About this Conference A separate workshop will be held on December 9th at the Club Quarters Hotel, London, providing our German-speaking conference guests with an overview of the current processes and questions concerning the new gTLDs. Vice President, Law & Policy at NeuStar Inc., Washington D.C., USA Nick Wood Managing Director, Com Laude, London, UK Your Programme Programme > 8.30 Coffee and registration > 9.00 Session A - An Introduction David Taylor † † † † † Background to the new gTLD initiative Where we are today Where we are going tomorrow Learning the lessons from previous launches The need for IP protection in new gTLDs to ensure a workable process > 9.20 Session B – new gTLDs and their current status – the ICANN process Kurt Pritz † † † † † The ICANN process Why are new gTLDs being introduced How the process will work Who can apply What are ICANN's expectations > 9.50 Session C - Panel session: New gTLDs and trade mark protection Russell C. Pangborn, Fabricio Vayra, David Taylor, Erik Wilbers † † † † The debate on trademark protection in new gTLDs Critical issues and challenges for brand owners Rights Protection Mechanisms, recommendations and how they will work – IRT /WIPO/ DAG3 Protecting customers and consumers > 10.50 Coffee break > 11.20 Session D – Panel session: Thoughts of brand owners Lucy Nichols, Russell C. Pangborn, Fabricio Vayra † † † † † Risks for brand owners at the second and top level Opportunities for brand owners at the top level What changes are needed in strategy How brand owners are dealing with this Are brand owners applying for new gTLDs and what type > 12.20 Session E - Open Discussion > 12.45 Email break > 13.00 Lunch > 14.00 Session F - Panel session: Thoughts of current gTLD and ccTLD registries and a geographically topical TLD bid: Nick Wenban-Smith, Mathieu Weil, Stephan Welzel, Jeff Neuman, Nick Wood † † † † Challenges and obstacles for registries Can anyone be a domain name registry Experiences of existing registries New registries, things to consider > 15.00 Session G – Open discussion > 15.30 Closing remarks David Taylor > 16.00 Drinks reception DotFUTURE Please check www.foruminstitut.com/ DotFuture Registration under registration@forum-institut.de or Fax +49 6221 500-555 Registration Form Yes, I will attend DotFUTURE Conference December 10th 2009 in London DotFUTURE Conference + Workshop (German) December 10th + 9th 2009 in London I am interested in receiving further information on FORUM events and agree to this information being sent to me via e-mail. How to register † Registration Information: FORUM · Institut für Management GmbH POB 10 50 60 · 69040 Heidelberg · Germany † † Registration: +49 6221 500-501 Conference no.: 09 12 185 I † Web: www.forum-institut.com † Date/Venue: Thursday, December 10th 2009, 09.00 am - 04.00 pm, registration 08.30 am Lovells LLP · Atlantic House Holborn Viaduct · London, EC1A 2FG Tel +44 (0)20 7296 2000 · Fax +44 (0)20 7296 2001 † Fee: € 1.100,– DotFUTURE Conference The fee includes course documentation as well as mid-session refresh-ments and lunch. Invoice and confirmation will be forwarded to you. € 1.420,– DotFUTURE Conference + Workshop (German) † Room bookings: For those who wish to stay overnight, a special rate has been arranged with the Club Quarters Hotel, Trafalgar Square 8 Northumberland Avenue (adjacent to Trafalgar Square) London WC2N 5BY England Phone: 44 (0) 20-7839-9333 Fax: 44 (0) 20 7451 5500 All bookings should be made as soon as possible directly with the hotel, citing FORUM Institute for Managment and the appropriate Conference no. Name Position/Department Company Street Postal Code/City/Country Tel. No. Fax No. E-Mail Contact person at office Date, Signature Further Questions? For any questions you may have about the seminar or any other aspect of our program, please consider me at your disposal. Terms & Conditions Our General Terms and Conditions, last modified on 19th December 2008, apply to all issues. You can see our General Terms and Conditions at: www.forum-institut.de/agb.pdf or you can request a hardcopy from us at any time. We recommend taking out a cancellation insurance (see: www.erv.de). Ulf Berghaus Rechtsanwalt, Conference Manager Tel. +49 6221 500-630 u.berghaus@forum-institut.de FORUM • Institut für Management GmbH • POB 10 50 60 • 69040 Heidelberg • Germany Tel. +49 62 21 500-500 • Fax +49 62 21 500-555 • www.forum-institut.com