[comments-wgb] Sunrise Provision

["DEUTSCH, SARAH B." <SARAH.B.DEUTSCH@bellatlantic.com>]

     Bell Atlantic Corporation is pleased to support the "Sunrise Plus 
     Twenty" proposal recently put forward by the Intellectual Property 
     Contitutuency in connection with the possible introduction of new 
     gTLDs. Bell Atlantic has been at the forefront of the cyberpiracy 
     battles, facing over 1000 domain name infringements of its marks a 
     year in the existing gTLD name space.  We have been a long standing 
     and active participant in the ICANN process and participated in the 
     negotiations that lead to this compromise.  We believe that the 
     protections outlined in the Sunrise proposal will give trademark 
     owners a prospective remedy to register their valuable trademarks on a 
     priority basis and cut down on cybersquatting activities that are so 
     damaging to the growth of electronic commerce.
     
     
     Sarah Deutsch
     Vice President & Chief Intellectual Property Counsel