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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'>Dear Councilors,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'>I wanted to personally invite each of you as well as members from your SGs and Constituencies to a call being hosted by the RySG and the NTAG on Monday, March 4th. We look forward to this open consultation with the community.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><b>**** RySG/NTAG Community-Wide Consultation on the New gTLD Agreement Modifications*****<o:p></o:p></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><o:p> </o:p></b></p><p class=MsoNormal>The Registries Stakeholder Group (RySG) and its New gTLD Applicant Group (NTAG) invite<a name="_GoBack"></a> your participation in a community-wide consultation teleconference on <b>Monday, March 4, 2013 at 1500 UTC</b>.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>On 5 February 2013, nearly nine months after new gTLD applicants spent hundreds of millions of dollars in anticipation of the new introduction of new gTLDs, ICANN proposed a series of last-minute material changes to the registry agreement contained in the Final New gTLD Applicant Guidebook. Included within these changes are a brand new process for making additional Public Interest Commitments (PICs), a unilateral right for ICANN to amend the registry agreement, the requirement to use only registrars that have executed the yet-to-be-completed 2013 Registrar Accreditation Agreement and a host of other changes summarized in a 21-page summary of changes document. (<a href="http://newgtlds.icann.org/en/applicants/agb/base-agreement-specs-summary-changes-05feb13-en.pdf">http://newgtlds.icann.org/en/applicants/agb/base-agreement-specs-summary-changes-05feb13-en.pdf</a>). <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>The RySG believes that the latest proposed version of the Final Agreement contains so many serious and fundamental flaws that it should be withdrawn in its entirety and the previously agreed-to version in the Applicant Guidebook should be used. We oppose certain proposed amendments, and believe that other provisions need further thought and refinement. We are equally concerned about the timeline ICANN has imposed on the community’s consideration of these proposals, and the mechanism by which ICANN proposes to adopt and implement the changes. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>The issues at stake in the short and long term deserve sufficient time and consideration to ensure that new gTLDs are offered in a secure and stable manner and are successful in fostering innovation via sound business models that support the needs of all stakeholders in ways that have been developed via the bottom-up, multi-stakeholder process. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>The RySG’s full public comments are available here: (<a href="http://forum.icann.org/lists/comments-base-agreement-05feb13/msg00019.html">http://forum.icann.org/lists/comments-base-agreement-05feb13/msg00019.html</a>)<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>ICANN has posted the proposed changes for public comment which ends on February 26, 2013, with a reply period that closes on March 20, 2013. In order to facilitate the receipt of public input in this short amount of time, the RySG will host this open community-wide consultation to discuss the proposed agreement modifications. The meeting will be held on <b>Monday, March 4, 2013 at 1500 [UTC].</b> We cordially invite applicants, members of the community, the ICANN Board and the ICANN staff to attend this consultation.<span style='color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Please open the attachment to find the Adobe connect link and teleconference details.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'>Best regards,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-top:6.0pt;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><b><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>Jeffrey J. Neuman</span></b><b><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#3366FF'> <br></span></b><b><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#068658'>Neustar, Inc. / Vice President, Business Affairs</span></b><span style='font-size:8.5pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#7D7D7D'><br>46000 Center Oak Plaza, Sterling, VA 20166</span><span style='font-size:8.5pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:gray'><br></span><b><span style='font-size:8.5pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#068658'>Office:</span></b><b><span style='font-size:8.5pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#333333'> </span></b><span style='font-size:8.5pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#7D7D7D'>+1.571.434.5772</span><span style='font-size:8.5pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#000066'> </span><b><span style='font-size:8.5pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#068658'>Mobile: </span></b><span style='font-size:8.5pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#7D7D7D'>+1.202.549.5079</span><span style='font-size:8.5pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:gray'> </span><span style='font-size:8.5pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#000066'> </span><b><span style='font-size:8.5pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#068658'>Fax: </span></b><span style='font-size:8.5pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#7D7D7D'>+1.703.738.7965</span><span style='font-size:8.5pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:gray'> </span><b><span style='font-size:8.5pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#068658'>/</span></b><span style='font-size:8.5pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#3366FF'> </span><span style='font-size:8.5pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#068658'><a href="mailto:jeff.neuman@neustar.biz"><span style='color:#068658'>jeff.neuman@neustar.biz</span></a> </span><span style='font-size:8.5pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:gray'> </span><b><span style='font-size:8.5pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#068658'>/</span></b><span style='font-size:8.5pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#3366FF'> </span><span style='font-size:8.5pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#068658'><a href="http://www.neustar.biz/"><span style='color:#068658'>www.neustar.biz</span></a></span><span style='font-size:8.5pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:gray'> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p></div></body></html>