Question: Questions for all candidates in all regions. I would be grateful for an answer this week. In your opinion, who currently owns the domain name registry? Mulptiple choice (please choose one): a) US Govt; b) ICANN; c) NSI; d) Other (Please specify)

Nominee Replies

Andy Mueller-Maguhn - posted on 2000-09-23 16:16:38 In europe, multiple-choice is normaly not the way we express our opinions. Obvious, NSI and others are legimitated by ICANN, ICANN is legitimated by the US Government but who legitimated the US Government to legitimate ICANN? Shit happens. The history of the internetīs domain system is not free of that. I hope you understand, that I think it is more important to create alternative and working models for the future than blaming the situation to be, as it is. Olivier Muron - posted on 2000-09-20 04:41:40 Speaking about domain names and registries, ownership is not the right concept. As a domain name holder, you have a right of use of this name but you are not the owner of this name. A ccTLD registry has been delegated the registry of a country code top level domain and so manages the domain but does not own it. The managers of a domain have the duty to serve the local community and to deploy the adequate technical means for a good service. If they do not do it, the ccTLD registry can be redelegated to someone else with the right capabilities. For the registry of .com, .org, .net, NSI has a contract to operate it (first with the US Department of Commerce, then with ICANN). This contract is for a given period of time and at the end of this period an open, transparent procedure for designating a Successor Registry will be established by ICANN (see http://www.icann.org/nsi/nsi-registry-agreement-04nov99.htm). So NSI does not own the registry. Alf Hansen - posted on 2000-09-18 11:08:12 With the term The Registry I assume you mean the collection of registries for gTLD and approximately 250 ccTLD registries. The gTLD registriy is managed by NSI under a formal contract with ICANN. Therefore ICANN owns the gTLD registry. Currently ICANN is owned by the US Govt. and they can substitute ICANN with something else, but I still think it is correct to say that ICANN is the formal owner of the gTLD registry. Currently there are no formal written agreements between ICANN and the ccTLD managers. Therefore it is correct to say that the formal owner of the 250 ccTLD registries are their respective companies. Most of them are non-commercial and some are commercial. Most of them are operated in understanding with their respective local Internet communities, including the Governments.