WIPO Internet Domain Name Process

Report: Budapest regional consultation

A regional consultation in the framework of the WIPO Internet Domain Name Process was held in Budapest on October 22, 1998. The consultation was hosted by the Hungarian Patent Office.

The meeting was attended on behalf of WIPO by Mihály Ficsor, Assistant Director General and David Muls, Senior Legal Officer, Electronic Commerce Section, Office of Legal and Organization Affairs. The panel of experts assisting WIPO in its work was represented by Ken Fockler (Former Chair and President, Canadian Association of Internet Providers), Geert Glas (Chair, INTA Internet Sub-Committee), and Donald Heath (President, Internet Society).

The presentations and open discussions covered the four main topics to be addressed by the WIPO Internet Domain Name Process: dispute prevention, dispute resolution, protection of famous and well-known marks, and introduction of new gTLDs. The table below lists those who made presentations or interventions during the course of the meeting. Issues that attracted particular attention were the need to secure reliable contact details of domain name registrants (and the extent to which such information should be made publicly available), the role of alternative dispute resolution for domain name conflicts, and the desirability of establishing separate protection mechanisms for famous and well-known marks.

A recording was made of the proceedings. The transcript will shortly be made available to the public on the WIPO web site under the section "Consultations."

speakers