[gnso-rpm-wg] RPM March 15 session - questions from George Kirikos

[Kathy Kleiman]

Hi George, this is going to be a "last 10 minute" question. That's the 
space reserved for additional questions.

Best, Kathy


On 3/15/2018 8:42 AM, George Kirikos wrote:
> [with the Adobe Connect down, it seems remote participants can only
> ask questions via email]
>
> For NAF:
>
> According to:
>
> [A] https://fedsoc.org/commentary/publications/national-arbitration-forum-settlement-with-minnesota-attorney-general
>
> "On July 20, 2009, Minnesota Attorney General Lori Swanson announced
> that the country’s largest arbitrator of credit-card and
> consumer-collection disputes would no longer handle consumer
> arbitrations.
>
> The National Arbitration Forum’s decision to end its
> consumer-arbitration business resulted from a settlement it reached
> with the State of Minnesota less than a week after Attorney General
> Swanson sued the company in Ramsey County, Minnesota, accusing the
> company of violating Minnesota’s consumer-fraud,
> deceptive-trade-practices, and false-advertising statutes."
>
> [B] https://www.creditcards.com/credit-card-news/minnesota-attorney-general-lawsuit-national-arbitration-forum-1282.php
>
> "The lawsuit claims the NAF, the largest arbitration company in the
> United States, violates state consumer fraud and deceptive trade laws
> by hiding its financial ties to collection agencies and credit card
> companies. The lawsuit also claims the company violates false
> advertising laws by misrepresenting themselves as a neutral
> organization. "
>
> My questions are: (for NAF)
>
> (1) In light of [A], how do NAF's business practices in handling
> domain name disputes differ from those in the consumer-arbitration
> business which it left, and how can domain name registrants be
> confident that the same abuses which were alleged in consumer
> arbitrations are not present in its domain name dispute business?
>
> (2) In light of [B], who are the beneficial owners of NAF, and do they
> have any times to the trademark industry, law firms, or anyone else
> that might affect its neutrality? In other words, what is the
> "Statement of Interest" (SOI) for NAF itself as an organization?
>
> Sincerely,
>
> George Kirikos
> 416-588-0269
> http://www.leap.com/
>
> P.S. Further background info at:
>
> https://library.nclc.org/sites/default/files/Arb10_Appx_O-1.pdf
> https://www.citizen.org/sites/default/files/arbitrationtrap.pdf
> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forum_(alternative_dispute_resolution)
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