ICANN AT-LARGE MONTHLY ANNOUNCEMENT

Submitted by namdhapha on Wed, 05/03/2008 - 11:29pm.

ICANN AT-LARGE MONTHLY ANNOUNCEMENT

Date:

1 September, 2004

EVALUATION
OF NEW TLDs – ICANN just posted an evaluation of the process
used to select the seven new top-level domains (TLDs):
.aero, .biz, .coop, .info, .museum, .name and .pro. The selection
of these TLDs in November 2000 was the first effort to expand the
domain name system (DNS) since the 1980s (other than by adding
country code top-level domains). The report addresses key questions
ranging from the effectiveness of intellectual property protections
to regulatory issues. It is part of ICANN’s effort to
evaluate the “proof-of-concept” under which the new
domains were introduced, and to define a new strategy by 30
September 2004 for selecting additional top-level domains. The
At-Large Advisory Committee (ALAC) has been pressing user concerns
on this issue and wants your comments. Post them via email to
<forum@alac.icann.org>.

WHO
WILL OPERATE THE .NET REGISTRY NEXT YEAR? – ICANN’s GNSO
(Generic Names Supporting Organization) recently issued
recommendations on how ICANN should designate a .net Registry
Operator next year. The GNSO Council, which includes an At-Large
liaison, recommended criteria and conditions which should be applied
in the selection of a successor registry operator. (Verisign’s
agreement to operate the .net registry expires 30
June 2005.) The GNSO report, which is posted at
<http://gnso.icann.org/issues/dotnet/dotnet-reportv9.pdf>,
includes such criteria as keeping .net un-restricted, allowing
existing registrants to maintain their .net registrations, and
maximizing choice for domain name system users (promoting
competition in the registration of domain names). It remains
silent, however, on whether the registry should be “thin”
(registrants’ personal data remains with the registrar) or
“thick” (registrants’ personal data also is kept
by the registry, and the registry's WHOIS service publishes this
data). Do you have an opinion? Post your views via email to
<forum@alac.icann.org>.

AT-LARGE
COMING TO A COUNTRY NEAR YOU – ALAC members and At-Large
community leaders invite you to meet them at, and/or participate in,
events scheduled this fall to share information and expand user
involvement in ICANN. In the Asia/Australia/Pacific region, Hong
Xue, Tommy Matsumoto, and Izumi Aizu will participate in: the
International Symposium on Public Participation in Internet
Governance in Seoul, Korea, on October 26, 2004; and the AP At-Large
Meeting, Seoul, Korea, on October 27, 2004; and meetings of AP
At-Large groups will be scheduled soon. In Europe, Vittorio Bertola
or Roberto Gaetano will participate in: Consultations on the
establishment of the Working Group on Internet Governance (WGIG),
Geneva, Switzerland, 20-21 September; the 23rd CENTR General
Assembly, Yerevan, Armenia, 21-22 September; and “The Debate
on Internet Governance: What's at Stake?”, London, UK, 24
September (at which Esther Dyson will speak). In Latin America,
look for ALAC member Erick Iriarte at the IV Congrès Mondial
de droit de l’informatique Alfa-Redi, Cuzco, Perou, 11-15
October; and more events will be added to the schedule in this
region this fall. In Africa, Pierre Dandjinou will be at ACT 2004
-- African Computing & Telecommunications Summit, Mauritius, 7-9
September; and the Worldwide Forum on E-Democracy,
Issy-Les-Moulineaux, France, 29-30 September. To meet-up with an
ALAC member, send an email to
<committee@alac.icann.org>.
See <http://www.alac.icann.org/calendar.htm>
for more events and information.

AT-LARGE
CONTINUES TO GROW – Thus far, 16 groups have been certified as
At-Large Structures in an effort to help individual Internet user
communities throughout the world participate in ICANN activities and
decision-making that affect them. In addition, five organizations
have At-Large Structure applications pending. Join a group or form a
new one. Information is posted at
<www.alac.icann.org/announcements/announcement-24sep03.htm>
and <www.alac.icann.org/applications/>.

EVALUATION
OF NEW TLDs – ICANN just posted for public comment an
evaluation of the process used to select the seven new top level
domains (TLDs): .aero, .biz, .coop, .info, .museum, .name and
.pro. The selection of these TLDs in November 2000 was the first
effort to expand the domain name system (DNS) since the 1980s (other
than by adding country code top-level domains). The report
addresses key questions ranging from the effectiveness of
intellectual property protections to regulatory issues. It is part
of ICANN’s effort to evaluate the “proof-of-concept”
under which the new domains were introduced, and to define a new
strategy by 30 September 2004 for selecting additional top-level
domains. The At-Large Advisory Committee (ALAC) has been pressing
user concerns on this issue and wants your comments. Post them via
email to <forum@alac.icann.org>.

Shortly
before the first of the new gTLDs were launched in September 2001,
the ICANN Board decided that it was important to evaluate the
“proof-of-concept” under which they were introduced. A
Task Force determined the scope of the evaluation and selected
priority questions to be the focus of the evaluation, including seven
addressing: the effectiveness of intellectual property protections,
compliance with registration restrictions, competition, the
reasonableness of the legal framework, and regulatory issues. The
report, which was prepared by an independent consultant, has been
posted at <www.icann.org>.

The
report is part of ICANN’s effort to evaluate the
“proof-of-concept” under which the new domains were
introduced, and to define a new strategy for selecting and
implementing additional top-level domains. In ICANN’s
memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the U.S. Department of
Commerce, ICANN is committed to “Define and implement a
predictable strategy for selecting new TLDs using straightforward,
transparent, and objective procedures that preserve the stability of
the Internet (strategy development to be completed by September 30,
2004 and implementation to commence by December 31, 2004).”

The
At-Large Advisory Committee (ALAC) has asked ICANN staff for more
information on plans and timelines for selecting new TLDs. Please
share your views via email to <forum@alac.icann.org>.
WHO
WILL OPERATE THE .NET REGISTRY NEXT YEAR? – ICANN’s GNSO
(Generic Names Supporting Organization) recently issued
recommendations on how ICANN should designate a .net Registry
Operator next year. The GNSO Council, which includes an At-Large
liaison, recommended criteria and conditions which should be applied
in the selection of a successor registry operator. (Verisign’s
agreement to operate the .net registry expires 30
June 2005.) The GNSO report, which is posted at
<http://gnso.icann.org/issues/dotnet/dotnet-reportv9.pdf>,
includes such criteria as keeping .net un-restricted, allowing
existing registrants to maintain their .net registrations, and
maximizing choice for domain name system users (promoting
competition in the registration of domain names). It remains
silent, however, on whether the registry should be “thin”
(registrants’ personal data remains with the registrar) or
“thick” (registrants’ personal data also is kept
by the registry, and the registry's WHOIS service publishes this
data). Do you have an opinion? Post your views via email to
<forum@alac.icann.org>.

ICANN
must adopt an “open, transparent procedure for designating a
successor Registry Operator by no later than one year prior to the
end of the agreement” [with Verisign], which would be 30 June
2004. The Board requested the advise of the GNSO, asking it to issue
a “consensus statement defining criteria and conditions to be
applied in the selection of a successor registry operator”.
After posting a draft report and seeking public comments, the final
report was approved by the GNSO Council (which includes an At-Large
liaison) as a consensus statement by more than a two-thirds majority
vote. Comments to the GNSO report can be viewed at
<http://forum.icann.org/lists/net-final-criteria>.
More information on ALAC actions is posted at
<http://www.alac.icann.org/gtld/>.
AT-LARGE
COMING TO A COUNTRY NEAR YOU – ALAC members and At-Large
community leaders invite you to meet them at, and/or participate in,
events scheduled this fall to share information and expand user
involvement in ICANN. In the Asia/Australia/Pacific region Hong
Xue, Tommy Matsumoto, and Izumi Aizu will participate in: the
International Symposium on Public Participation in Internet
Governance in Seoul, Korea, on October 26, 2004; and the AP At-Large
Meeting, Seoul, Korea, on October 27, 2004; and meetings of AP
At-Large groups will be scheduled soon. In Europe, Vittorio Bertola
or Roberto Gaetano will participate in: Consultations on the
establishment of the Working Group on Internet Governance (WGIG),
Geneva, Switzerland, 20-21 September; the 23rd CENTR General
Assembly, Yerevan, Armenia, 21-22 September; and “The Debate
on Internet Governance: What's at Stake?”, London, UK, 24
September (at which Esther Dyson will speak). In Latin America,
look for ALAC member Erick Iriarte at the IV Congrès Mondial
de droit de l’informatique Alfa-Redi, Cuzco, Perou, 11-15
October; and more events will be added to the schedule in this
region this fall. In Africa, Pierre Dandjinou will be at ACT 2004
-- African Computing & Telecommunications Summit, Mauritius, 7-9
September; and the Worldwide Forum on E-Democracy,
Issy-Les-Moulineaux, France, 29-30 September. To meet-up with an
ALAC member, send an email to
<committee@alac.icann.org>.
See <http://www.alac.icann.org/calendar.htm>
for more events and information.

The
At-Large calendar posted on this page contains links to the above
events and many others that may be of interest to the At-Large
community. These events are not sponsored by, nor endorsed by, the
ALAC.
AT-LARGE
CONTINUES TO GROW – Thus far, 16 groups have been certified as
At-Large Structures in an effort to help individual Internet user
communities throughout the world participate in ICANN activities and
decision-making that affect them. In addition, five organizations
have At-Large Structure applications pending. Join a group or form a
new one. Information is posted at
<www.alac.icann.org/announcements/announcement-24sep03.htm>
and <www.alac.icann.org/applications/>.