IPC Outreach Strategic Plan

IPC FY 2017 OUTREACH & ENGAGEMENT STRATEGIC PLAN

I. Vision

The Intellectual Property Constituency (IPC), as the voice for intellectual property in ICANN, should have a substantial and diverse membership, representative of the stakeholders IPC represents, actively helping to shape Internet/DNS policy within ICANN.

II. Mission

The Mission and Purpose of the IPC, as stated in our Bylaws, is to:

Represent the views and interests of owners of intellectual property worldwide with particular emphasis on trademark, copyright, and related intellectual property rights and their effect and interaction with Domain Name Systems (DNS), and to ensure that these views, including minority views, are reflected in the recommendations made by the GNSO Council to the ICANN Board.

More particularly, to review and raise all intellectual property matters including any proposals, issues, policies, or otherwise, which may affect intellectual property, particularly as it interfaces with the DNS, and to provide to the GNSO and the ICANN Board timely and expert advice before it must make any decision or take any position thereon.

Our membership consists of intellectual property and IP-related organizations, companies, law firms and individuals.  We represent the interests and concerns of IP creators, owners, licensees and distributors, as well as those of consumers, who depend on strong IP protections as an essential element of consumer confidence, consumer trust and consumer protection.

In order to fulfill our mission, IPC needs robust and sustained participation from the Intellectual Property community from all over the world.  The IPC should strive for its membership to be representative of the diversity in the IP community -- geographically, professionally, and culturally -- while satisfying the membership criteria for IPC.  In order to attract a broad base of membership, the IPC needs to engage with the IP community (broadly defined) so that the community is aware of us, our role in developing Internet policy, and the importance of membership in the IPC. 

The mission of the IPC in this Strategic Plan is to improve the IPC’s outreach and engagement, especially in areas where the IPC has historically been underrepresented, in order to attract additional active members, to ensure that the IPC remains highly connected to the IP world, and to ensure that the IPC remains a vibrant organization.

III. Goals and Objectives

Increasing IPC membership, increasing awareness of the IPC and improving member participation are the primary goals of this IPC Outreach & Engagement Strategic Plan.  Building on our outreach and engagement program will result in additional organizational, institutional and individual members, broader and more diverse global participation in the IPC, and more extensive and richer participation by the IPC within ICANN.  In so doing, the IPC will continue to add additional voices to the Constituency and the greater ICANN community, and strengthen the overall voice of the IPC.

A.    General Goals and Objectives

1. Increase number of active participants by 10% in the coming year
2. Increase the geographic regions represented
3. Increase the types of entities involved
   1. Individuals - Students (legal or otherwise), attorneys, teachers and/or professors
   2. Corporate and Law Firm members
   3. Organizations -- Professional and trade associations
4. Improve engagement with existing members

B.    Specific Goals and Objectives

1. Improving Geographic Diversity
   1. Currently, IPC has a relatively high concentration in North America and Europe, some active members from Latin America and Asia, and only a single member from Africa
   2. Prioritize areas where we are underdeveloped
   3. Improve representation from under-represented and unrepresented countries and regions
2. Increasing Size Overall
   
   1. We represent the IP community well indirectly through our organizational members
   2. However, given the size of the IP world, our direct membership could easily be larger.
3. Targeting Specific Demographics
   
   1. IPC should identify under-represented and unrepresented types of members.
      
      1. Target the “younger generation”
         
         1. Younger professionals are underrepresented
         2. No representation whatsoever at student level
         3. These are the future leaders in IP and in the IPC
      2. Identify organizations that aren’t members that should be
      3. Identify corporations that aren’t members that should be
      4. Target academics
4. Remove or Lower Barriers to Participation
   
   1. Make participation easier worldwide, regardless of time zone or language
5. Improve Engagement
   
   1. Provide easier access to knowledge
   2. Demystify ICANN, IPC, DNS and Internet Governance
   3. Provide more guidance and support to newcomers
   4. Re-engage existing but inactive members

IV. Strategies & Actions

A.    IPC Outreach & Engagement Task Force

The IPC has an Outreach & Engagement Task Force (“OETF”), which is primarily responsible for developing the strategies and carrying out the actions set forth in this Strategic Plan.  The OETF has formed subteams as necessary to carry out specific actions.

B.    ICANN Supported Opportunities

The IPC welcomes the opportunities that CROPP, the Fellowship Program and the Business Engagement initiative offer the IPC to expand understanding of and participation in ICANN activities by members of the intellectual property community. These and other ICANN-supported initiatives will contribute significantly to the IPC’s ability to achieve the goals and objectives outlined above.

1. Community Regional Outreach Pilot Program (CROPP)
   1. CROPP is a “pilot program ... to resource individual trips or engagement events (GNSO Constituencies) for the purposes of conducting regional outreach.”
      
      1. Offers GNSO Constituencies the choice of 3 options:
         
         1. host 2 outreach events (limiting $7,500 per event) OR
         2. 4 trips for one person each OR
         3. 1 outreach event ($7,500) and 2 trips for one person each.
      2. IPC should strive to use CROPP for “outbound” outreach, i.e., travel by IPC representatives to existing or special-purpose events.
         
         1. IPC members would travel to places and meet members of the IP Community, fly the IPC flag and inform people and organizations at events about the IPC and use it as a recruiting tool.
      3. “Inbound” outreach (i.e. travel by non-IPC members to ICANN meetings) is increasingly disfavored as a secondary use of CROPP funds, to the extent outbound opportunities can’t be found.  This exception requires specific approval by ICANN
   2. Need to identify or create opportunities for outreach trips or events.  IPC members have been asked to look for or create these opportunities, with “self-nomination” allowed.  OETF members will conduct research as well.  
      
      1. Opportunities could involve:
         
         1. Existing meetings (either as a speaker, or creating an ancillary event)
         2. Speaking opportunities
         3. Local organizations
      2. Need to make sure IPC representative has a visible profile (e.g., speaking opportunity, networking event) at the event.
   3. Concern: CROPP only funds travel within one ICANN region
      
      1. We are under-represented in some regions, so may have difficulty identifying IPC participants in those regions.
         
         1. Exceptions can be granted, should aim for relatively short travel
         2. More important to get the right person for the right event
   4. IPC needs to confirm its two CROPP primary points of contact (“PPC”). 
   5. OETF has formed a “CROPP Subteam.”
      1. The CROPP Subteam includes the IPC PPCs and other members of the OETF, along with the IPC Secretariat.
      2. The CROPP Subteam is primarily responsible for the above actions.
      3. The CROPP Subteam works to identify potential CROPP opportunities to the OETF and then to IPC Leadership, with recommendations as needed.
      4. If approved by Leadership, the PPCs are then authorized to move forward with the CROPP opportunity.
2. Fellowship Program
   
   1. IPC has formed a Fellowship Team.
   2. The Fellowship Program provides travel expenses and an extensive orientation program for ICANN.
   3. IPC has traditionally had trouble taking advantage of this program.
   4. IPC continues to work with Fellowship contacts as well as ICANN staff responsible for the Fellowship program to understand why IPC has not been more successful, to help identify good candidates, prepare successful applications, and create user friendly materials to distribute to potential candidates
   5. IPC is creating statistics of its membership base to better understand where it is under- represented and will use this information to target outreach efforts for Fellowship candidates
   6. IPC has submitted comments in response to proposed changes to the Fellowship criteria and will continue to work with Fellowship contacts and ICANN staff to modify Fellowship criteria so that a “typical” IPC member profile could be chosen as a Fellow
      1. This program does not exclude IP professionals, but it seems designed for academics, government reps and technical community. The proposed new program also requires that prospective candidates express a financial need and live in the same region where ICANN meeting to be held.
      2. Application of the criteria can also be a barrier to IP professionals.  There seems to have been skepticism regarding the “financial need” of IP professionals, perhaps based on stereotypical thinking about the resources available to IP professionals generally or the so-called “IP Lobby” specifically.  The reality is that the costs (both hard and soft) of attending an ICANN meeting are significant, that local economies vary greatly, and Fellowship funding will make the difference between attendance and nonattendance.  For IPC to be diverse, it needs to reach beyond those who can easily get funding or self-fund.
   7. IPC appealed to its members to identify some good candidates before the  nomination window closes (21 October 2016) for Copenhagen meeting (ICANN 58 11-16 March 2017)
3. Business Engagement
   
   1. ICANN has a business engagement team, headed by Chris Mondini
   2. IPC has created a subteam to liaise with Business Engagement
      1. Discuss what more we could be doing with Business Engagement
4. NextGen at ICANN
   
   1. IPC has only just begun considering how to use the NextGen program, since it is aimed primarily at students, who are not currently represented in the IPC
   2. IPC will be creating student member category to bring in students
   3. IPC should conduct outreach activities or materials directed toward law schools
   4. Consider NextGen requirements when establishing student member category

C.    Independent (Non-ICANN Supported) Efforts

1. Improving Geographic Diversity
   1. Reach out to organizational IPC members (INTA, MARQUES, ASIPI, etc.) with international membership to encourage their members to join IPC
   2. Reach out to general and specialized bar organizations in targeted countries
   3. Find ways to collaborate on outreach event (ideally, CROPP-eligible travel for IPC person to attend)
2. Raise IPC Profile at upcoming existing IP and Internet related Events
   
   1. International Trademark Association (INTA) Leadership Meeting (Hollywood, Florida– ICANN North American Region) - November 2016
   2. ICANN 58 (Copenhagen, Denmark -- ICANN EU Region) - March 2017
   3. ICANN 59 (Johannesburg, South Africa – ICANN African Region) - 26-29 June 2017
   4. INTA 2017 Annual Meeting (Barcelona, Spain – ICANN EU  Region) - May 2017
   5. Marques meetings
   6. Other Category 2 and 3 IPC members’ meetings
   7. SEEDIG 2017 Macedonia, South East European Dialogue on Internet Governance (SEEDIG will be held  in conjunction with Regional conference of the  Telecom and Internet data providers and state Regulators from the region - May 2017)
   8. IGF meetings, both main and regional
3. Improve Marketing/Social Media/Internet Presence
   
   1. Make better use of new website
   2. Continue use of Twitter
   3. Review and revise brochure
   4. Consider other opportunities
4. Members need to reach out to their networks to increase participation and membership in IPC
   
   1. Organization members, including their individual representatives
   2. Individual members
5. Establish/expand IPC presence at Institutions and Organizations
   
   1. Schools/universities
   2. Corporate organizations
   3. Legal associations
   4. IP associations  
   5. Business associations
   6. Technology businesses and organizations
6. Mentorship/Sherpa Program for Newcomers
   1. Newcomers are intimidated by overwhelming amount of information and web of relationships that need to be understood before being able to sufficiently participate
   2. Experienced members could offer to help new members by:
      1. Answering questions
      2. Bringing them to meetings and maybe even sitting with them
      3. Introducing them to other members
   3. Consider assigning a mentor/sherpa to each newcomer
   4. Consider participation in pilot mentorship program being created by ICANN’s Development and Public Responsibility department.
   5. Mentorship subteam has been created
7. Student Membership
   1. Currently, we have no membership specifically designed for law school or college students who want to go into IP or IP related businesses or academia
   2. Create student membership
   3. Outreach to law schools, other graduate schools, and undergraduate schools
   4. Target students with interest in IP
   5. Lower annual dues (e.g., $50 or free)
   6. We may need to adjust IPC Bylaws for this
   7. Overlaps with NextGen Program at ICANN
8. Academic Membership
   1. Outreach to academics in the field
   2. Need to make academics more comfortable in IPC
9. Globalize IPC Process
   
   1. Time: Our membership calls are at a time which is not good for Asia/Australia/NZ; we should rotate call times to “share the pain.”
   2. Language: Our materials are solely in English. ICANN translation services should be utilized to translate key website and brochure content
      1. ICANN Translation Services are available.  Languages of upcoming meetings should be prioritized (e.g., Spanish for INTA 2017 in Barcelona); need 1-2 months advance notice as these services are bottle-necked as a result of translating requests. Use IPC Secretariat to facilitate requests, or reach out to Natalie Schoer from ICANN's Communications team.
10. “IPC University”
    1. Create ICANN 101 and IPC 101 “crash course” webinar
       
       1. It can be difficult for newcomers to penetrate the IPC, much less ICANN.
       2. We need to help newcomers feel less “lost.”
    2. Utilize free courses offered on ICANN learn as a tool to onboard new members (link: http://learn.icann.org/)
    3. Coordinate with Mentor/Sherpa program.

V.  Prioritized Implementation Schedule/Timeline

Q4 2016

• Coordinate continued meetings of small subgroups with responsibility for specific efforts and aspects of Strategic Plan
• Reach out to IPC Membership to suggest CROPP-eligible events
• Revise IPC Bylaws to incorporate student membership category and begin planning law school and other outreach activities
• Identify ICANN Fellowship candidates for ICANN 59 in Johannesburg; possible CROPP candidate as well
• ICANN 58 Outreach & Engagement (including CROPP and ICANN Fellow participants)
• November 2016 – INTA Leadership Meeting Outreach & Engagement
• Improve Outreach and Engagement aspects of website.

Q1 2017

• Continue to identify CROPP-eligible events
• Continue student outreach
• Identify ICANN Fellowship candidates for ICANN 59
• ICANN 58 Outreach & Engagement (including CROPP and ICANN Fellow participants)
• Continue to improve and refresh Outreach and Engagement aspects of website.

Q2 2017

• INTA Annual Meeting Outreach & Engagement
• Continue to identify CROPP-eligible events
• Continue student outreach
• Identify ICANN Fellowship candidates for ICANN 60
• Develop continuous process for refreshing Outreach and Engagement aspects of website.

Q3 2017

• Continue to identify CROPP-eligible events
• Continue student outreach
• Identify ICANN Fellowship candidates for ICANN 61
• ICANN 59 Outreach & Engagement (including CROPP and ICANN Fellow participants)
• Institute continuous process for refreshing Outreach and Engagement aspects