<nettime> A Workshop Invitation

[pgp@pgmedia.net (name.space)]

[headited by moderator-T]

>Date: Fri, 12 Jun 1998 16:43:57 -0400
>To: invite@giaw.org
>From: Tamar Frankel <tfrankel@giaw.org>
>Subject: A Workshop Invitation
>
>                                                          12 June, 1998
>
>Dear Stakeholder,
>
>As you know, on June 6, 1998 the U.S. Department of Commerce released a
>Policy Statement in its proceeding on the management of Internet
>identifiers.  The Statement outlined details, principles and processes
>guiding the establishment of an Entity to which the government would
>transfer the responsibility for managing Internet identifiers.  The
>Statement left open a number of issues that are necessary to proceed in the
>establishment of the Entity -- whether in a corporate or trust form.
>
>This is a four-fold challenge to get all the stakeholders working together,
>constructing a viable Entity that complies with the criteria of the Policy
>Statement, meets the needs of the industry globally, and can survive
>judicial challenge.
>
>To begin rapidly proceeding, I'm inviting you to join me in an international
>gathering of interested parties at a workshop on 1 - 2 July, 1998 at the
>Hyatt Reston in Virginia, USA.  Administrative details will be posted at
>the site  http://www.giaw.org/
>
>The purpose of this workshop is to help educate stakeholders and reach some
>initial consensus about both the possible pitfalls and the realm of
>possibilities for the new Entity .  Although the Internet is new, corporate,
>trust and other laws under which governing bodies can be established are
>not.  Corporate and trust law -- as well as antitrust and consumer
>protection law -- have dealt with the basic questions that the new Entity
>must address.  How to avoid antitrust concerns, how to keep the board of
>directors accountable to stakeholders and the Internet communities, how to
>balance the need for an open process with the need to make decisions
>quickly, how to address liability issues, are all problems with many
>different solutions.
>
>This workshop presents an opportunity to bring together experts in corporate
>and trust law with Internet stakeholders from around the world.  The
>workshop will not draft by-laws or appoint officers, but will provide a
>first step towards consensus by creating a common base of knowledge and
>experience.  It will also provide a "safe space" where stakeholders with
>differing interests and philosophies can discuss possibilities for the new
>Entity without worrying about compromising their positions.  I expect that,
>in the tradition of the Internet Engineering Task Force and other Internet
>institutions, the serious work will take place via open mailing lists and
>web forms before and following the workshop. Internet audio broadcast and
>Email return at the workshop will be available.
>
>This is an opportunity for stakeholders, who may already have a vision of
>what the new Entity should look like, to share their ideas with other
>interested parties.  If industry, the Internet communities, and all
>stakeholders are to come together from around the world to achieve the
>consensus that the Policy Statement expects, the process must start
>somewhere.  I hope that this workshop, chaired by someone who is completely
>neutral, is the place to start.
>
>Over the next few days and weeks, I'll be posting detailed materials
>internationally, including a long list of questions to all the participants
>designed to accomplish these goals, including a list of issues and a
>questionnaire designed to identify the areas that need treatment in creating
>the form, structure, fiduciary rules, and processes of the Entity.
>
>We will attempt to facilitate widespread international participation, and
>anticipate there will be ongoing discussions of the results of the workshop.
>
>If you have not already done so, please RSVP to <rsvp@giaw.org>
>
>Sincerely,
>
>/signed/
>
>Tamar Frankel
>Professor of Law
>Boston University School of Law
>765 Commonwealth Ave
>Boston, Mass 02215
>USA
><mailto:tfrankel@giaw.org>
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