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'''Peter Dengate Thrush''' is a barrister specializing in Internet law, [[Intellectual Property|intellectual property]], and competition. Mr. Thrush is currently the Executive Chairman of [[Tope Level Domain Holdings]], which is the parent company of [[Mind + Machines]]. He is  a former Chairman of the Board of Directors of [[ICANN]], a positon he held from November, 2007 until June, 2011.  

'''Peter Dengate Thrush''' is a barrister specializing in Internet law, [[Intellectual Property|intellectual property]], and competition. Mr. Thrush is currently the Executive Chairman of [[Tope Level Domain Holdings]], which is the parent company of [[Minds + Machines]]. He is  a former Chairman of the Board of Directors of [[ICANN]], a positon he held from November, 2007 until June, 2011.  

He served multiple terms as Chairman and was elected to his last term following the [[ICANN]] Annual General Meeting in December, 2010.<ref>[http://www.icann.org/en/biog/thrush.htm Official ICANN Biography for Peter Dengate Thrush]</ref> Mr. Thrush also sat on the [[ICANN]] President's Strategy, Board Finance, Board Governance and Executive committees. During his tenure, Thrush oversaw one of the most important changes to the Internet and TLDs by beginning the process of allowing domains to be registered using non latin characters.<ref>[http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/Technology/Internet-Addresses-Using-Non-Latin-Characters-Are-Approved/Article/200910415425926 Sky News]</ref> He also chaired the Board as they debated and eventually approved the mode for introducing new gTLDs, the [[.xxx]] debate, and celebrated ICANN's 10th anniversary.<ref>[http://blog.logicboxes.com/tag/peter-dengate-thrush/ Blog.LogicBoxes.com]</ref> His final [[ICANN]] meeting as Chairman, [[ICANN Singapore]], was the historic venue for the approval of the new [[gTLD]] process.

He served multiple terms as Chairman and was elected to his last term following the [[ICANN]] Annual General Meeting in December, 2010.<ref>[http://www.icann.org/en/biog/thrush.htm Official ICANN Biography for Peter Dengate Thrush]</ref> Mr. Thrush also sat on the [[ICANN]] President's Strategy, Board Finance, Board Governance and Executive committees. During his tenure, Thrush oversaw one of the most important changes to the Internet and TLDs by beginning the process of allowing domains to be registered using non latin characters.<ref>[http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/Technology/Internet-Addresses-Using-Non-Latin-Characters-Are-Approved/Article/200910415425926 Sky News]</ref> He also chaired the Board as they debated and eventually approved the mode for introducing new gTLDs, the [[.xxx]] debate, and celebrated ICANN's 10th anniversary.<ref>[http://blog.logicboxes.com/tag/peter-dengate-thrush/ Blog.LogicBoxes.com]</ref> His final [[ICANN]] meeting as Chairman, [[ICANN Singapore]], was the historic venue for the approval of the new [[gTLD]] process.

Both the U.S. government and the [[European Commission]] took note of Peter Dengate Thrush's questionably timed move from the [[ICANN Board]] to [[Minds + Machines]]. In September, 2011 Senator Ron Wyden of the U.S. Government called for greater ethics rules to be written into the [[IANA]] contract.<ref>[http://domainincite.com/senator-calls-for-icann-ethics-controls/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+DomainIncite+%28DomainIncite.com%29 Senator Calls for ICANN ethics Controls, DomainIncite.com]</ref> The politicalization of the IANA contract is the sole means that the US Government is still able to exert control over the organization, thus, the European Commission called on the US to amend the same type of controls into the contract. Just a few weeks prior to Ron Wyden's call for ethics controls, a leaked paper by the EC shows them taking up the same issue. They suggest creating new rules in the IANA contract that would prevent those that stand to gain from ICANN decisions from working on the board, to create a two year waiting period for any exiting board member wherein employment in the industry would be prohibited, and they also advocated paying the currently voluntary board to further prevent conflicts of interest from developing.<ref>[http://blog.internetgovernance.org/pdf/ECPaper3-4.pdf EC Paper 3 & 4]</ref>

Both the U.S. government and the [[European Commission]] took note of Peter Dengate Thrush's questionably timed move from the [[ICANN Board]] to [[Minds + Machines]]. In September, 2011 Senator Ron Wyden of the U.S. Government called for greater ethics rules to be written into the [[IANA]] contract.<ref>[http://domainincite.com/senator-calls-for-icann-ethics-controls/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+DomainIncite+%28DomainIncite.com%29 Senator Calls for ICANN ethics Controls, DomainIncite.com]</ref> The politicalization of the IANA contract is the sole means that the US Government is still able to exert control over the organization, thus, the European Commission called on the US to amend the same type of controls into the contract. Just a few weeks prior to Ron Wyden's call for ethics controls, a leaked paper by the EC shows them taking up the same issue. They suggest creating new rules in the IANA contract that would prevent those that stand to gain from ICANN decisions from working on the board, to create a two year waiting period for any exiting board member wherein employment in the industry would be prohibited, and they also advocated paying the currently voluntary board to further prevent conflicts of interest from developing.<ref>[http://blog.internetgovernance.org/pdf/ECPaper3-4.pdf EC Paper 3 & 4]</ref>

The above controversy resulted in a new Conflict of Interest Policy for members of the Board and others, released on December 8th, 2011, and effective immediately. The policy requires disclosure to the [[Board Governance Committee]] of any and all potential conflicts of interest, and subsequent abstention from ICANN activities related to the conflict of interest.<ref>[http://www.icann.org/en/committees/board-governance/coi/ ICANN Conflict of Interest Policy]</ref>

The above controversy resulted in a new Conflict of Interest Policy for members of the Board and others, released on December 8th, 2011, and effective immediately. The policy requires disclosure to the [[Board Governance Committee]] of any and all potential conflicts of interest, and subsequent abstention from ICANN activities related to the conflict of interest.<ref>[http://www.icann.org/en/committees/board-governance/coi/ ICANN Conflict of Interest Policy]</ref> Board members also may not join business with a new gTLD registry until 12 months after the registry's application has been voted on.<ref>[http://news.dot-nxt.com/2011/12/13/icann-board-dec-minutes ICANN Board December Minutes, dot-nxt.com]</ref>

====In His Defense====

====In His Defense====