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<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://icann.org/en/announcements/announcement-2-15apr11-en.htm">http://icann.org/en/announcements/announcement-2-15apr11-en.htm</a><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;">New Draft of the Applicant Guidebook for New gTLDs is Available for Public Comment<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;">15 April 2011<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><b><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;"><a href="http://icann.org/en/topics/new-gtlds/comments-6-en.htm"><span style="color:blue">Guidebook and Public
 Comment Forum</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;">ICANN has posted for public comment today the April 2011 Discussion Draft of the New gTLD Applicant Guidebook.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;">In keeping with the
<a href="http://icann.org/en/minutes/draft-timeline-new-gtlds-18mar11-en.pdf"><span style="color:blue">draft timeline</span></a> [PDF, 117 KB] approved by the ICANN Board at its meeting in San Francisco, this draft of the Applicant Guidebook will be open for
 comment for 30 days, through 15 May 2011.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;">This posting includes a &quot;track changes&quot; version of the six modules of the Applicant Guidebook, along with a
 series of new Explanatory Memos related to changes made as a result of the recent consultations between ICANN's Board and Governmental Advisory Committee:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<ol start="1" type="1">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1">
<span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;"><a href="http://icann.org/en/topics/new-gtlds/trademark-protection-claims-use-15apr11-en.pdf"><span style="color:blue">Trademark Protections (Trademark Claims &amp; Sunrise Services; and The Requirement
 for Demonstrating Use)</span></a> [PDF, 284 KB]<o:p></o:p></span></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1">
<span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;"><a href="http://icann.org/en/topics/new-gtlds/gac-objections-sensitive-strings-15apr11-en.pdf"><span style="color:blue">GAC and Government Objections; Handling of Sensitive Strings; Early
 Warning</span></a> [PDF, 91 KB]<o:p></o:p></span></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1">
<span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;"><a href="http://icann.org/en/topics/new-gtlds/exemptions-govt-objection-fees-15apr11-en.pdf"><span style="color:blue">Exemptions to Objection Fees for Governments</span></a> [PDF, 331 KB]<o:p></o:p></span></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1">
<span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;"><a href="http://icann.org/en/topics/new-gtlds/root-zone-scaling-15apr11-en.pdf"><span style="color:blue">Root Zone Scaling</span></a> [PDF, 286 KB]<o:p></o:p></span></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1">
<span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;"><a href="http://icann.org/en/topics/new-gtlds/market-economic-impacts-15apr11-en.pdf"><span style="color:blue">Market and Economic Impacts</span></a> [PDF, 480 KB]<o:p></o:p></span></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1">
<span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;"><a href="http://icann.org/en/topics/new-gtlds/registy-regsitrar-separation-15apr11-en.pdf"><span style="color:blue">Registry-Registrar Separation</span></a> [PDF, 400 KB]<o:p></o:p></span></li></ol>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;">These memos were developed to document the latest position on these topics by taking into account the current
 thinking, discussions and public comments received. Each memo not only reflects GAC advice but also contains the reasoning and rationale on each of the relevant issues regarding the launch of the New gTLD Program and Applicant Guidebook.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;">Also being posted today is the
<a href="http://icann.org/en/topics/new-gtlds/board-notes-gac-scorecard-clean-15apr11-en.pdf">
<span style="color:blue">ICANN Reply</span></a> [PDF, 275 KB] to the GAC Comments (on the ICANN
<a name="_GoBack"></a>Board's Notes on the GAC Scorecard).<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;">Keeping with the draft timeline, ICANN plans post a final version of the guidebook by 30 May 2011, in time for
 consideration of the New gTLD implementation program at an extraordinary meeting of the ICANN Board to be held on Monday, 20 June 2011, at the ICANN meetings in
<a href="http://singapore41.icann.org/"><span style="color:blue">Singapore</span></a>.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:&quot;Tahoma&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;;color:navy">Philip S. Corwin, Founding Principal</span></b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:&quot;Tahoma&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:&quot;Tahoma&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;;color:navy">Virtualaw LLC</span></b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:&quot;Tahoma&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:&quot;Tahoma&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;;color:navy">1155 F Street, NW</span></b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:&quot;Tahoma&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:&quot;Tahoma&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;;color:navy">Suite 1050</span></b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:&quot;Tahoma&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:&quot;Tahoma&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;;color:navy">Washington, DC 20004</span></b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:&quot;Tahoma&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:&quot;Tahoma&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;;color:navy">202-559-8597/Direct</span></b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:&quot;Tahoma&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:&quot;Tahoma&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;;color:navy">202-559-8750/Fax</span></b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:&quot;Tahoma&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:&quot;Tahoma&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;;color:navy">202-255-6172/cell</span></b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:&quot;Tahoma&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:&quot;Tahoma&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;;color:black">&nbsp;<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:&quot;Tahoma&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;;color:navy">&quot;Luck is the residue of design&quot; -- Branch Rickey</span></i></b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:&quot;Tahoma&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></p>
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