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<P DIR=LTR><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en">Mr. Peter Dengate-Thrush<BR>
Chair - ICANN Board</SPAN></P>
<P DIR=LTR><SPAN LANG="en">Re: Vertical Integration Recommendations for the New gTLD Program</SPAN></P>
<P DIR=LTR><SPAN LANG="en">Dear Peter,</SPAN></P>
<P DIR=LTR><SPAN LANG="en">This is in response to Section 2.11 (Vertical Integration) of the 25 September 2010 Adopted Board Resolutions (</SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><A HREF="http://www.icann.org/en/minutes/resolutions-25sep10-en.htm"><SPAN LANG="en-us"><U></U></SPAN><U><SPAN LANG="en"><FONT COLOR="#0000FF">http://www.icann.org/en/minutes/resolutions-25sep10-en.htm</FONT></SPAN></U><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN></A><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en">) in which the ICANN Board inquired whether the GNSO has achieved a consensus position on the topic of vertical integration with regard to New gTLDs.</SPAN></P>
<P DIR=LTR><SPAN LANG="en">Please be advised that the GNSO Council was notified by the Vertical Integration PDP Working Group (VI WG) that it was unable to reach a consensus position on the issue of vertical integration. Although the WG has been diligently evaluating this issue for several months, it is unable to deliver recommendations that are supported by a consensus of its members by the ICANN Board’s deadline of 8 October 2010.</SPAN></P>
<P DIR=LTR><SPAN LANG="en">Sincerely,</SPAN></P>
<P DIR=LTR><SPAN LANG="en">Chuck Gomes<BR>
Chair<BR>
GNSO Council</SPAN></P>
<P DIR=LTR><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN></P>
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