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ICANN POLICY UPDATE | Volume 09, Issue 10 – October 2009

PDF Version [372 KB]

http://www.icann.org/en/topics/policy/

CONTENTS:

Across ICANN

  1. Webcasts and Workshops Explain Issues for Newcomers and Veterans Alike
  2. Policy and Related Issues Currently Open for Public Comment

ccNSO

  1. New Web Page Answers Frequently Asked Questions
  2. Council Nominations Close; No Election Needed
  3. ccNSO Launches Survey on ICANN’s Strategic Priorities
  4. ccNSO Publishes Results of DNSSEC Survey

GNSO

  1. GNSO Makes Final Preparations for Seating New Council in Seoul
  2. GNSO to Evaluate Vertical Separation between Registries and Registrars
  3. Qualified Researchers Sought for Studying Misuse of Whois
  4. Inter-Registrar Transfer Policies Group to Hold Open Meeting in Seoul
  5. Post-Expiration Domain Name Recovery Working Group to Host Workshop in Seoul
  6. Registration Abuse Policies Group Asks, Would More Contract Uniformity Provide Benefits?

ASO

  1. RIRs Update Global Policy Proposal for Recovered IPv4 Addresses
  2. RIR Proposal to Postpone Transition to 32-Bit ASN Gains Momentum

Joint Efforts

  1. Internationalized Registration Data Working Group Launches
  2. Geographic Regions WG Seeks More Public Comment
  3. GNSO/ALAC RAA Working Group Ready to Draft Amendments, Registrant Rights

At-Large

  1. Community Collaborates on How to Select a Voting Member of the ICANN Board
  2. Elections for At-Large Board Liaison and Five ALAC Seats Conclude
  3. At-Large Outline for Implementing Review Recommendations Will Go to the Board

SSAC

  1. SSAC Prioritizes at First Annual Member Retreat

Read Policy Update in Your Preferred Language

ICANN Policy Update is available in all six official languages of the United Nations: English (EN), Spanish (ES), French (FR), Arabic (AR), Chinese (Simplified -- zh-Hans ), and Russian (RU). Policy Update is posted on ICANN’s website and available via online subscription. To receive these updates in your Inbox each month, simply go to the ICANN subscriptions page, enter your e-mail address, and select “Policy Update” to subscribe. This service is free of charge.

ICANN Policy Update statement of purpose

Send questions, comments and suggestions to: policy-staff@icann.org.

What’s on the Calendar for Today?

Keep up-to-date on ICANN policy development by visiting the online calendars of ICANN’s policy development and advisory bodies. Three of the most active calendars include:


Across ICANN

1. Webcasts and Workshops Explain Issues for Newcomers and Veterans Alike

Briefings and updates available on many current topics

Many live workshops scheduled in Seoul; here’s just a sample:

What happens to my domain name if it expires? The Post-Expiration Domain Name Recovery Group (PEDNR WG) will host an update on their work where you can hear the latest and offer your input. At issue is whether the current policies of registrars on the renewal, transfer and deletion of expired domain names are adequate. See the article later in this issue of Policy Update, and participate in Seoul, Monday, 26 October 2009, 13:30 to 14:30 local time. Room: Sapphire 4 (L3).

How can Whois function in Chinese, Russian, Arabic…? There are no standards or guidelines yet for implementing internationalized registration data. Whois information (such as sponsoring registrar, technical contact, and other elements) needs to work globally. To learn what’s being done, attend “Internationalizing Registration Information (WHOIS Data)” in Seoul, Wednesday, 28 October from 1330 to 1500. Room: Crystal A (L2).

How do botnets harm consumers? The popular DNS Abuse Forum returns for its third meeting, with experts providing the latest updates on cybercrime. Guests are still being verified, but this is shaping up as another must-see session for security enthusiasts, consumer advocates, and anyone who wants to keep their defenses up against online criminals. Thursday, 29 October 2009, from 15:00 to 17:00. Room: Crystal (L2)

Not attending in Seoul? Choose your webcast

ICANN Staff regularly organizes audio briefings on topical policy issues. These briefings are programmed so that the information on the subject will be valuable for all ICANN stakeholder communities. Anyone who would like an overview of these issues should take advantage of these free resources.

Briefings generally feature simultaneous interpretation so users may participate in English, Spanish or French, and recordings are available in all three languages, along with any presentation materials from the briefings.

More Information

Currently available webcasts include:

Staff Contact

Matthias Langenegger, At-Large Secretariat


2. Policy and Related Issues Currently Open for Comment

Numerous public comment periods are open on issues of interest to the ICANN community. Act now for the opportunity to share your views on such items as:

  • Expedited Registry Security Request (ERSR). The Expedited Registry Security Request (ERSR) is the result of collaboration between ICANN and gTLD registries to develop a process for quick action in cases where gTLD registries inform ICANN of a present or imminent security incident to their TLD and/or the DNS and request a contractual waiver for actions they might take or have taken to mitigate or eliminate the incident. Public comment is sought on the proposed process; comment by 16 November 2009.
  • Domain Names Registered Using a Privacy or Proxy Service. ICANN, assisted by the National Opinion Research Center (NORC), recently completed a draft of its study of the percentage of domain names registered using a privacy or proxy service. Community members are invited to review the draft report and its findings and comment on all aspects of the report, by 20 November 2009.
  • Version 3 of the New gTLD Applicant Guidebook. This guidebook explains how to apply for a new generic Top Level Domain. Version 3 includes more than 50 changes incorporated from the last round of public comments. It is still in draft form for public comment and review; to influence the next version, comment by 22 November 2009.
  • Proposed Rights Protection Mechanisms in New gTLDs. New generic Top Level Domains could create problems for copyright holders and owners of intellectual property. Proposed rights protection mechanisms include creation of an “IP Clearinghouse” to prevent valid trademarks from being registered inappropriately, and a Uniform Rapid Suspension process for use in clear-cut, blatant cases of trademark infringement. Review and comment on these mechanisms by 22 November 2009.
  • NomCom Review – Draft Working Group Report. The ICANN Nominating Committee selects some ICANN Directors and other officials specified in ICANN’s Bylaws. The Bylaws also call for external review of ICANN structures, including the NomCom, “ to determine (i) whether that organization has a continuing purpose in the ICANN structure, and (ii) if so, whether any change in structure or operations is desirable to improve its effectiveness.” What do you make of the conclusions and recommendations from the review of the NomCom? Comment by 22 November 2009.
  • SSAC Review – Draft Working Group Report. As part of a regular cycle of external reviews of ICANN, JAS Communications reviewed the Security and Stability Advisory Committee. A Working Group solicited public comments on the JAS review and consulted with the SSAC community, incorporating further public comment. This resulting report will be finalized after this public comment period ends, on 22 November 2009.
  • Board Review – Draft Final Working Group Report. ICANN appointed the Boston Consulting Group/Colin Carter & Associates to perform an external review of ICANN’s Board of Directors. The review has gone out for public comment and consultation in several iterative rounds, and is nearly final. Comment on this version by 22 November 2009.
  • Proposed Bylaw Changes to Improve Accountability. ICANN’s Board has directed that two proposed accountability measures be posted for public comment, as the latest step in the Improving Institutional Confidence process. Please comment on the “Community Re-examination Vote” and the “Independent Review Board” ideas by 27 November 2009.
  • TNO Report Describing Root Scaling Model. The Netherlands Organization for Applied Scientific Research (TNO) has published a report describing the characteristics of a quantitative model that could be used for dynamic analysis of root scaling issues. Please comment by 29 November, 2009.
  • Root Scaling Study Team Report. the ICANN Board requested the Root Server System Advisory Committee (RSSAC), the Security and Stability Advisory Committee (SSAC), and the ICANN staff, including the IANA team, to study the potential issues regarding the addition of IDNs, IPv6 addresses, DNSSEC and substantial numbers of new TLDs to the root zone. Recommendations will be based on this report; comment by 29 November 2009.

More Information

  • For the full list of issues open for public comment, as well as a list of recently closed and archived public comment forums, refer to the Public Comments page.

ccNSO

3. New Web Page Answers Frequently Asked Questions

At a Glance

The country code names supporting organization (ccNSO) has launched a page answering Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs). It addresses topics ranging from “How do I become a member of the ccNSO?” to “How do I create a new top level domain?”

Next Steps

The ccNSO welcomes suggestions on how to improve the new page .

Background

After feedback from the community, as well as receiving random email questions to the ccNSO Secretariat about a variety of issues, the ccNSO felt that an FAQ page might improve the understanding of the work of the ccNSO.

More Information

Staff Contact

Gabriella Schittek, ccNSO Secretariat


4. Council Nominations Close; No Election Needed

At a Glance

A call for nominations to the ccNSO Council was made on the 11th September 2009. The nomination period closed on the 2nd October 2009.

Recent developments

No elections are needed, as only one candidate per region was nominated. The nominated and seconded Councilors are:

  • African Region: Paulos Nyirenda, .mw
  • Asia-Pacific Region: Chris Disspain, .au
  • European Region: Lesley Cowley, .uk
  • Latin-American Region: Rolando Toledo, .pe
  • North America: Keith Drazek, .us.

Keith Drazek (.us) is re-entering the Council again for the North American region, after one year’s absence. Oscar Moreno (.pr) is stepping down.

Rolando Toledo (.pe) is the only newcomer to the Council. He is taking Oscar Robles’s (.mx) seat for the Latin American region. Oscar decided to step down from the Council after having served on it since the first ccNSO Council was formed in 2004.

Background

One Councilor from each region is stepping down after the Nairobi meeting in March 2010. Each Councilor could be re-elected for another three-year term, or be replaced by another candidate.

More information

Staff Contact

Gabriella Schittek, ccNSO Secretariat


5. ccNSO Launches Survey on ICANN’s Strategic Priorities

At a glance

The ccNSO Strategic and Operational Planning Working Group (SOP) launched a short survey asking ccTLDs to give their views on ICANN’s Strategic Priorities for the planning period 2009 - 2012.

Recent developments

All ccTLD operators are invited to take the survey at https://study.opinionsearch.com/Start/ONLINE_47189/47189.html.

Next steps

The survey results will be presented in Seoul.

Background

The SOP Working Group has tried to define what ccTLDs think ICANN’s Strategic Priorities should be, and held a session on the issue during the Sydney meeting. The survey is a follow-up.

Staff contact

Gabriella Schittek, ccNSO Secretariat
Bart Boswinkel, Senior Policy Advisor


6. ccNSO Publishes Results of DNSSEC Survey

At a Glance

DNSSEC could make a major difference to the security and stability of the Internet. But does the Internet community understand and embrace what DNSSEC offers? To answer this question, the ccNSO Council updated and re-launched a DNSSEC Survey of country code operators, first conducted in 2007.

Recent Developments

The final report of the DNSSEC Survey has been published. The results show that interest in DNSSEC remains high. However, fewer ccTLDs have implemented DNSSEC than was predicted two years ago.

Next Steps

The ccNSO Council will review the feedback received and will contemplate on where to take it.

Background

The Swedish Registry (IIS.SE) and the European Network and Information Security Agency (ENISA) jointly requested that the DNSSEC survey be repeated. The survey of country code operators launched in late June 2009 and closed early September 2009. 65 replies were received.

More Information

Staff Contact

Gabriella Schittek, ccNSO Secretariat


GNSO

7. GNSO Makes Final Preparations for Seating New Council in Seoul

At a Glance

The Generic Names Supporting Organization (GNSO) community is working to implement a comprehensive series of structural changes designed to improve the efficiency, effectiveness and accessibility of the organization. To become familiar with the GNSO’s new structure and organization, please see the discussion and diagrams on the GNSO Improvements webpage.

Recent Developments

Transition to New Council Nearing Completion . In late September, the GNSO Council completed a comprehensive implementation plan to assure a smooth transition to the new Council at the Seoul ICANN meeting. The plan includes a process for the nomination and election of Council leaders, and review and approval of a new set of operating rules and procedures to govern the new Council’s work. You can read the implementation plan at https://st.icann.org/gnso-council/index.cgi?24_sept_motions.

The recommended new operating rules and procedures have been developed by one of the GNSO Work Teams (see below) and have been posted for public review and comment through 16 October.

New GNSO Constituencies Remain Under Consideration. All four of the proposed new GNSO Constituency charters (CyberSafety, Consumers, City TLDs and IDNgTLD) are still pending Board action. The Board discussed the proposals at its 30 July meeting and asked the Staff to conduct follow-up discussions with the various Constituency proponents to learn more about the various proposals. Responses to specific Board member queries have been prepared. You can see them at http://gnso.icann.org/en/improvements/newco-process-en.htm.

Board Appoints Three New GNSO Councilors to Represent Non-Commercial Interests. At its 30 September meeting, under the terms of the NCSG transitional charter approved by the ICANN Board of Directors on 30 July 2009, the Board appointed three individuals to serve as Non-Commercial Stakeholder Group (NCSG) representatives on the new Generic Names Supporting Organization (GNSO) Council:

  • Mohammed Rafik Dammak – Tunisia
  • Rosemary Sinclair – Australia
  • Debra Hughes – United States

The Board’s Structural Improvements Committee (SIC) considered applications from a talented and diverse group of volunteers, conducted extensive due diligence, carefully reviewed the candidates, and recommended to the full Board the slate of three candidates to serve on the GNSO Council for the next two years. The newly structured GNSO Council will hold its first meeting in Seoul, South Korea on 28 October 2009.

The three individuals were recommended by the SIC based on the combination of their skills, experience, background, knowledge, passion and ability to help build non-commercial participation and contribute to the work of the GNSO. The committee paid particular attention to the candidates’ ability to contribute geographically diverse representation on the Council.

Collectively, the appointees bring a wide range of skills and experience to the new Council. Mr. Dammak is a research student in Interdisciplinary Information Studies at Sakamura Laboratory, University of Tokyo where he is conducting research on ubiquitous computing. He is an active participant in IETF, IGF, the Creative Commons community and several ICANN projects that have served to focus his attention on technology, IDNs and community participation matters. His work in the IGF has been directed towards issues involving public participation capabilities and he has many productive relationships throughout Africa and the Middle East.

Ms. Hughes is currently Senior Counsel for the American Red Cross (ARC), the world’s largest humanitarian organization, where she advises the organization on various matters related to consumer privacy and consumer protection. She also works closely with the ARC’s information technology and information security teams to manage on-line matters and other Internet issues. She has broad career experience serving non-profit organizations.

Ms. Sinclair is the Chair of the International Telecommunications Users Group (INTUG) and Managing Director of the Australian Telecommunications Users Group (ATUG). She is a member of the group responsible for recently creating the Australian Communications Consumer Action Network (ACCAN) and has committed much of her recent efforts to high-speed broadband deployment in Australia and in other parts of the Asia/Pacific region.

Council and Work Team Implementation Efforts. The Operations Steering Committee (OSC) and Policy Process Steering Committee (PPSC), which were created by the GNSO Council, established five Work Teams staffed by volunteers from the GNSO and ALAC communities. The Work Teams develop specific proposals, processes and mechanisms for implementing the GNSO Improvement Recommendations endorsed and adopted by the Board. These five Work Teams have made significant progress on the following activities:

Policy Process Efforts:

  1. PDP Team
    The GNSO’s PDP Work Team is developing recommendations for a new policy development process (PDP), which they have split into five distinct phases. The team continues its drafting work, meeting weekly .
  1. Working Group Team
    The GNSO’s Working Group Model Work Team is developing two new guidebooks, "Working Group Implementation and Charter Drafting Guidelines" and "Working Group Operating Model Guidebook." Both have been outlined and are now in iterative cycles of being reviewed, having comments incorporated, and being reviewed again.

Operations Efforts:

  • The GNSO Operations Work Team considered further recommendations for a revised version of the GNSO Council Operating Procedures to reflect the ICANN Board’s GNSO Improvement recommendations and to incorporate draft amendments to the ICANN Bylaws.
  • The GNSO Constituency & Stakeholder Group Operations Work Team is meeting biweekly, and its three Sub Teams continue laboring diligently in the following areas: a framework for participation in any ICANN Constituency that is objective, standardized, and clearly stated has gone through a preliminary draft; operating principles that are representative, open, transparent, and democratic have been drafted and heavily commented on; and recommendations for creating and maintaining a database of all constituency members and others not formally a part of any constituency has been drafted and is receiving comments. In addition, the Sub-Team that is developing recommendations for a “tool kit” of basic administrative, operational and technical services that could be made available to all Constituencies has turned in a draft that the full Work Team now is considering.
  • The GNSO Communications Coordination Work Team (CCT) continues drafting recommendations to enhance the GNSO’s ability to solicit meaningful community feedback. In addition, the Work Team is drafting recommendations to improve GNSO’s coordination with other ICANN structures. The team has also developed ideas on how to make gnso.icann.org more usable. Proposed enhancements to the GNSO web site will be presented by webinar in October, and in person by CCT members at Seoul.

Next Steps

The new GNSO Council will be seated on 28 October 2009 in Seoul. The new Council will immediately act to approve its new operating procedures and will hold elections for Council leaders. The community work teams will continue their efforts in Seoul to develop recommendations for implementing the GNSO restructuring goals approved by the Board.

Background

Through a series of decisions at its February, June, August and October 2008 meetings, the ICANN Board has endorsed a series of goals for improving several aspects of the GNSO’s structure and operations. These decisions are a culmination of a two-year effort of independent review, community input and Board deliberations. To learn about the GNSO’s new structure and organization, please see the discussion and diagrams on the GNSO Improvements webpage.

More Information

Staff Contact

Robert Hoggarth, Senior Policy Director


8. GNSO to Evaluate Vertical Separation Between Registries and Registrars

At a Glance

According to a recent GNSO Council resolution, the upcoming opening of the market to many new TLD operators calls into question whether the GNSO should adopt policies related to the integration and cross ownership between gTLD registries and registrars. The GNSO has requested an issues report from ICANN Staff to determine whether policy work should be undertaken on this important topic.

Recent Developments

ICANN has published a series of Draft Applicant Guidebooks describing the implementation details for the upcoming opening of the market to many new TLD operators. An independent economist, retained by ICANN, suggests in the results of a study that the new gTLD program should include relaxed rules on integration and cross ownership between registries and registrars. Since the GNSO’s original recommendations about the new gTLD Program did not address this topic, the GNSO has requested that ICANN Staff prepare an issues report that provides analysis and identifies additional policy work that the GNSO could undertake on this topic.

Background

The Applicant Guidebook describes how to apply for new generic top-level domains (gTLDs). The latest draft was released on October 4. The policy recommendations adopted by the GNSO and the ICANN Board included Recommendation 19 that "Registries must use only ICANN accredited registrars in registering domain names and may not discriminate among such accredited registrars." This recommendation did not provide guidance on whether any policies addressing limitations on cross-ownership or vertical integration between registrars and registries should be included in the New gTLD Program.

The GNSO believes that opening up the market to many new TLD operators may call into question some of the assumptions on which the separation of registry and registrar functions is based. Economic research commissioned by ICANN Staff also suggests that changes in these assumptions might be justified. As a result, the GNSO Council requested that an Issues Report be delivered by 7 November, 2009, on future changes in vertical integration and cross-ownership between gTLD registrars and registries. The report should help the GNSO Council determine whether a policy development process should be initiated regarding what policies would best promote competition while protecting users and registrants.

More Information

Staff Contact

Margie Milam, Senior Policy Counselor


9. Qualified Researchers Sought for Studying Misuse of Whois

More requests for proposals on Whois studies expected before year-end

At a Glance

Whois is the data repository containing registered domain names, registrant contacts and other critical information. Questions persist concerning the use and misuse of this important resource. The GNSO Council continues its inquiries into the suitability of Whois as the Internet evolves.

Recent Developments

From public comments and from the Governmental Advisory Committee (GAC), suggestions in 2008 outlined two dozen areas worthy of study. These “hypotheses” have since been grouped into broad areas.

The first three study areas are:

  • Whois Misuse. The Misuse studies focus on the extent to which public Whois information is used for harmful purposes.
  • Whois Registrant Identification. Previously referred to as “Misrepresentation Study,” this effort will examine the extent to which domain names registered by legal persons or for commercial purposes are not clearly represented in Whois data.
  • Whois Proxy and Privacy Services. These studies will examine the extent to which privacy and proxy registration services are abused to: 1) obscure the source of illegal or harmful communication; and 2) may delay source identification.

On 27 September, ICANN Staff posted Terms of Reference (TOR) and a Request For Proposals (RFP) for the first of these study areas, inviting responses from qualified independent researchers to quote the cost and feasibility of the Whois Misuse Studies. Responses are requested by 27 November. An RFP and TOR for the Whois Misrepresentation Studies will be posted before Seoul. ICANN staff is aiming to release an RFP for Proxy and Privacy Services Studies by the end of 2009.

During June’s international meeting in Sydney, the ICANN Board passed a resolution asking the GNSO and the SSAC to form a joint Working Group, which would look at the feasibility of introducing display specifications so that the increasing prevalence of non-ASCII registration data does not compromise the accuracy of Whois. The community is in the early stages of convening this technical Working Group. The group will be soliciting input from other SOs and ACs, especially the GAC and ccNSO. The findings and output of this group may make further work unnecessary in the fourth broad area of study, the impact of international characters (non-ASCII) on Whois accuracy and readability — but that is still to be determined.

The fifth important study area, separately requested by the GNSO in May, would compile a list of Whois service requirements, based on previous policy discussions. Expect to see a study plan outlined in Seoul.

Staff intends to release study assessment information serially (as specific analyses on the individual study areas are complete). However, this work is an ongoing effort in which the initial feasibility assessments and cost determinations will take several months to complete. Staff will keep the GNSO Council informed of progress, so that the GNSO can then consider next steps.

Background

The GNSO Council specified study areas related to Whois, involving data misuse, use of non-ASCII character sets, proxy and privacy services, and the provision of inaccurate information. Click here for background details.

More Information

Staff Contact

Liz Gasster, Senior Policy Counselor


10. Inter-Registrar Transfer Policies WG to Hold Open Meeting in Seoul

At a Glance

The Inter-Registrar Transfer Policy (IRTP) aims to provide a straightforward procedure for domain name holders to transfer their names from one ICANN-accredited registrar to another. The GNSO is reviewing and considering revisions to this policy.

Recent Developments

The IRTP Part B Working Group has been meeting on a bi-weekly basis. The Group has developed a Constituency Statement Template to facilitate feedback from Constituencies on the charter questions and has continued discussions on whether a process for the urgent return or resolution of a domain name should be developed (the first question in the group’s charter).

Next Steps

The IRTP Part B Working Group will hold an open Working Group meeting in Seoul on Monday 26 October at 7.00 local time. (For further details, see http://sel.icann.org/node/6771/.) The Working Group is expected to start reviewing the comments received during the public comment period, which closed on 5 October. For further information, please consult the IRTP Part B Working Group Workspace.

Background

As part of a broader review of the Inter-Registrar Transfer Policy, the first in a set of five distinct policy development processes (PDPs) has now been completed (click here for background details) and a second one, IRTP Part B, has begun. The IRTP Part B Working Group addresses five issues, specified in the August issue of Policy Update and also in their Charter.

The GNSO Council expects the Working Group to pursue the availability of further information from ICANN compliance Staff to understand in what way relevant elements of the existing Inter-Registrar Transfer Policy are enforced. The WG should also request compliance Staff to review any policy recommendations it develops and provide advice on how the recommendations may best be structured to ensure clarity and enforceability.

More Information

Staff Contact

Marika Konings, Policy Director


11. Post-Expiration Domain Name Recovery Working Group to Host Workshop in Seoul

At a Glance

To what extent should registrants be able to reclaim their domain names after they expire? At issue is whether the current policies of registrars on the renewal, transfer and deletion of expired domain names are adequate.

Recent Developments

The Post-Expiration Domain Name Recovery Working Group (PEDNR-WG) has been meeting weekly. The Group has completed the development of a registrar survey, intended to provide additional information that can inform the deliberations of the Working Group. In addition, the Working Group has started the review of the comments received during the public comment period, which was launched to solicit comments on the questions outlined in the PEDNR WG Charter.

Next Steps

ICANN staff will be working to gather the necessary feedback for the registrar survey by reviewing registrar web sites and reaching out to registrars to obtain additional information that cannot be found online. The Working Group will hold an issue update / workshop at the ICANN meeting in Seoul on Monday 26 October at 13.30 local time. (For further information, please see http://sel.icann.org/node/6753/.) The Working Group will continue meeting to discuss and address the questions outlined in its charter . The Working Group should consider recommendations for best practices as well as (or instead of) recommendations for Consensus Policy.

Background

During the ICANN meeting in Cairo, the ALAC voted to request an Issues Report on the subject of registrants being able to recover domain names after their formal expiration date. The ALAC request was submitted to the GNSO Council on 20 November 2008. ICANN Staff prepared the Issues Report on post-expiration domain name recovery and submitted it to the GNSO Council on 5 December 2008. ICANN Staff provided the GNSO Council with clarifications on the questions raised in a motion that was adopted at its 18 December meeting. The GNSO Council reviewed these clarifications during its meeting on 29 January and agreed to create a Post-Expiration Domain Name Recovery drafting team to eventually propose a charter and to provide recommendations answering certain questions.

The GNSO Council adopted a charter for a Post-Expiration Domain Name Recovery Working Group (PEDNR WG) at its meeting on 24 June in Sydney.

Following the adoption of the charter, a call for volunteers was launched (PDF). In addition, a PEDNR workshop was held at the ICANN meeting in Sydney, enabling a first exchange of views with the broader ICANN community on the issues outlined in the charter above. (For a transcript and audio recording of the workshop, please see http://syd.icann.org/node/3869/.)

More Information

Staff Contact

Marika Konings, Policy Director


12. Registration Abuse Policies Group Asks, Would More Contract Uniformity Provide Benefits?

At a Glance

Registries and registrars seem to lack uniform approaches for dealing with domain name registration abuse, and questions persist as to what actions "registration abuse" refers to. The GNSO Council has launched a Registration Abuse Policies (RAP) Working Group to take a closer look at registration abuse policies.

Recent Developments

The RAP Working Group is meeting on a bi-weekly basis to address the issues outlined in its charter, such as: defining the difference between registration abuse and domain name use abuse; the effectiveness of existing registration abuse policies; and which areas, if any, would be suitable for GNSO policy development to address registration abuse. They have generated (and are reviewing) a document that provides working definitions of types and categories of abuse, and cites the primary target for each abuse type.

In addition, a Uniformity of Contracts sub-team formed, and has been meeting regularly to review existing abuse provisions in registrar and registry agreements and to discuss questions related to the uniformity of contracts. The sub-team is pondering issues such as, would there be a benefit to having more uniformity in contracts? How effective are existing provisions in dealing with registration abuse?

Next Steps

The RAP Working Group will hold an open Working Group meeting at the ICANN meeting in Seoul on Wednesday 28 October at 14.00 local time. For further information, please see http://sel.icann.org/node/7091/.

Background

Click here for more details.

More Information

Staff Contacts

Marika Konings, Policy Director, and Margie Milam, Senior Policy Counselor


ASO

13. RIRs Update Global Policy Proposal for Recovered IPv4 Addresses

At a Glance

Regional Internet Registries (RIRs) are currently discussing a proposed global policy for handling IPv4 address space returned from the RIRs to IANA. According to the proposal, IANA should act as a repository of returned address space and allocate such space to the RIRs in smaller blocks than it currently does, once the free pool of IANA IPv4 address space has been depleted.

Recent Developments

The RIRs discussed the proposal at their most recent meetings. APNIC has adopted the proposal, which has passed final call in AfriNIC and LACNIC. The proposal remains in the discussion stage in ARIN and RIPE, who contemplate modifying it.

A third update of the Background Report on recovered IPv4 addresses has recently been posted.

Next Steps

If adopted by all RIRs, the Number Resource Organization Executive Committee and the Address Supporting Organization Address Council (ASO AC) will review the proposal and then forward it to the ICANN Board for ratification and implementation by IANA.

Background

IPv4 is the Internet Protocol addressing system used to allocate unique IP address numbers in 32-bit format. With the massive growth of the Internet user population, the pool of such unique numbers (approximately 4.3 billion) is being depleted and a 128-bit numbering system (IPv6) will need to take its place.

The proposed global policy has two distinct phases; 1) IANA only receives returned IPv4 address space from the RIRs and 2) IANA continues to receive returned IPv4 address space and also reallocates such space to the RIRs. This proposal is connected to a recently adopted global policy for allocating the remaining IPv4 address space. When that global policy takes effect, it also triggers phase two in the proposal.

For more details, see “Global Policy Proposal for Handling Recovered IPv4.”

More Information

Staff Contact

Olof Nordling, Director Services Relations


14. RIR Proposal to Postpone Transition to 32-Bit ASN Gains Momentum

At a Glance

Regional Internet Registries (RIRs) are currently discussing a proposed global policy for Autonomous System Numbers (ASNs). The proposal would change the date for a full transition from 16-bit to 32-bit ASNs from the beginning of 2010 to the beginning of 2011, in order to allow more time for necessary upgrades of the systems involved.

Recent Developments

Last month, the proposal was introduced in all RIRs (AfriNIC, APNIC, ARIN, LACNIC and RIPE). It has entered final call in APNIC, has passed final call in LACNIC, and has been adopted in RIPE.

A first Background Report on the Global Policy Proposal for ASNs is posted.

Next Steps

If all RIRs adopt the proposal, the Number Resource Organization Executive Committee and the Address Supporting Organization Address Council (ASO AC) will review the proposal and then forward it to the ICANN Board for ratification and implementation by IANA.

Background

Autonomous System Numbers (ASNs) are identifiers used for transit of IP traffic. ASNs were originally 16 bits in length, but a transition to 32-bit ASNs is under way to meet increasing demand. In line with the adopted Global Policy currently in force for ASNs, 16-bit and 32-bit ASNs exist in parallel, but all will be regarded as 32 bits long beginning in 2010. The proposal defers that date to the beginning of 2011.

More Information

Staff Contact

Olof Nordling, Director Services Relations


Joint Efforts

15. Internationalized Registration Data Working Group Launches

How can Whois contact information remain readable in multiple languages?

At a Glance

As directed by the ICANN Board in June, the Security and Stability Advisory Committee (SSAC) and the Generic Names Supporting Organization (GNSO) are convening an Internationalized Registration Data Working Group (IRD WG). The group will study the feasibility and suitability of introducing display specifications that deal with the internationalization of Registration Data.  

Recent Developments

The SSAC and the GNSO approved the draft charter (PDF) for the IRD WG and are inviting SSAC members, GNSO participants, members of the GAC, the ccNSO, the ALAC, and the ASO to identify possible participants of the IRD WG with knowledge, expertise, and experience appropriate for studying the feasibility and suitability of introducing display specifications to deal with the internationalization of Registration Data.

Next Steps

The IRD WG will form. In addition, a Workshop is planned for the ICANN Seoul on Wednesday, 28 October from 1330 to 1500. The title is: “Internationalizing Registration Information (WHOIS Data)”.

Background

The creation of the Working Group responds to increasing community concerns that the Whois service has deficiencies, including technical areas noted in the recent SAC037 report, "Display and usage of Internationalized Registration Data" (PDF). Issues identified in the report include the accessibility and readability of Whois contact information in an internationalized domain name (IDN) environment.

On 16 September 2009, ICANN held an online presentation (a “webinar”) on the “Display and Usage of Internationalized Registration Data.” The presentation is available at http://www.icann.org/en/committees/security/ssac-presentations.htm.

Staff Contact

Julie Hedlund, Director, SSAC Support


16. Geographic Regions WG Seeks More Public Comment

At a Glance

The Geographic Regions Review Working Group works toward ensuring that representation in ICANN remains fair and geographically diverse, despite shifts in geopolitics. The group published its Initial Report for community review and comment and is now working on the second phase of its review efforts.

Recent Developments

The Working Group completed its Initial Report in late July and published the document in all six UN languages for community review and comment. The 35-day public comment forum closed on 4 September 2009 and the group is now looking to develop its Interim Report document. Community participation in the initial report comment forum was minimal (reference: http://forum.icann.org/lists/geo-regions-review/msg00001.html). As a result, the working group is taking additional time to develop the second phase of its project.

The Interim Report document will build on the foundation of the Working Group’s Initial Report and begins to focus on some of the critical issues that it will ultimately address in its Final Report document. The Interim report will address three specific areas: (1) confirm the foundation elements set forth in the Initial Report; (2) review the underlying objectives of ICANN’s geographic regions framework; and (3) identify specific matters to be addressed in the ultimate Final Report to be produced next year.

Next Steps

The working group hopes to spur additional community discussion about ICANN’s geographic regions framework at the ICANN meeting in Seoul, South Korea. The working group’s Interim Report document will be prepared for community review and comment before the end of this calendar year. A third “Final Report” that will include the working group’s recommendations (if any) will be published early next year.

Background

Click here for more details.

More Information

Staff Contact:

Robert Hoggarth, Senior Policy Director


17. GNSO / ALAC RAA Working Group Ready to Draft Amendments, Registrant Rights

At a Glance

In order to be accredited by ICANN, registrars sign a Registrar Accreditation Agreement (RAA) that commits them to certain performance standards. ICANN community groups are drafting a charter identifying registrant rights and discussing further amendments to the RAA.

Recent Developments

At its meeting on 3 September, the GNSO Council approved a charter to convene a drafting team (i) to draft a registrant rights charter in cooperation with ALAC, and (ii) to discuss further amendments to the RAA and to identify those on which further action may be desirable.

The drafting team solicited volunteers for each of these efforts and is commencing work, which will be conducted through two sub-teams. Sub-team (a), lead by Beau Brendler, is tasked with drafting the registrant rights charter. Sub-team (b), lead by Steve Metalitz, is tasked with identifying additional amendments to the RAA.

Background

The RAA is the document that describes the relationship between ICANN and its accredited registrars, and is signed by all accredited registrars.

More information

Staff Contacts

Margie Milam, Senior Policy Counselor


At-Large

18. Community Collaborates on How to Select a Voting Member of the ICANN Board

At-a-Glance

ICANN’s Board voted on 27 August 2009 that the At-Large community should, in principle, be able to appoint a voting member of the ICANN Board. Since then, At-Large has been developing a draft selection criteria and candidate requirements specification. The draft will be provided to the Board’s Structural Improvements Committee in Seoul.

Recent Developments

As part of a grassroots process, members of At-Large around the world have been interacting online and by telephone for more than a month, discussing how to select their representative to the Board. Most recently, a teleconference for the worldwide community was held on 8 October 2009.

More Information

Staff Contact:

At-Large Secretariat


19. Elections for At-Large Board Liaison and Five ALAC Seats Conclude

At a Glance

Each year between the June ICANN meeting and the ICANN Annual General Meeting (AGM), the At-Large community in each of the five geographic regions elects one member of the At-Large Advisory Committee, as well as the ALAC Board Liaison. Vanda Scartezini of Brazil will be joining the Board from At-Large for 2009/2010.

Recent Developments

Each year the At-Large Advisory Committee (ALAC) Board Liaison position, as well as five of the 15 ALAC seats are up for election, one in each of the five ICANN Geographic Regions. The electors are the authorized representatives of the members of the At-Large community in each of those regions, who are themselves federated into Regional At-Large Organizations (RALOs).

These elections are part of a set of positions At-Large fills between the second and third ICANN International meetings of the year. You can see complete information on the At-Large Elections 2009 page.

The following persons have been elected or re-elected for terms on the ALAC beginning at the end of the Seoul ICANN Meeting in October 2009 and concluding at the end of the meeting containing the ICANN AGM in 2011:

  • Mohamed El Bashir (Sudan) - representing the African RALO (AFRALO)
  • Cheryl Langdon-Orr (Australia) - representing the Asia-Australasia and the Pacific Islands RALO (APRALO)
  • Sylvia Herlein Leite (Brazil) - representing the Latin America and the Caribbean Islands RALO (LACRALO)
  • Gareth Shearman (Canada) - representing the North American RALO (NARALO)
  • Patrick Vande Walle (Luxembourg) - representing the European RALO (EURALO)

The ALAC elections are a part of a much larger series of At-Large elections and appointments occurring before the Seoul ICANN AGM.

The five-candidate contest for ALAC Board Liaison concluded on 30 September 2009. Ms. Scartezini will take up her position on the Board at ICANN’s Seoul meeting and will serve until the close of the third ICANN Meeting of 2010. Liaisons to the Board perform an important function in acquainting the Board with the views of the At-Large community and participating fully in the debates and discussions of the Board. These positions therefore carry both responsibility and influence.

More Information

Staff Contact

Matthias Langenegger, At-Large Secretariat


20. At-Large Outline for Implementing Review Recommendations Will Go to the Board

At a Glance

In June, an independent external review of At-Large concluded when ICANN’s Board approved recommendations from its At-Large Review Working Group. The WG report contains multiple recommendations. At-Large is now planning how to turn the recommendations into reality.

Recent Developments

In June 2009 the Board approved all but one recommendation of the Board’s At-Large Review Working Group’s Final Report.

The ALAC asked Staff to create a draft At-Large Review Implementation Plan containing all the recommendations and sub-recommendations in the Final Report for the entire At-Large community to review and comment upon. The comment period closed at the end of September. Comments received were incorporated into a final version, which is now being voted on. The recommendations in the At-Large Review Final Report will have important transformative impacts upon the At-Large community and its interactions with other parts of ICANN.

Next Steps

Once ratified by At-Large, the plan will be transmitted to the Board’s Structural Improvements Committee (SIC) for review at the Seoul meeting. The ALAC and the SIC will also meet to discuss the outline plan.

More Information

Staff Contact

Matthias Langenegger, At-Large Secretariat


SSAC

21. SSAC Prioritizes at First Annual Member Retreat

At a Glance

The Security and Stability Advisory Committee (SSAC) prioritized activities and developed a work plan at its recent, first annual member retreat.

Recent Developments

The SSAC held its first annual member retreat, 30 September through 1 October, 2009. SSAC members attended the retreat from around the world, including Europe, Africa, Canada, and the United States. The retreat helped to inform SSAC members, and also helped the committee prioritize its activities and prepare a work plan. Retreat topics included:

  1. SSAC Operations and Coordination, including the SSAC Charter; Member Roles; Workflow; SSAC Review Outcomes; and Engagement with ICANN Bodies;
  2. Substantive/Informational Issues, such as Registrant Protection and Abusive Behavior; DNS as an Attack Vector; SSAC/ICANN Role in Routing; Root Server System Robustness and its Future; and Security and Stability of the Internet (specifically, Gaming and Structural Issues with ICANN Rules).

Next Steps

The SSAC will publish a report detailing the discussions and action items from the retreat.

Staff Contact

Julie Hedlund, Director, SSAC Support

update-oct09-en.pdf  [269 KB]

Domain Name System
Internationalized Domain Name ,IDN,"IDNs are domain names that include characters used in the local representation of languages that are not written with the twenty-six letters of the basic Latin alphabet ""a-z"". An IDN can contain Latin letters with diacritical marks, as required by many European languages, or may consist of characters from non-Latin scripts such as Arabic or Chinese. Many languages also use other types of digits than the European ""0-9"". The basic Latin alphabet together with the European-Arabic digits are, for the purpose of domain names, termed ""ASCII characters"" (ASCII = American Standard Code for Information Interchange). These are also included in the broader range of ""Unicode characters"" that provides the basis for IDNs. The ""hostname rule"" requires that all domain names of the type under consideration here are stored in the DNS using only the ASCII characters listed above, with the one further addition of the hyphen ""-"". The Unicode form of an IDN therefore requires special encoding before it is entered into the DNS. The following terminology is used when distinguishing between these forms: A domain name consists of a series of ""labels"" (separated by ""dots""). The ASCII form of an IDN label is termed an ""A-label"". All operations defined in the DNS protocol use A-labels exclusively. The Unicode form, which a user expects to be displayed, is termed a ""U-label"". The difference may be illustrated with the Hindi word for ""test"" — परीका — appearing here as a U-label would (in the Devanagari script). A special form of ""ASCII compatible encoding"" (abbreviated ACE) is applied to this to produce the corresponding A-label: xn--11b5bs1di. A domain name that only includes ASCII letters, digits, and hyphens is termed an ""LDH label"". Although the definitions of A-labels and LDH-labels overlap, a name consisting exclusively of LDH labels, such as""icann.org"" is not an IDN."