DOMAIN NAME

[DURAN-CORRETJER <info@duran.es>]

TO: Mr. Michael Roberts
    Interim President and CEO
    Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN)
    339 La Cuesta Driva
    Portola Valley, CA 94028
    USA


Barcelona, March 2, 1999


Dear Mr. Roberts,

                  Domain name Supporting Organization

I understand that an application was submitted to the Board of the Internet
Corporation of Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) on 5 February 1999 on
behalf of the NSO Consensus Working Group (NCWG) to be recognized as the
Domain Name Supporting Organization (DNSO) and for a continuing process of
unification with other stakeholder groups. This  will be discussed at the
meeting of the Board of ICANN in Singapore on 2-4 March 1999.

I further understand that the NCWG application was backed by the following
organizations -

The International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), 
The American Intellectual Property Law Association (AIPLA), 
Electronic Commerce Europe (ECE), 
European ISP Association (EuroISPA), 
Information Technology Association of America (ITAA), 
International Council of Registrars (CORE), 
International Trademark Association (INTA), 
Internet Society (ISOC), Policy Oversight Committee (POC), 
The World Information Technology and Services Alliance (WITSA).

As President of the European Communities Trade Mark Association (ECTA) I
write to lend the support of my Association to this NCWG application, and I
should be glad if you could convey this support to the ICANN Board.

By way of background, ECTA was formed in 1980 and brings together all those
persons practising professionally within the Member States of the European
Community in the field of trade marks and later on in the field of designs -
trade mark agents, trade mark attorneys, lawyers practising in industry and
all others who could be considered specialist practitioners in this area of
expertise. The Presidency of ECTA, which is a two year appointment, normally
alternates between a private agent and one in industry. We also now include
among our membership practitioners not being nationals of a Member State
practising either in or outside the European Community, EC nationals
practising outside the EC, and persons not being specialist practitioners
but involved with, or responsible for trade marks, both within and outside
the Community. The Association now has over 1200 members.
 
The members of my association have themselves encountered many problems with
domain names or represent clients who have. We have followed closely the
debate about the governance of the Internet, and in our opinion the NCWG
application describes the most credible and effective organizational
structure for ICANN's Domain Name Supporting Organization, and meets the
requirements of Article 1, Section 3 (b) of ICANN's Bylaws.

We believe that the breadth of stakeholders represented by the organizations
endorsing this application and its unification process represent a broad
consensus among a critical mass of Internet Stakeholders. In our opinion it
should form the basis of how to create a viable, open, and transparent DNSO
that will supply the ICANN Board with well-developed, timely and
well-reasoned policy recommendations reflecting the consensus and interests
of all of the various stakeholders from around the world. 

Yours sincerely,
L-A Durán
President
Paseo de Gracia 101 pral.
08008 BARCELONA-Spain.