" ITREALMS: 25 countries storm Contonou for ICANN domain names, trademarks workshop

Tuesday, May 06, 2014

25 countries storm Contonou for ICANN domain names, trademarks workshop


A two-day workshop on domain names, trademarks and rights protection on the continent ends at the Hotel Novotel Orisha Cotonou with 25 African countries participating, ITRealms reports.

Also, ITRealms reports that over 80 attendees came from the 25 participating African countries.

The workshop put together by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers, ITRealms gathered was opened by Komi Koutche, the Beninese, Minister for Information and Communications Technology in the company of Mr. David Olive, ICANN’s Vice President for Policy Development Support.

Additionally, ITRealms gathered that participants cut across the country code Top Level Domain  (ccTLD) managers, registrars, practitioners of intellectual property rights, rights protection specialists to name a few and had the opportunity to share best practices for the protection of users' rights on the continent.

According to Olive, “Generic Top-Level Domains (gTLDs) will have a profound impact on brand owners, regional industry and consumers,” stressing that it is important that ICANN supports Africa in its strategy to promote Internet industry.

He also revealed to ITRealms that the workshop affords ccTLD managers and registrars to be better equipped for the rapid implementation of measures for the security, management and promotion of ccTLDs.

“This is a critical part in enabling the Domain Name industry to flourish in African digital economy,” he said.

Pierre Dandjinou , the Vice President of ICANN for Africa, disclosed to ITRealms that the protection of rights is hardly addressed in Africa and mechanisms for protection of existing rights are not very popularized on the continent hence the workshop,


“As many African countries having started to organize their structures of intellectual property rights, it may be necessary to better inform them on the relationship between domain names, trademarks and the mechanisms for conflict resolution,“ Dandjinou said.

ITREALMS Online ... delivering news for ICT4D
Photo: Pierre Dandjinou , the Vice President of ICANN for Africa

No comments:

Featured post @ITREALMS

NDSF@15: Ojo, Adebayo, Nnamani, Ekuwem, Nwannenna, Odusote join DigitalSENSE Hall of Fame - ITREALMS

ITREALMS ... making leadership SENSE with digital news! The Executive Director, Media Rights Agenda, Mr. Edetaen Ojo alongside the chairman,...