29 November, 2010

Olympic Committee Writes to ICANN, again

From the new gTLD Applicant Guidebook forum:

"The IOC has submitted eleven public comments to ICANN opposing its new gTLD program.  These comments uniformly request -- in the event that ICANN does proceed to launch an unlimited number of new gTLDs -- that the Olympic trademarks, including OLYMPIC and OLYMPIAD, be placed on a reserved names list.  We have received no response from ICANN to date regarding this request.

Our comments also request adequate rights protection measures necessary to quell an expected unprecedented level of cybersquatting and trademark infringement.  Yet these comments have been relegated for consideration by the Generic Names Supporting Organization -- a body comprised primarily of registries, registrars and registrants who have no motivation to support effective trademark protection mechanisms and who actively aim to reduce accountability for intermediaries and legitimize cybersquatting.

Subject to the foregoing, the IOC maintains its opposition to the introduction of new gTLDs because it is inherently flawed and injurious to owners of famous trademarks -- particularly non-profit rights holders that rely in part on special statutory protection.
If these critical issues are not fully resolved and ICANN chooses not to place the Olympic trademarks on the reserved names list, then the IOC and its National Olympic Committees are prepared to employ all available legislative, regulatory, administrative and judicial mechanisms to hold ICANN accountable for damage caused to the Olympic movement."

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