ICANN will host a webinar to on 3 October 2012 at 15:00 UTC to inform discussion in Toronto and continue development of the Uniform Rapid Suspension system. The URS is an important new rights protection mechanism in the New gTLD Program, intended to provide low-cost, rapid relief to trademark holders for the most clear-cut cases of infringement, and to complement the existing Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy (UDRP).
The webinar is open to any interested participants. This is part of a series of planned consultations on URS implementation. Early feedback from UDRP providers and others indicated that the cost of the URS procedure as written would be likely to exceed targets, driving additional feedback and discussion in the community.
During ICANN 44 in Prague, community stakeholders participated in a session on the URS. Participants discussed possible adaptations to the URS that could help satisfy the goals of an efficient, low-cost process, while retaining the registrant protections embedded in the process. Suggestions from participants included:
- Limiting substantive review. For example, when there is no reply from the registrant, a decision could be taken by a case handler without the need for a panelist's substantive review.
- Limiting the scope of URS cases. For example, accepting only complaints related to trademarks registered in the Trademark Clearinghouse, in order to eliminate validation costs.
- Subsidization of costs by ICANN. Retain the current procedure, but ICANN could subsidize service providers to achieve low URS fees and review the URS after 18 months.
- Seeking volunteers or pro-bono assistance.
- Automation or simplification. Use web interfaces and email where possible. Eliminate administrative burdens associated with loser pays, the requirement for multiple communication channels and appeals.
The upcoming webinar will set out to develop some of those proposals for possible implementation. A session during the ICANN meeting in Toronto is also planned to advance this work. See the meeting page for additional details.
To RSVP, please send an email to newgtldcommunications@icann.org. For those interested but not able to participate, a recording will be posted after the session.