The redlining below shows changes proposed to the 11 May 2001 version of Appendix C of the .biz Registry Agreement to implement the Redemption Grace Period. Added text is shown with underlining and in magenta; deleted text is shown stricken out and in red.

Functional Specifications

C.11 Additional Services

Redemption Grace Period

Overview

The Redemption Grace Period Service allows registrars to restore Registered Names that were unintentionally deleted and are still within a thirty-day Redemption Grace Period (RGP). The RGP Service cover all names deleted by registrars, with the exception of those names deleted in the Add Grace Period.

The RGP Service may be implemented in two stages. Stage 1 is as described in the following. In the future, ICANN and Registry Operator will discuss implementation of Stage 2, with the goal, if feasible, of allowing registrants to choose which registrar will restore their deleted name(s).

Implementation

The .biz Registry RGP is a fully automated and EPP-compliant implementation. Only statuses defined in the current EPP specifications will be used. As such all domains slated for deletion will remain in PendingDelete status for 35 days or until they are restored.

PendingDelete Status:

All domains deleted outside the Add Grace Period will be placed on PendingDelete status for a total of 35 days, after which time the names will be purged from the Registry database and made available again for registration.
During this PendingDelete timeframe, domain names can only be restored during the first 30 days, and cannot be otherwise modified. The only action allowed by the Registrar is the restoration of the domain name.

Note: BULK TRANSFER operations are allowed within the 30-day RGP provided that such transfer is in accordance with Exhibit D to Appendix F. The gaining registrar in any ICANN-approved bulk transfer assumes the role of the deleting registrar with regards to any name in the PendingDelete status sponsored by the losing registrar at the time of transfer.

Note: TRANSFER or modification requests shall not be allowed during the RGP.
Upon being placed in PendingDelete status, domain names will be immediately removed from the DNS, but will remain in the Whois with a notation about their availability of being restored. (See Appendix O for further details).
At the conclusion of the 30-day RGP, the domain will remain on PendingDelete for an additional five days. During this time, the domain cannot be restored, modified, deleted, or transferred. At the conclusion of this five-day period, the domain will be purged from the Registry database and hence available for re-registration.

Restore Command:

The implementation of the Redemption Grace Period Service involves one command.

RESTORE Command: Registrars may restore names by using the existing EPP Renew command. In addition, EPP extensions will be used to capture the additional required reporting information, see below. A successful restore command will terminate the PendingDelete status, remove the deleted status attribute from the registration and return the registered name to the same state it was in immediately prior to the delete request.
If the registered name is past its expiration date at the time it is restored, then, following the restore, its registration term will be extended by the minimum term of years necessary to bring it current. The registrar will first be debited for the restoration and following for the renewal term.

There is no Restore Grace Period.

Appropriate Use of the Restore Capability

Registrars may only RESTORE Registered Names in order to correct unintentional deletions caused by registrant, registrar, or registry mistake (or as required by operation of the UDRP or other applicable dispute resolution policy in order to implement a court, arbitral tribunal or Administrative Panel decision). Restoring Registered Names in order to assume the rights to use or sell them will be considered an abuse of the system and will give Registry Operator the ability to delete those impacted domain names or terminate the Registry-Registrar Agreement.

Registrar Reporting Requirement

In order to facilitate verification of registrar compliance with the intended purpose of the Redemption Grace Period Service, Registrars are required to submit a "Registrar Restore Report" to the Registry Operator with a copy to ICANN.
The reports will be generated as set forth by the Registry Operator through the restore command (EPP extensions) and in accordance with the below:

The following data shall be provided by the Registry Operator:

• WHOIS data for deleted name, as it existed prior to deletion
• WHOIS data for deleted name, as it existed at the time of report submission
• Exact date and time of deletion
• Exact date and time of restore

The following data shall be submitted by the registrar as part of the restore command. Failure to provide all of the following data at the time the restore command is submitted will result in a failure to restore the domain name.

• Written explanation and corresponding reason code as to why registered name was restored (e.g., registrant mistake, registrar mistake, registry mistake, dispute resolution, etc.)
• Written statement affirming that Registrar has not restored the .BIZ domain name in question in order to assume the rights to use or sell the name for itself or for any third party (unless the name was restored as required to give effect to an order or decision from a court, arbitral tribunal or Administrative Panel – in such cases a copy of the order should be provided separately to the Registry Operator by no later than five (5) business days following the restore).
• Written statement affirming that information in report is factually accurate to the best of the Registrar’s knowledge, and that the registrar acknowledges that intentionally supplying false information in the Restore Report shall constitute an incurable material breach of the Registry-Registrar Agreement and may result in the deletion of the impacted domain name(s).
  

The registry will maintain (for two years) copies of all Restore commands, as well as provide ICANN with copies of such reports. Further, the registry will include in its monthly report to ICANN the number of Restore Reports received (see Appendix T).

Registry Transparency Requirement – Registry Reports

The Registry will provide comprehensive, regularly updated lists of names with a PendingDelete status to all Registrars via an FTP or SCP mechanism; these lists will include corresponding dates of deletion. These reports will only include names in the last five days of the PendingDelete status.

Registry Transparency – Public Whois

See Appendix O.

Registry Fees for Restoring Deleted Names

The maximum registry fee for restoring a deleted name is set forth in Appendix G to the Registry Agreement. The Redemption Grace Period Service fee is separate from, and in addition to, the ordinary charges for registration term extensions.

Page Updated: 29-May-2003
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