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style="line-height:1.15;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"
id="docs-internal-guid-2aa377f1-75f1-e21f-7ad8-1810a08dac93"><span
style="font-size:15px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:normal;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;">By
way of introduction…</span></p>
<br>
<p dir="ltr"
style="line-height:1.15;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span
style="font-size:15px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:normal;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;">I’ve
been involved with ICANN in different capacities since 1998:
governance issues, new TLDs, now ALAC.</span></p>
<br>
<p dir="ltr"
style="line-height:1.15;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span
style="font-size:15px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:normal;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;">In
2005, to support the acquisition of the .nyc TLD as a public
interest resource, I started the not-for-profit Connecting.nyc
Inc. Currently I serve on the Mayor’s .NYC Community Advisory
Board with a role in reviewing our city’s plans for its TLD. </span></p>
<br>
<p dir="ltr"
style="line-height:1.15;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span
style="font-size:15px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:normal;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;">Why
Am I Interested In This Working Group?</span></p>
<br>
<p dir="ltr"
style="line-height:1.15;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span
style="font-size:15px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:normal;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;">Section
1.2.2 of the 2012 Applicant Guidebook required city-TLD
applicants to include a Letter of Non-Objection with their
application:</span></p>
<br>
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style="line-height:1.15;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;margin-left:
36pt;"><span
style="font-size:15px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:normal;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;">“If
an applicant has applied for a gTLD string that is a geographic
name (as defined in this guidebook), the applicant is required
to submit documentation of support for or nonobjection to its
application from the relevant governments or public
authorities.”</span></p>
<br>
<p dir="ltr"
style="line-height:1.15;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span
style="font-size:15px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:normal;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;">Having
closely followed the acquisition and development process for the
.nyc TLD since 2001, I’ve concluded that the Non-objection
standard is inadequate.</span></p>
<br>
<p dir="ltr"
style="line-height:1.15;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span
style="font-size:15px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:normal;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;">I
hope to convince the Working Group that the application process
for city-TLDs be changed; that applications for city-TLDs
include an indication of Informed Consent rather than
Non-Objection.</span></p>
<br>
<p dir="ltr"
style="line-height:1.15;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span
style="font-size:15px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:normal;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;">Best,</span></p>
<br>
<span
style="font-size:15px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:normal;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;">Tom
Lowenhaupt</span>
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