Sean and all,
The ICANN released through yet another inoculious "Press Release"
the intentions of the ICANN regarding "Registrat/Registry Accreditation's"
without the input prior to this said "Press Release", of the membership
Organization which the ICANN is bound to do through the NTIA/ICANN/MoU
as well as the requirements of the White Paper.
Sean Garrett wrote:
> INTERNET CORPORATION FOR ASSIGNED NAMES AND NUMBERS
>
> For Immediate Release
> February 8, 1999
>
> ICANN Releases Draft Accreditation Guidelines for Domain-Name Registrars-
> Proposal to be Available for Public Comment at www.icann.org
>
> Los Angeles-In a first step towards establishing fair and consistent guidelines and
>procedures that will increase competition and global participation in domain-name
>registration services, the non-profit Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and
>Numbers (ICANN) today is releasing for public comment a draft proposal for the
>accreditation of Internet domain-name registrars. The draft includes criteria for
>selecting the five registrars who will test the system for a two-month period
>beginning at the end of April.
>
> The proposed accreditation guidelines, comprising nearly 30 pages of detailed
>analysis and proposed standards, will be published on ICANN’s Web site
>(www.icann.org) today for public comment and suggestions. The final version of the
>guidelines will provide requirements for accreditation of domain-name registrars in
>the .com, .org and .net top-level domains (TLDs). Following public comment submitted
>in response to today’s posting, and comment and discussion at an open meeting in
>Singapore on March 3, 1999, ICANN’s initial board will consider adoption of the
>proposed guidelines or a revised version.
>
> “We are pleased to have the opportunity to work with the Internet community to
>create a stable but competitive market for domain-name registration services in these
>three important domains,” commented Esther Dyson, interim chairman of the ICANN
>board. “One of the major reasons for the creation of ICANN was to foster fair and
>open ground rules in the domain-name system, and we are now approaching a major
>milestone in achieving that goal. We aim to design a system that promotes the
>stability of the Internet and is capable of evolving in the future.”
>
> The immediate development and adoption of accreditation guidelines is necessary to
>implement an agreement by Network Solutions Inc. (NSI) to develop a system that
>allows multiple registrars to register names in the .com, .net, and .org TLDs in
>competition with NSI. Since 1993, NSI has been the sole provider of direct
>domain-name registration services in these TLDs as part of a cooperative agreement
>with the U.S. Government. In the interests of opening the process to robust
>competition, a recent amendment to the cooperative agreement paved the way for other
>companies to register unique second-level domain names on behalf of their customers
>in the NSI-maintained TLD database (the “registry”).
>
> NSI initially will open the database to five registrars as part of a test phase in
>which the shared registration system will be launched, evaluated and improved.
>Rather than participating in the test as one of the five registrars, NSI will
>continue its existing registrar operations during the test phase. After completion
>of the test, NSI will be required to provide equal access to registry services
>through the shared registration system to all accredited registrars (including
>itself) at prices to be agreed upon by the U.S. Government and NSI under the terms of
>the cooperative agreement. The price charged by NSI for registry services will be
>based on NSI’s costs, plus a reasonable return on its investment.
>
> Key elements of the proposed guidelines on which ICANN is soliciting comments
>include minimum technical, operational and financial criteria for entering the
>registration business; requirements for portability of domain names among
>registration companies; protections against fraud and infringement of intellectual
>property rights; data security, privacy, and protection; and special technical
>requirements to protect the stability and operational integrity of the Internet.
>ICANN is seeking public comment on these proposed criteria, as well as on a proposed
>fee structure based on an initial accreditation fee and an ongoing charges on
>regisration volume.
>
> Because testbed participants will be required to provide enhanced technical and
>engineering support to interface with NSI during the testing phase, the proposal
>specifies additional criteria for selection of the five testbed registrars. The
>early accreditation of these registrars for the test period is not intended or
>expected to give them any competitive advantage. Indeed, they will be required to
>devote significant time, expertise, and resources to ensure the success of the
>testing process, and they must be prepared to publish operational information as part
>of the test evaluation.
>
> “Much of the material in these proposed guidelines reflects planning and analysis
>done by others in recent years,” said Michael Roberts, ICANN interim CEO and head of
>the proposal drafting effort. “We’ve pulled that thinking together, updated it to
>reflect the agreement between ICANN and the government, and tailored it to the needs
>of NSI’s agreement with the U.S. Government for the introduction of competition in
>the .com, .org and .net domains. ICANN thanks all those who contributed.”
>
> As with any other change in Internet management, the introduction of the guidelines
>will be controversial. “We recognize that implementing changes in the domain-name
>system will be a contentious issue,” said Interim Chairman Dyson. “The point is to
>make the transition fair, and the results fair. As long as everyone knows the rules
>and can play on the same terms, we will have achieved that. As the initial board
>considers comments on the guidelines, we will work hard with the Internet community
>to develop guidelines that strike everyone as reasonable, sound, and transparent.”
>
> Along with the draft guidelines, ICANN also is posting several other policy drafts
>and documents on which it is seeking public comment-including a draft conflict of
>interest policy, a draft reconsideration policy, and applications received from
>entities seeking recognition as ICANN Supporting Organizations.
>
> About ICANN:
> The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) is a new, private,
>non-profit, international corporation formed by the global Internet community to
>assume responsibility for managing Internet technical coordinating functions
>including domain-name system (DNS) management, IP address block allocation, the
>coordination of the assignment of technical protocol parameters, and root server
>system management, now performed by, or on behalf of, the U.S. Government.
>
> ICANN was created by the global Internet community in response to “Management of
>Internet Names and Addresses,” a U.S. Government statement of policy issued in June
>1998, that invited the global Internet community to form a new, private sector
>organization to undertake management of Internet domain-name system functions. In
>November 1998, ICANN entered into an agreement with the U.S. Government to design
>and develop the methods and procedures that should be in place to transition DNS
>management responsibility to the private sector from the government. It is expected
>that this transition will be completed by September 2000.
>
> ICANN’s initial board is led by interim chairman Esther Dyson, and has members from
>six nations. This initial board, with assistance from staff and several committees,
>is working to pave the way for a smooth and stable transition to private sector
>management of technical management functions. The day-to-day management of ICANN is
>led by its interim President and CEO, Mike Roberts. The initial board members will
>be succeeded by board members elected by four different constituency groups,
>collectively representing a broad range of the Internet’s technical and user
>communities around the globe.
>
> -30-
>
> ICANN contacts:
> Esther Dyson
> Interim Chairman
> +1 (212) 924-8800
> [EMAIL PROTECTED]
>
> Michael M. Roberts
> Interim President and CEO
> +1 (650) 854-2108
> [EMAIL PROTECTED]
>
> Sean Garrett
> Director of Technology Policy Communications
> Alexander Ogilvy Public Relations Worldwide
> +1 (415) 923-1660, 170
> [EMAIL PROTECTED]
>
> Europe:
> Patrick Worms
> Vice President, Technology Communications
> Ogilvy Public Relations Worldwide, Brussels
> (+32-2) 545 6609
> [EMAIL PROTECTED]
>
> Asia:
> Patricia Ratulangi
> Senior Associate, Technology Practice Ogilvy Public Relations Worldwide, Singapore
> +65 2779563
> [EMAIL PROTECTED]
>
> __
> http://www.go.com
Regards,
--
Jeffrey A. Williams
CEO/DIR. Internet Network Eng/SR. Java/CORBA Development Eng.
Information Network Eng. Group. INEG. INC.
E-Mail [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Contact Number: 972-447-1894
Address: 5 East Kirkwood Blvd. Grapevine Texas 75208
