Background Paper:
Proposed Revisions to .info Registry Agreement to Implement Redemption Grace Period

Posted: 27 October 2003

Background Paper: Proposed Revisions to .info Registry Agreement to Implement Redemption Grace Period

On the agenda for the 31 October 2003 Board meeting is approval of revisions to the .info Registry Agreement to implement the Redemption Grace Period in that top-level domain.

Background of the Redemption Grace Period

The Redemption Grace Period is an ICANN-proposed initiative to respond to the increasing number of complaints made by customers with domain names that were unintentionally deleted and then registered by someone else, sometimes using the domain name to display content repugnant to the former registrant. Frequently the registrant experienced significant delays and costs in recovering the name and having the former services (web service, e-mail, etc.) restored.

The RGP Proposal provided for a 30-day period after deletion of every name, in which the domain name would no longer resolve but the former registrant (and only the former registrant) could have the name restored for a fee. After favorable public discussion, the Board concluded that the idea should be further explored. [See also this supplemental paper.] At its Accra meeting held 14 March 2002, the Board adopted the following resolution:

Redemption Grace Period

Whereas, on 14 February 2002 the ICANN staff posted a proposal to establish a Redemption Grace Period for unsponsored TLDs under which names deleted by registrars would be deactivated for thirty days, during which the registrant could redeem the name through a registrar before its being subject to re-registration;

Whereas, the proposal was the topic of discussion by registrars, registry operators, and users, including at numerous meetings, through e-mail, and at the ICANN Public Forum held 13 March 2002 in Accra, Ghana;

Whereas, the commentary received has shown that some domain names are being deleted without the intention of the domain-name holder;

Whereas, the community discussions have demonstrated broad support for the general points of the Redemption Grace Period Proposal, with the recognition that several technical details must be worked out before the proposal can be implemented;

Resolved [02.45] that the President is authorized to convene a technical steering group (including knowledgeable registry and registrar personnel and in consultation with the Domain Name Supporting Organization) to develop a concrete proposal implementing the Redemption Grace Period Proposal, to be considered by the Board at a later meeting after posting on the ICANN web site and an opportunity for public comment.

A technical steering group (consisting of three gTLD registrar representatives and three gTLD registry representatives) was convened and issued a report recommending adoption of the period and providing proposals for implementation details.

The technical steering group's proposal was posted on the ICANN website on 7 June 2002 and received broad community support at the ICANN Public Forum held 27 June 2002 in Bucharest, Romania.

In response to this, the Board adopted the following resolution in Bucharest:

Redemption Grace Period

Whereas, ICANN resolution 02.45 authorized the convening of a technical steering group to develop a concrete proposal for implementation of a Redemption Grace Period for deleted domain names;

Whereas, the Technical Steering Group's Implementation Proposal was posted on the ICANN website on 7 June 2002;

Whereas, the proposal called for implementing a Redemption Grace Period by instituting an extended Delete Pending Period and a new Restore capability, which will be a new Registry Service for which registry operators will be able to charge a cost-based service fee;

Whereas, the Redemption Grace Period proposal was discussed and received broad community support at the ICANN Public Forum held 27 June 2002 in Bucharest, Romania;

Resolved [02.83] that the President and General Counsel are authorized to conduct negotiations on behalf of ICANN toward appropriate revisions to agreements between ICANN and the unsponsored TLD registry operators to implement the Redemption Grace Period in a manner consistent with the Technical Steering Group's Implementation Proposal.

Contractual Implementation

The contractual implementation of the Redemption Grace Period is being accomplished by revisions to ICANN's registry agreements with each unsponsored TLD operator to accommodate the provision of the restoration capability as an additional service.

On 15 January 2003, ICANN provisionally authorized VeriSign to introduce a Redemption Grace Period in the .com and .net top-level domains. VeriSign introduced the service on 25 January 2003. On 25 February 2003, the Board adopted resolution 03.17 confirming the authorization for amendment of the .com and .net registry agreements with VeriSign to implement the Redemption Grace Period Service.

On 2 June 2003, the Board adopted resolution 03.82 confirming the authorization for amendment to the .biz registry Agreement with NeuLevel to implement the Redemption Grace Period Service.

On 19 August 2003, the Board adopted resolution 03.141 confirming the authorization for amendment to the .org Registry Agreement with PIR to implement a Redemption Grace Period in the .org top-level domain.

ICANN and Afilias have now completed negotiations of revisions to the .info registry agreement for implementation of the Redemption Grace Period Service. The proposed .info Redemption Grace Period Service substantially meets the specifications established by the Technical Steering Group's Implementation Proposal and, from a customer perspective, will be equivalent to the Redemption Grace Period Service offered by other registries. Afilias has proposed a maximum restoration fee of US$40. Accommodation of the Redemption Grace Period Service entails revisions to four of the agreement's appendices, as shown in the following redlined documents:

• Appendix C, Section I (Grace and Pending Period Policy - Functional Specifications)
• Appendix C, Section J (Additional Services – Functional Specifications)
• Appendix G (Registry Operator Maximum Price Schedule)
• Appendix O (Whois Specification - Public Whois)
• Appendix T (Registry Operator's Monthly Report)

Note:
The decision of whether and how to implement a Redemption Grace Period in sponsored top-level domains has been left to the sponsors of those domains.

Page Updated 27-Oct-2003
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