Re: [wg-c] ballot stuffing

["Rita M. Odin" <OdinR@arentfox.com>]

Dave,

I have several points to make concerning your disingenuous posting below: 

1. Who counts as a "regular participant"?  While I have not been vocal of late, I continue to monitor the activity on this list and will voice my opinion when I have something relevant (and not redundant) to say.  If I have not added to the debate lately, it is because I do not feel that my voice is necessary, not because I am not a "regular participant."  In my opinion, the list (and the debate) could benefit if others were equally restrained in expressing their often times repetitious postings.  Furthermore, the members of the trademark community are as validly a part of this debate as are you and the constituency that you purport to represent.

2. Certainly, the "no" votes can not come as a surprise considering the fact that many of these same people (as well as myself) have argued from the inception of this Working Group for the need to proceed with caution.  I, for one, have continuously stressed my position that before we add new gTLDs, it is imperative that we consider the impact that they will have on IP interests and attempt to clear up the problems that we currently have in the present system.  I disagree that many of the "no" votes are new participants.  Many of them signed Position Paper C.  The fact that they, like me, have recently been silent does not mean that they are "new" to the group.  I believe that Jonathan said that he would freeze the membership of the list during the vote.  If he has indeed frozen membership, then your point re: ballot stuffing is not well taken.

3) All members of the list were asked to vote - not only those members that you deem to be "regular participants" and therefore worthy of voicing their position.  You have no right to make a judgment as to the validity of anyone's position other than your own.  I suggest that you refrain from making unfounded accusations regarding the propriety of certain members' votes.



Rita M. Odin
Arent Fox Kintner Plotkin & Kahn, PLLC
202/857-8927
odinr@arentfox.com

>>> Dave Crocker <dcrocker@brandenburg.com> 12/10/1999 12:04:36 PM >>>
Looks like the trademark community needed about a day to get organized.

For the first day of  wg-c (re-)balloting on the matter of 6-10 new gTLDs , 
regular participants responded readily and overwhelmingly 
positively.  Notable is that the support is from the full range of regular 
participants, no matter how strongly they might have disagreed about other 
matters, in the past.

Yesterday and today we see a large number of new names, many voting 
no.  Most appear to have affiliations that suggest an underlying concern 
about brand protection.  Those adding comments to their votes raise very 
old issues, thereby suggesting entirely entrenched positions and no 
willingness to compromise.  (If they are so concerned about the points they 
raise, why did they not participate in any of the many months of discussion?)

This highlights the difficulties in the process.  An open process based on 
rough consensus requires a broad commitment towards making forward 
progress.  A well-organized community can too readily side-track or block work.

d/

=-=-=-=-=
Dave Crocker  <dcrocker@brandenburg.com>
Brandenburg Consulting  <www.brandenburg.com>
Tel: +1.408.246.8253,  Fax: +1.408.273.6464
675 Spruce Drive,  Sunnyvale, CA 94086 USA