Changes

== Background ==

== Background ==

ICANN's [[Rights Protection Mechanisms]] allow the holders of intellectual property rights, such as trademarks, to defend those rights in the domain name space. In 1999, the [[UDRP|Uniform Domain-Name Dispute-Resolution Policy]] (UDRP) was established to resolve disputes relating to the registration of domain names.<ref name="issues">[https://gnso.icann.org/sites/default/files/filefield_48143/rpm-prelim-issue-09oct15-en.pdf GNSO - Preliminary Issue Report</ref> Ahead of the [[new gTLD Program]], several new RPMs were developed: the [[Trademark Clearinghouse]] (TMCH), [[Uniform Rapid Suspension]] (URS), and [[Trademark Post-Delegation Dispute Resolution Procedure]] (PDDRP). The TMCH provides a central clearinghouse for trademark registrations and provides verification of registrations for all registries and registrars. The URS gives trademark holders a quick and inexpensive means of suspending domain names that are easily proven to be infringing on a given trademark. The PDDRP provides remedy or compensation for trademark holders who were harmed by a gTLD registry operator.<ref name="issues />

ICANN's [[Rights Protection Mechanisms]] allow the holders of intellectual property rights, such as trademarks, to defend those rights in the domain name space. In 1999, the [[UDRP|Uniform Domain-Name Dispute-Resolution Policy]] (UDRP) was established to resolve disputes relating to the registration of domain names.<ref name="issues">[https://gnso.icann.org/sites/default/files/filefield_48143/rpm-prelim-issue-09oct15-en.pdf GNSO - Preliminary Issue Report</ref> Ahead of the [[new gTLD Program]], several new RPMs were developed: the [[Trademark Clearinghouse]] (TMCH), [[Uniform Rapid Suspension]] (URS), and [[Trademark Post-Delegation Dispute Resolution Procedure]] (PDDRP). The TMCH provides a central clearinghouse for trademark registrations and provides verification of registrations for all registries and registrars. The URS gives trademark holders a quick and inexpensive means of suspending domain names that are easily proven to be infringing on a given trademark. The PDDRP provides remedy or compensation for trademark holders who were harmed by a gTLD registry operator.<ref name="issues" />

In February 2011, the GNSO Council requested an Issues Report in accordance with the recommendations of the [[Registration Abuse Policies Working Group]]. In response, ICANN staff reviewed the UDRP ahead of the New gTLD Program, releasing its report in October 2011, recommending that the GNSO hold off on forming a PDP until the URS had been in effect for at least 18 months. Later, the GNSO Council asked ICANN to begin an Issue Report on all RPMs (including but not limited to the UDRP and URS) in December 2011.<ref name="gnsohub" /> ICANN staff submitted the Final Issue Report in January 2016, and the WG was chartered in March 2016.<ref name="gnsohub" /> According to the WG charter, the group will operate in two phases with the first being to evaluate all RPMs developed for the New gTLD Program and the second being to review the UDRP.<ref name="charter">[https://gnso.icann.org/sites/default/files/filefield_48755/rpm-charter-15mar16-en.pdf Review of all RPMs Charter], March 15, 2016</ref>  

In February 2011, the GNSO Council requested an Issues Report in accordance with the recommendations of the [[Registration Abuse Policies Working Group]]. In response, ICANN staff reviewed the UDRP ahead of the New gTLD Program, releasing its report in October 2011, but recommending that the GNSO hold off on forming a PDP until the URS had been in effect for at least 18 months. Later, the GNSO Council asked ICANN to begin an Issue Report on all RPMs (including but not limited to the UDRP and URS) in December 2011.<ref name="gnsohub" />  

ICANN org prepared and published a Preliminary Issue Report for public comment in October 2015.<ref name="issuepc">[https://www.icann.org/en/public-comment/proceeding/preliminary-issue-report-on-a-gnso-policy-development-process-to-review-all-rights-protection-mechanisms-in-all-gtlds-09-10-2015 ICANN.org - Public Comment Proceeding, Preliminary Issue Report on all RPMs], October 2015</ref>. After processing and  integrating public comment submissions, ICANN staff submitted the Final Issue Report in January 2016.

The PDP Review of RPMs in all gTLDs was spun out of the Final Issue Report on the current state of the UDRP in 2011 and the subsequent Issue Report on the current state of all RPMs in 2016.<ref name="gnsohub" />

The WG was chartered in March 2016.<ref name="gnsohub" /><ref name="charter">[https://gnso.icann.org/sites/default/files/filefield_48755/rpm-charter-15mar16-en.pdf Review of all RPMs Charter], March 15, 2016</ref>  

The PDP was initiated in February 2016 to review all RPMs in two phases:

The PDP was initiated in February 2016 to review all RPMs in two phases:

*PHASE 1: All RPMs applicable to New gTLDs (2012 Program)

* PHASE 1: All RPMs applicable to New gTLDs (2012 Program)

**[[Trademark Post-Delegation Dispute Resolution Procedure]] (PDDRP);

**[[Trademark Post-Delegation Dispute Resolution Procedure]] (PDDRP);

**[[Trademark Clearinghouse]] (TMCH); and

**[[Trademark Clearinghouse]] (TMCH); and