ICANN and CENTR at odds
Stuart Lynn and other ICANN staffers participated in CENTR's General
Assembly last month for what participants called a "useful exchange
of views." (This is diplomat-speak for discussions in which the
parties can't agree on anything. The only thing worse is a "frank
exchange of views," which is a flat-out brawl.) As CENTR's chair
Willie Black put it: "There are many issues to be resolved and we
currently appear to be far from a mutual understanding."
 http://www.icannwatch.org/article.php?sid=510&mode=thread&order=0

VeriSign buys .tv Web domain 
VeriSign will take over control of the .tv Web domain by buying .tv
Corp. International for $45 million cash.
 http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1005-200-8393177.html
 http://www.newsbytes.com/news/02/173452.html

VeriSign Plans Domain Wait List 
The largest website registrar is planning a new service that lets
people pay to be first in line to snap up a domain name, if and when
it becomes available.
 http://www.wired.com/news/business/0,1367,49493,00.html
 http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1005-200-8360613.html

Cybersquatters' dot-com booty loses lustre
As the number of new domain name registrations falls, so has the
amount of cybersquatting 
Cybersquatting, the speculative registration of Internet domain names
which turned into a cottage industry at the height of the dot-com
boom, appears to be dying as demand wanes for names, industry experts
say. 
 http://news.zdnet.co.uk/story/0,,t269-s2102018,00.html

http://europe.cnn.com/2002/TECH/internet/01/05/cyber.squatting.reut/index.html

Nominet expected to approve .me.uk
Second level domain (SLD) names could be available on Monday if
Nominet members give it the go ahead at a vote to be held this
Friday. 
Members of the national register for domain names that end .uk are
being asked to approve the .me.uk domain name that has been designed
for personal use. Nominet is expecting members to vote in favour of
the new names. 
 http://pcw.vnunet.com/News/1128062

From Baker & McKenzie's GLOBAL E-LAW ALERT...
The Brazilian Science and Technology Ministry has launched its new
internet portal (www.mct.gov.br). 

UNIVERSAL INTERNET ACCESS: The government of the State of São Paulo
has launched a project for the implementation of a network
encompassing 2000 Internet access points, networks and servers.
Partnerships with the private sector may enlarge the project. The
access points will be in public places such as subways, using flash
cards.

TRADEMARK PROTECTION FOR GEOGRAPHICAL INDICATIONS: The expressions
"cachaça", "Brasil" and "cachaça do Brasil" are now protected as
geographical indications. A Decree published on 21 December 2001 by
the Brazilian Government set forth the protection of the famous
Brazilian alcoholic drink made of sugar cane, in accordance with
article 22 of the TRIPS Agreement.

From BNA Internet Law News...
UDRP PANEL GOES WAY BACK TO MAKE DECISION
A WIPO UDRP panel recently ordered the transfer of the
vodaphone.com domain, relying on some unusual evidence in
the process.  The panel, seemingly on its own initiative,
consulted the Wayback machine Internet archive to test
claims the respondent made about how the domain was used
several years earlier.  The panel found against the
respondent based in large measure on what it found in the
archive.  Decision at
http://arbiter.wipo.int/domains/decisions/html/2001/d2001-1037.html

UDRP APPEAL RAISES INTERESTING ISSUES
ICANNWatch reports on a recently filed lawsuit in response
to an ICANN UDRP decision involving bancochile.com.  The
suit makes several interesting claims including that the
Department of Commerce, acting via ICANN, illegally
promulgated the UDRP and that the UDRP is legally void
because it is an unconscionably one-sided agreement.
Article at
<http://www.icannwatch.org/article.php?sid=507>
Complaint at
http://www.icannwatch.org/essays/bord-complaint.htm
UDRP decision at
http://arbiter.wipo.int/domains/decisions/html/2001/d2001-0695.html

DOT-NL RELEASES FINAL REFORM REPORT
The final report on reform to the Dutch dot-nl domain has
been released.  The report calls for opening the domain to
foreigners and for the creation of an ADR policy for domain
name disputes.  Report at
<http://www.domeinnaamdebat.nl/servlet/nl.gx.domeinnaam.client.http.GetFile?id=3960>

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- It's My Yahoo! Get your own!