IIC Singapore – TRPC – FCBA Forum: Internet Governance in a Multi-polar World

Date: February 10^th 2015

4.00pm – 6.00pm

Venue: Olswang Asia – 10 Collyer Quay, 5/F Ocean Financial Centre

This forum is a special event hosted by Olswang and jointly organized by the Singapore chapter of the International Institute of Communications (IIC), TRPC and the Federal Communications Bar Association (FCBA) as one of the many events during ICANN 52.

Registration is free, but due to expected high demand please register early. The forum will seek answers to these issues in its familiar roundtable format. Chatham House rules apply.

About the Forum:

ICANN 52 takes place in Singapore in February 2015, ahead of what is likely to prove one of the most significant years for the Internet and for the user community – or communities, given the pervasiveness of today’s Internet. ICANN’s contract with the US Dept of Commerce to oversee administration of the root numbers and names expires in September and proposals for the transition of stewardship to a multi-stakeholder body are now being developed for the first rounds of public review.

In a multi-polar world, a greater role is expected for the Government Advisory Committee (GAC). There are several challenges. As more generic Top Level Doman names (gTLDs) are being issued, there are more challenges ahead over the right to use certain names. For example, the Belgium city of Spa has objected to the creation of .spa as a gTLD and likewise governments along the Amazon river have opposed a push by Amazon.com to make .amazon a gTLD.  There is expected to be a growth in litigation and disputes around copyright, IPRs, unfair competition issues, deceptive trade practices, etc. These are some of the nuts and bolts issues that affect all stakeholders and the user community, and ICANN’s regional HQ, set up in Singapore in 2013, is focused on addressing them for the region.

Welcome Address: John Ure, Director of TRPC

Moderator: Rob Bratby, Managing Partner, Olswang Asia, IIC Singapore, FCBA

Speakers

1. Kuek Yu-Chuang, VP & Managing Director, Asia-Pacific, ICANN – the agenda ahead
2. Larry Strickling, Assistant Secretary for Communications and Information, National Telecommunications & Information Administration (U.S. Department of Commerce)
3. Fiona Alexander, Associate Administrator, Office of International Affairs, National Telecommunications & Information Administration (U.S. Department of Commerce)

Respondents

1. Aileen Chia, Deputy Director General, IDA
2. Rob Bratby, Managing Partner, Olswang Asia, IIC Singapore, FCBA

Download the briefing paper here.

Download the event summary here.

Supporting Organisations