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The GNSO Vertical Integration Working Group is seeking comments on its Initial Report on Vertical Integration Between Registrars and Registries. This Initial Report [PDF, 731 KB] is posted for public comment as a required step in the GNSO’s Policy Development Process on Vertical Integration between Registrars and Registries. The Initial Report describes various proposed solutions for restrictions on vertical integration between registrars and registries for adoption in the New gTLD Program.

Please note: The Working Group is working under an extremely aggressive schedule in order to meet the requirements that have been placed on it by the GNSO Council and the ICANN Board. The Working Group is planning to continue its analysis throughout the public comment period. Reviewers are encouraged to submit comments early to provide the group as much time as possible to consider them.

The public comment period ends on 12 August 2010.

Background:

The GNSO Council has commenced a policy development process (PDP) on the topic of vertical integration between registrars and registries. The GNSO Council formed a working group to evaluate whether any policy recommendations should be developed on the topic of vertical integration between registrars and registries affecting both new gTLDs and existing gTLDs.

ICANN is currently in the process of finalizing the implementation details for the launch of new gTLDs. ICANN has posted four draft applicant guidebooks and a series of topic papers for public comment describing the manner in which ICANN proposes to implement this program. These documents include proposals on the topic of vertical integration and whether cross-ownership restrictions or other rules related to vertical integration should be adopted to apply to the New gTLD Program.

The Initial Report describes several proposals regarding vertical integration that have been developed and analyzed by the VI Working Group. No proposal has achieved consensus support within the VI Working Group. These proposals are included for the purpose of seeking public comment and will be subject to further analysis and debate as the VI Working Group continues to strive to develop a consensus position to recommend to the GNSO Council on an expedited basis.

The Initial Report published for public comment is a “snapshot” of a living document that will be revised several times during the public comment period. Reviewers are encouraged to check on the working-group wiki for the latest version of this Initial Report.

This public comment forum is an opportunity to comment on any of the proposed vertical integration models that are described the Initial Report. The Initial Report will be posted for a public comment period that closes on 12 August 2010. Comments can be sent to vi-pdp-initial-report@icann.org and reviewed at http://forum.icann.org/lists/vi-pdp-initial-report/.

Additional Information:

To review the Issues Report on Vertical Integration Between Registries and Registrars, please refer to http://gnso.icann.org/issues/vertical-integration/report-04dec09-en.pdf [PDF, 254 KB].

The ICANN Board resolution on Vertical Integration is posted at http://www.icann.org/en/minutes/resolutions-12mar10-en.htm#5.

To review the charter describing the policy work undertaken by the Vertical Integration Working Group, please refer to: http://gnso.icann.org/issues/vertical-integration/vi-chartered-objectives-10mar10-en.pdf [PDF, 41 KB].

For information on the details of the implementation planning activities for new gTLDs, please refer to the documents posted at http://www.icann.org/en/topics/new-gtld-program.htm

To review updates to the Initial Report that may be developed by the VI Working Group during the public comment period, please refer to the archive of Initial Report snapshots posted at https://st.icann.org/vert-integration-pdp/index.cgi?initial_report_snapshots.

Staff responsible: Margie Milam