Hi Brian,<br><br><div class="gmail_quote">On Fri, Jul 27, 2012 at 12:53 AM, Brian Munyao Longwe <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:blongwe@gmail.com" target="_blank">blongwe@gmail.com</a>></span> wrote:<br><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex">
<span style="border-collapse:collapse;font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px"><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0px;margin-right:0px;margin-bottom:0px;margin-left:0px"><b>Facts Regarding the African Union Commission (.Africa) application<u></u><u></u></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0px;margin-right:0px;margin-bottom:0px;margin-left:0px"><b><span><u></u> <u></u></span></b></p><p style="text-align:justify"><span><span>1.<span> </span></span></span><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:'Trebuchet MS'">The African Union Commission’s (AUC) involvement in the dotAfrica (.Africa) Top Level Domain (TLD) process has been mandated by African Heads of State (OR Tambo Declaration) and African Minister’s in charge of ICT (Abuja Declaration).<u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p style="text-align:justify"><span><span>2.<span> </span></span></span><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:'Trebuchet MS'">In fulfilling its mandate the AUC has, in accordance with an open and transparent Request for Proposal (RFP) process, officially endorsed UniForum SA t/a the ZA Central Registry (ZACR) to apply for and launch the dotAfrica (.Africa) TLD.<u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p style="text-align:justify"><span><span>3.<span> </span></span></span><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:'Trebuchet MS'">The AUC/ZACR, in accordance with the procedures and standards prescribed by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), has officially lodged an application with ICANN for the delegation of the (.Africa), under reference number: 1-1243-89583. This application constitutes the official AUC endorsed application for the dotAfrica (.Africa) Top Level Domain. <span> </span>Further details of this official application is available at:<u></u><u></u><span> </span></span><span><a href="http://gtldresult.icann.org/application-result/applicationstatus/applicationdetails/1184" target="_blank">http://gtldresult.icann.org/application-result/applicationstatus/applicationdetails/1184</a> </span><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:'Trebuchet MS'"><span> </span><u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p style="text-align:justify"><span><span>4.<span> </span></span></span><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:'Trebuchet MS'">There is a competing private application, for a confusingly similar string, lodged by DotConnectAfrica Trust. The application for the dotdotAfrica (.dotAfrica) TLD string, under reference number 1-1165-42560.</span></p>
</span></blockquote><div><br>I am not sure that the 2 strings will be found to be "confusingly similar".<br><br>My hope is that they would not be. I don't think they are, but YMMV. It would be a way for ICANN to solve a politically thorny issue.<br>
<br></div></div><br clear="all"><br>-- <br>Cheers,<br><br>McTim<br>"A name indicates what we seek. An address indicates where it is. A route indicates how we get there." Jon Postel<br>