Though officials stopped short of endorsing the IAHC plan, drafters said they were hopeful White House officials would ultimately back it. Opponents, likewise, rejoiced following the leak of a State Department cable last week in which Secretary of State Madeline Albright told U.S. diplomats to advise World Intellectual Property Organization, or WIPO, officials that WIPO's actions in no way reflect U.S. approval of the plan. But members of the federal working group addressing domain names and related issues of intellectual property in cyberspace remain divided as to what, if anything, to do about the current proposal, the government official said. Nonetheless, the White House seems most concerned about the role of the International Telecommunications Union and WIPO, two U.N. groups that coordinate action to ensure international standards in telecommunications, copyright, trademark and other intellectual property issues. Though the White House will likely have a response to the plan later this year, even that isn't a given, the official said.
Nothing is a foregone conclusion.
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