ICANN|ARCHIVES

Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers

Last Updated 5 February 2004

The new transfer policy is intended to provide a procedure for the smooth transition of a domain name from one registrar to another when such a change is requested by the domain name holder. The Transfer Task Force Group has developed 29 policy recommendations for guiding such transfers. A Transfer Assistance Group (TAG) was formed with assistance from the Registry Constituency, the Registrar Constituency, the ALAC, and the Transfer Task Force. The TAG, in consultation with ICANN staff, has made a recommendation for implementation of the new policy, based on the 29 policy recommendations approved by the ICANN Board.

Status of the New Transfer Procedures

12 February 2003: The GNSO Transfer Task Force Group finalized their recommendation in a Final Report on Gaining and Losing Registrars to the GNSO Council. (The 29 policy recommendations).

20 February 2003: The GNSO Council voted unanimously to accept the GNSO Transfer Task Force Report. The report was then forwarded to ICANN's Board for further action and approval.

25 April 2003: The ICANN Board adopted the 29 policy recommendations, and further the President and General Counsel of ICANN were authorized to implement the policy recommendations, by consulting with knowledgeable parties.

July 2003: In consulting with such parties ICANN staff formed the Transfer Assistance Group (TAG). The TAG, along with ICANN staff, has worked on a recommendation for the implementation of the new transfer procedures, based on the 29 policy recommendations approved by the ICANN Board.

Jan 2004: The TAG provided ICANN's General Counsel with a final recommendation on how the transfer policy should be implemented.

ICANN's General Counsel has reviewed the final recommendation and has instructed ICANN Staff to provide the Registry Constituency, the Registrar Constituency, and the ALAC the opportunity of a 2 week comment period. The three constituencies will be contacted by the representative members of the TAG. These individuals will be responsible for collecting comments from the constituencies on the recommended implementation of the transfer policy, and reporting potential comments back to the ICANN Staff.

It is important that the members of the constituencies understand that only comments on the implementation and not the policy itself will be considered by the TAG members and by ICANN staff. The transfer policy is a consensus policy and has been adopted by the ICANN Board; hence ICANN is not seeking changes to the policy itself, but merely to the TAG's recommendation on the implementation of the policy.

After receiving such input from the TAG members, ICANN's General Counsel will make any final adjustments after which the final version of the transfer policy will be posted.

Depending upon those comments the new policy, including a timeline for when it will be effective and any additional instructions for the Registries and Registrars, is expected to be announced in March 2004.

The recommendation from the TAG contained the following elements:

1. The Transfer Policy
2. The Transfer Dispute Resolution Policy
3. The Standardized Form that must be used by a Gaining Registrar when requesting authorization for a transfer
4. The Standardized Form that can be used by a Losing Registrar if a request for confirmation for transfers is made

Members of the Transfers Assistance Group

• Bruce Tonkin - Melbourne IT
• Chuck Gomes - Verisign Registry
• Elana Broitman - register.com
• Grant Forsyth - TelstraClear
• Jeff Neuman - NeuLevel
• Paul Westley - Internetters
• Ross Rader - Tucows
• Sebastian Riccardi - ALAC member
• Thomas Roessler - ALAC member

For background information or additional information about the transfer policy process please click here for an earlier version of this document.