Registry-Registrar Agreement
This Registry-Registrar Agreement (the "Agreement") is between
The Global Name Registry Ltd., a company, with its principal place of
business located in 125 High Holborn, LONDON, WC1V 6QA, United Kingdom
("Registry Operator"), and [Registrar's name], a [jurisdiction
and type of organization], with its principal place of business located
at [Registrar's location] ("Registrar").
WHEREAS, Registry Operator has entered a Registry Agreement with the
Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers to operate a shared
registration system, TLD nameservers, and other equipment for the .name
top-level domain;
WHEREAS, multiple registrars will provide Internet domain name registration
services within the .name top-level domain; and
WHEREAS, Registrar wishes to act as a registrar for domain names and
other Registered Items (as defined herein) within the .name top-level
domain.
NOW, THEREFORE, for and in consideration of the mutual promises, benefits
and covenants contained herein and for other good and valuable consideration,
the receipt, adequacy and sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged,
Registry Operator and Registrar, intending to be legally bound, hereby
agree as follows:
1. DEFINITIONS
1.1.
"APIs" are the application program interfaces by which Registrar
may interact, through the RRP, with the Registry System.
1.2.
"Confidential Information" means all information and materials,
including, without limitation, computer software, data, intellectual
property, databases, protocols, reference implementation and documentation,
financial information, statistics, and functional and interface specifications,
provided by the Disclosing Party to the Receiving Party under this
Agreement and marked or otherwise identified as Confidential, provided
that if a communication is oral, the Disclosing Party will notify
the Receiving Party in writing, including by email, within 15 days
of the disclosure that it is confidential.
1.3.
"Defensive Registration" means a registration granted to
a third party of a specific string on the second or third level, or
of a specific set of strings on the second and third levels, which
will not resolve within the DNS but may prevent the registration of
the same string(s) on the same level(s) by other third party applicants.
Defensive Registrations are fully described in Appendix L to the Registry
Agreement.
1.4.
"Defensive Registration Holder" means the holder of a Defensive
Registration.
1.5.
"DNS" means the Internet domain name system.
1.6.
The "Effective Date" shall be the date on which this Agreement
is first executed by both parties.
1.7.
"ICANN" means the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names
and Numbers.
1.8.
"NameWatch Registration" means a registration of a specific
string in the NameWatch Service (as described in Appendix J to the
Registry Agreement.
1.9.
"NameWatch Registration Holder" means the holder of a NameWatch
Registration.
1.10.
"Personal Data" refers to data about any identified or identifiable
natural person.
1.11.
"Registered Items" means, collectively, Registered names,
SLD E-mail Addresses, Defensive Registrations and NameWatch Registrations.
1.12.
"Registered Item Holders" means the holders of Registered
Items.
1.13.
"Registered Name" refers to a domain name within the domain
of the Registry TLD, whether consisting of two or more (e.g., john.smith.name)
levels, about which Registry Operator (or an affiliate engaged in
providing Registry Services) maintains data in a Registry Database,
arranges for such maintenance, or derives revenue from such maintenance.
A name in a Registry Database may be a Registered Name even though
it does not appear in a zone file (e.g., a registered but inactive
name).
1.14.
"Registered Name Holder" means the holder of a Registered
Name.
1.15.
The "Registrar Tool Kit" comprises the items described in
Exhibit A.
1.16.
"Registry Agreement" means the Registry Agreement between
Registry Operator and ICANN dated [date of Registry Agreement] for
the operation of the Registry TLD.
1.17.
"Registry Database" means a database comprised of data about
one or more DNS domain names, SLD E-mail Addresses and Defensive Registrations
within the domain of the Registry TLD that is used to generate either
DNS resource records that are published authoritatively or responses
to domain-name availability look up requests or Whois queries, for
some or all of those names.
1.18.
"Registry Services" means services provided as an integral
part of the operation of the Registry TLD, including all subdomains
in which Registered Names are registered. In determining whether a
service is integral to the operation of the Registry TLD, consideration
will be given to the extent to which the Registry Operator has been
materially advantaged in providing the service by its designation
as such under the Registry Agreement. The development of technology,
expertise, systems, efficient operations, reputation (including identification
as Registry Operator), financial strength, or relationships with registrars
and third parties shall not be deemed an advantage arising from the
designation. Registry Services include: receipt of data concerning
registration of domain names and nameservers from registrars, provision
to registrars of status information relating to the Registry TLD,
dissemination of TLD zone files, operation of the Registry TLD zone
servers, dissemination of contact and other information concerning
domain-name and nameserver registrations in the Registry TLD.
1.19.
The "Registry System" means the system operated by Registry
Operator for Registered Items.
1.20.
"Registry TLD" means the .name TLD.
1.21.
"RRP" means the registry-registrar protocol as used by the
Registry System.
1.22.
"SLD E-mail Address" means an e-mail address consisting
of a second level domain name within the domain of the Registry TLD
and a defined user name (e.g., john@smith.name), about which Registry
Operator (or an affiliate engaged in providing Registry Services)
maintains data in a Registry Database, arranges for such maintenance,
or derives revenue from such maintenance.
1.23.
"SLD E-mail Address Holder" means the holder of an SLD E-mail
Address.
1.24.
"Term" means the term of this Agreement, as set forth in
Subsection 9.1.
1.25.
A "TLD" means a top-level domain of the DNS.
Other terms used in this
Agreement as defined terms shall have the meanings ascribed to them
in the context in which they are defined.
2. OBLIGATIONS
OF REGISTRY OPERATOR
2.1
Access to Registry System. Throughout the Term of this Agreement,
Registry Operator shall provide Registrar with access as a registrar
to the Registry System that Registry Operator operates according to
its arrangements with ICANN. Nothing in this Agreement entitles Registrar
to enforce any agreement between Registry Operator and ICANN.
2.2
Maintenance of Registrations Sponsored by Registrar. Subject to
the provisions of this Agreement, ICANN requirements, and Registry
Operator requirements authorized by ICANN, Registry Operator shall
maintain the registrations of Registered Items sponsored by Registrar
in the Registry System during the term for which Registrar has paid
the fees required by Subsection 4.1.
2.3
Provision of Tool Kit; License. No later than five working days
after the Effective Date, Registry Operator shall provide to Registrar
a copy of the Registrar Tool Kit, which shall provide sufficient technical
specifications to permit Registrar to interface with the Registry
System and employ its features that are available to registrars. Subject
to the terms and conditions of this Agreement, Registry Operator hereby
grants Registrar and Registrar accepts a non-exclusive, non-transferable,
worldwide limited license to use for the Term and purposes of this
Agreement, all components owned by or licensed to Registry Operator
in and to the RRP, APIs, any reference client software and any other
intellectual property included in the Registrar Tool Kit, as well
as updates and redesigns thereof, to provide Registered Item registration
services in the Registry TLD only and for no other purpose.
Subject to the foregoing
paragraph, software included within the Registrar Took Kit shall be
subject to the GNU Lesser Public General License (LGPL), a copy of
which may be found at <http://www.gnu.org>. If Registry Operator
elects to modify or upgrade the APIs and/or the RRP, Registry Operator
shall provide such updated APIs to the RRP with documentation and
updated software to Registrar promptly as such updates become available.
2.4
Changes to System. Registry Operator may from time to time make
modifications to the RRP, APIs, materials or other software licensed
hereunder that will modify, revise or augment the features of the
Registry System. Registry Operator will provide Registrar with at
least ninety days notice prior to the implementation of any material
changes to the RRP, APIs or software licensed hereunder.
This notice period shall not apply in the event Registry Operator's
system is subject to the imminent threat of a failure or a material
security threat, or the discovery of a major security vulnerability
or a Denial of Service (DoS) attack where the Registry Operator's
systems are rendered inaccessible by being subject to (i) excessive
levels of data traffic, (ii) unauthorized traffic; or (iii) data traffic
not conforming to the protocols used by the Registry Operator's system.
2.5
Engineering and Customer Service Support. Registry Operator shall
provide Registrar with engineering and customer service support as
set forth in Exhibit B.
2.6
Handling of Personal Data. Registry Operator shall from time to
time notify Registrar of the purposes for which Personal Data submitted
to Registry Operator by Registrar is collected, the intended recipients
(or categories of recipients) of such Personal Data, and the mechanism
for access to and correction of such Personal Data. Registrar shall
provide all such information to its registrants promptly upon receipt
from Registry Operator. Registry Operator shall take reasonable steps
to protect Personal Data from loss, misuse, unauthorized disclosure,
alteration or destruction. Registry Operator shall not use or authorize
the use of Personal Data in a way that is incompatible with the notice
provided to registrars.
2.7
Service Level Agreement. Registry Operator shall issue credits
to Registrar as described in Exhibit G. Registry Operator shall be
responsible for notifying Registrar of events that affect the performance
of the Registry System.
2.8
ICANN Requirements. Registry Operator's obligations hereunder
are subject to modification at any time as the result of ICANN-mandated
requirements and consensus policies. Notwithstanding anything in this
Agreement to the contrary, Registrar shall comply with any such ICANN
requirements in accordance with the timeline defined by ICANN.
3. OBLIGATIONS
OF REGISTRAR
3.1
Accredited Registrar. During the Term of this Agreement, Registrar
shall maintain its accreditation by ICANN as a registrar for the Registry
TLD.
3.2
Registrar Responsibility for Customer Support. Registrar shall
provide services including, but not limited to (i) support to accept
orders for registration, cancellation, deletion or transfer of Registered
Items and (ii) customer service (including Registered Item record
support) and billing and technical support to Registered Item Holders.
3.3
Registrar's Registration Agreement. At all times while it is sponsoring
the registration of any Registered Item within the Registry System,
Registrar shall have in effect an electronic or paper registration
agreement with the Registered Item Holder. The initial form of Registrar's
registration agreement is attached as Exhibit C (which may contain
multiple alternative forms of the registration agreement). Registrar
may from time to time amend those forms of registration agreement
or add alternative forms of registration agreement, provided a copy
of the amended or alternative registration agreement is furnished
to the Registry Operator ten (10) working days in advance of the use
of such amended registration agreement. Registrar shall include in
its registration agreement those terms required by this Agreement
and other terms that are consistent with Registrar's obligations to
Registry Operator under this Agreement.
3.4
Indemnification Required of Registered Item Holders. In its registration
agreement with each Registered Item Holder, Registrar shall require
such Registered Item Holder to indemnify, defend and hold harmless
Registry Operator, and its directors, officers, employees and agents
from and against any and all claims, damages, liabilities, costs and
expenses, including reasonable legal fees and expenses, arising out
of or relating to the Registered Item Holder's registration. The registration
agreement shall further require that this indemnification obligation
survive the termination or expiration of the registration agreement.
3.5
Compliance with Terms and Conditions. Registrar shall comply with,
and shall include in its registration agreement with each Registered
Item Holder as appropriate, all of the following:
3.5.1
ICANN standards, policies, procedures, and practices for which Registry
Operator has monitoring responsibility in accordance with the Registry
Agreement or under any other arrangement with ICANN; and
3.5.2
operational standards, policies, procedures, and practices for the
Registry TLD established from time to time by Registry Operator
in a non-arbitrary manner and applicable to all registrars, including
affiliates of Registry Operator, and consistent with ICANN's standards,
policies, procedures, and practices and Registry Operator's Registry
Agreement with ICANN. Among Registry Operator's operational standards,
policies, procedures, and practices are those set forth in Exhibit
E. Additional or revised Registry Operator operational standards,
policies, procedures, and practices for the Registry TLD shall be
effective upon thirty days notice by Registry Operator to Registrar.
3.6
Data Submission Requirements. As part of its registration and
sponsorship of Registered Items in the Registry TLD, Registrar shall
submit complete data as required by technical specifications of the
Registry System that are made available to Registrar from time to
time. Registrar hereby grants Registry Operator a non-exclusive, non-transferable,
limited license to such data for propagation of and the provision
of authorized access to the TLD zone files and as otherwise required
in Registry Operator's operation of the Registry TLD.
3.7
Security. Registrar shall develop and employ in its registration
business all necessary technology and restrictions to ensure that
its connection to the Registry System is secure and that all data
exchanged between Registrar's system and the Registry System shall
be protected to avoid unintended disclosure of information. Registrar
shall employ the necessary measures to prevent its access to the Registry
System granted hereunder from being used to (i) allow, enable, or
otherwise support the transmission by e-mail, telephone, or facsimile
of mass unsolicited, commercial advertising or solicitations to entities
other than its own existing customers; or (ii) enable high volume,
automated, electronic processes that send queries or data to the systems
of Registry Operator, any other registry operated under an agreement
with ICANN, or any ICANN-accredited registrar, except as reasonably
necessary to register Registered Items or to modify existing registrations.
3.8
Resolution of Technical Problems. Registrar shall employ necessary
employees, contractors, or agents with sufficient technical training
and experience to respond to and fix all technical problems concerning
the use of the RRP, the APIs and the systems of Registry Operator
in conjunction with Registrar's systems. In the event of significant
degradation of the Registry System or other emergency, Registry Operator
may, in its sole discretion, temporarily suspend Registrar's access
to the Registry System. Such temporary suspensions shall be applied
in a non-arbitrary manner and shall apply fairly to any registrar
similarly situated, including affiliates of Registry Operator.
3.9
Time. In the event of any dispute concerning the time of the entry
of a Registered Item registration into the Registry Database, the
time shown in the Registry Operator's records shall control.
3.10
Change in Registrar Sponsoring Registered Item. Registrar may
assume sponsorship of a Registered Item Holder's existing registration
from another registrar
by following the policy set forth in Exhibit D. When transferring
sponsorship of a Registered Item to or from another registrar, Registrar
shall comply with the requirements of Exhibit D.
3.11
Restrictions on Registered Items. In addition to complying with
ICANN standards, policies, procedures, and practices limiting Registered
Items that may be registered, and Registry Operator policies pursuant
to Subsection 3.5, Registrar agrees to comply with applicable statutes
and regulations limiting the Registered Items that may be registered.
3.12
Changes in Volume. Registrar must inform Registry Operator any
time its estimated volume of transactions (excluding check domain
commands) will exceed its previous month's volume by more than twenty-five
percent (25%). Failure to so inform Registry Operator may result in
a reduction of credits issued to Registrar by Registry Operator, as
described in Exhibit G.
4. FEES
4.1
Amount of Registry Operator Fees. Registrar agrees to pay Registry
Operator the fees set forth in Exhibit F for initial and renewal registrations
and other services provided or which may in the future be provided
by Registry Operator to Registrar (collectively, "Fees").
Registry Operator reserves the right to revise the Fees prospectively
upon thirty days notice to Registrar, provided that such adjustments
are consistent with Registry Operator's Registry Agreement with ICANN.
4.2
Payment of Registry Operator Fees. In advance of incurring Fees,
Registrar shall establish a prepaid account facility or such other
facility as may be agreed between the parties. The prepaid account
facility will be subject to the following criteria:
4.2.1
Registrar may remit funds to its prepaid account at times and in
amounts of Registrar's choosing. These funds will be added to Registrar's
prepaid account.
4.2.2
Registrar's account shall be maintained in United States dollars
or such other currency as Registry Operator may designate from time
to time.
4.2.3
Fees incurred by Registrar will be deducted from the Registrar's
prepaid account when incurred. Refunds of fees due to the Registrar
will be added on to Registrar's prepaid account.
4.2.4
Registry Operator will only provide Fee-based services under this
Agreement if Registrar has sufficient funds in its prepaid account
to cover the requested activity plus any direct or indirect taxation
that may be due. It shall be Registrar's responsibility to ensure
that an adequate level of funds is maintained in its prepaid account
to allow for uninterrupted business.
4.2.5
Registry Operator will maintain a record of funds received and Fees
incurred by Registrar and will make such record available to Registrar
for reconciliation purposes.
4.2.6
No interest will be paid on prepaid accounts.
4.3
Deletions and Refunds. Within one hundred twenty (120) hours after
registering or renewing any Registered Item, Registrar may cancel
such registration or renewal without cause and request a full refund
of the Fees incurred for such registration or renewal. Registry Operator
will provide such refund only if Registrar cancels the Registered
Item within such period using the appropriate command in the RRP.
Registry Operator shall not grant refunds under any other circumstances.
Deleted Registered Items shall be available for new registration immediately.
4.4
Receipts of Funds. Funds for Registrar's prepaid account shall
be wired as immediately available funds to a bank account designated
from time to time by Registry Operator. Registry Operator shall add
such funds to Registrar's prepaid account balance only after Registry
Operator receives confirmation from its bankers of the deposit of
funds in Registry Operator's account. Registry Operator shall not
be responsible for any delays in the wiring of funds. The amount of
funds recognized and added to Registrar's prepaid account shall be
net of any bank charges or currency exchange charges. Where currency
is exchanged in the course of the wire transfer, the exchange rate
determined by Registry Operator's bank shall govern.
4.5
Invoicing. Within thirty (30) days after the end of each calendar
month, Registry Operator shall provide Registrar with an invoice showing
the Fees incurred during such calendar month and the remaining balance
in Registrar's prepaid account.
4.6
Return of Prepayment Balance. Registrar may request, at any time,
that Registry Operator return all or part of the funds in Registrar's
prepaid account. Such request must be made to Registry Operator's
designated account manager for such Registrar. Registry Operator shall
remit such return to Registrar within seven (7) business days after
receipt of Registrar's request by such account manager.
4.7
Parity of ICANN Support Fees. Registry Operator may pay Variable
Registry-Level Fees to ICANN under Subsection 3.14.2 of its Registry
Agreement with ICANN. In consideration of Registry-Operator's payment
of these fees, Registrar provides the following assurance of parity
of support of ICANN among TLDs: For any period in which (i) Registry
Operator pays ICANN Variable Registry-Level Fees for the Registry
TLD; (ii) Registrar is not required to pay ICANN an on-going component
of registrar accreditation fees for accreditation as a registrar in
the Registry TLD; (iii) the Registry Operator for the .com, .net and
.org is not obligated by its Registry Agreement with ICANN to pay
ICANN Variable Registry-Level Fees; and (iv) Registrar is accredited
by ICANN as a registrar in the .com, .net, and .org TLDs, Registrar
hereby gives its express approval of an on-going component of its
Registrar accreditation fees for .com, .net and .org TLDs that is
equivalent, on a per-name basis, to the Variable Registry-Level Fee
paid by Registry Operator to ICANN with respect to the Registry TLD.
5. CONFIDENTIALITY
AND INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY
5.1
Use of Confidential Information. During the Term of this Agreement,
each party (the "Disclosing Party") may disclose Confidential
Information to the other party (the "Receiving Party").
Each party's use and disclosure of the Confidential Information of
the other party shall be subject to the following terms and conditions:
5.1.1
The Receiving Party shall treat as strictly confidential, and use
all reasonable efforts to preserve the secrecy and confidentiality
of, all Confidential Information of the Disclosing Party, including
implementing reasonable physical security measures and operating
procedures.
5.1.2
The Receiving Party agrees that it will use any Confidential Information
of the Disclosing Party solely for the purpose of exercising its
rights or performing its obligations under this Agreement and for
no other purposes whatsoever.
5.1.3
The Receiving Party shall make no disclosures whatsoever of any
Confidential Information of the Disclosing Party to others; provided,
however, that if the Receiving Party is a corporation, partnership,
or similar entity, disclosure is permitted to the Receiving Party's
officers, employees, contractors and agents who have a demonstrable
need to know such Confidential Information, provided the Receiving
Party shall advise such personnel of the confidential nature of
the Confidential Information and of the procedures required to maintain
the confidentiality thereof, and shall require them to acknowledge
in writing that they have read, understand, and agree to be individually
bound by the confidentiality terms of this Agreement.
5.1.4
The Receiving Party shall not modify or remove any confidentiality
legends and/or copyright notices appearing on any Confidential Information
of the Disclosing Party.
5.1.5
The Receiving Party agrees not to prepare any derivative works based
on the Confidential Information.
5.1.6
Notwithstanding the foregoing, this Subsection 5.1 imposes no obligation
upon the parties with respect to information that (i) is disclosed
in the absence of a confidentiality agreement and such disclosure
was agreed to by the Disclosing Party in writing prior to such disclosure;
or (ii) is or has entered the public domain through no fault of
the Receiving Party; or (iii) is known by the Receiving Party prior
to the time of disclosure; or (iv) is independently developed by
the Receiving Party without use of the Confidential Information;
or (v) is made generally available by the Disclosing Party without
restriction on disclosure.
5.1.7
The Receiving Party's duties under this Subsection 5.1 shall expire
two (2) years after the expiration or termination of this Agreement
or earlier, upon written agreement of the parties.
5.2
Intellectual Property.
5.2.1
Subject to the licenses granted hereunder, each party will continue
to independently own its intellectual property, including all patents,
trademarks, trade names, service marks, copyrights, trade secrets,
proprietary processes and all other forms of intellectual property.
5.2.2
Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, no commercial
use rights or any licenses under any patent, patent application,
copyright, trademark, know-how, trade secret, or any other intellectual
proprietary rights are granted by the Disclosing Party to the Receiving
Party by this Agreement, or by any disclosure of any Confidential
Information to the Receiving Party under this Agreement.
6. INDEMNITIES
AND LIMITATION OF LIABILITY.
6.1
Indemnification. Registrar, at its own expense and within thirty
days after presentation of a demand by Registry Operator under this
Section, will indemnify, defend and hold harmless Registry Operator
and its employees, directors, officers, representatives, agents and
affiliates, against any claim, suit, action, or other proceeding brought
against Registry Operator or any affiliate of Registry Operator based
on or arising from any claim or alleged claim: (i) relating to any
product or service of Registrar; (ii) relating to any agreement, including
Registrar's dispute policy, with any Registered Item Holder or Registrar;
or (iii) relating to Registrar's Registered Item registration business,
including, but not limited to, Registrar's advertising, Registered
Item application process, systems and other processes, fees charged,
billing practices and customer service; Registry Operator shall provide
Registrar with prompt notice of any such claim, and upon Registrar's
written request, Registry Operator will provide to Registrar all available
information and assistance reasonably necessary for Registrar to defend
such claim, provided that Registrar reimburses Registry Operator for
its actual and reasonable costs incurred in connection with providing
such information and assistance. Registrar will not enter into-any
settlement or compromise of any such indemnifiable claim without Registry
Operator's prior written consent, which consent shall not be unreasonably
withheld. Registrar will pay any and all costs, damages, and expenses,
including, but not limited to, reasonable attorneys' fees and costs
awarded against or otherwise incurred by Registry Operator in connection
with or arising from any such indemnifiable claim, suit, action or
proceeding.
6.2
Representation and Warranty. Registrar represents and warrants
that: (i) it is a corporation duly incorporated, validly existing
and in good standing under the laws of [insert Country, State], (ii)
it has all requisite corporate power and authority to execute, deliver
and perform its obligations under this Agreement, (iii) the execution,
performance and delivery of this Agreement has been duly authorized
by Registrar, and (iv) no further approval, authorization or consent
of any governmental or regulatory authority is required to be obtained
or made by Registrar in order for it to enter into and perform its
obligations under this Agreement.
6.3
Limitation of Liability. IN NO EVENT SHALL EITHER PARTY BE LIABLE
FOR ANY SPECIAL, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, PUNITIVE, EXEMPLARY OR CONSEQUENTIAL
DAMAGES, OR ANY DAMAGES RESULTING FROM LOSS OF PROFITS OR BUSINESS
INTERRUPTION ARISING OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THIS AGREEMENT,
EVEN IF THE OTHER PARTY HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH
DAMAGE.
6.4
Disclaimer of Warranties. THE REGISTRAR TOOL KIT IS PROVIDED "AS-IS"
AND WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY OF ANY KIND. REGISTRY OPERATOR EXPRESSLY
DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES AND/OR CONDITIONS, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING,
BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES AND CONDITIONS OF MERCHANTABILITY
OR SATISFACTORY QUALITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT
OF THIRD PARTY RIGHTS. REGISTRY OPERATOR DOES NOT WARRANT THAT THE
FUNCTIONS CONTAINED IN THE REGISTRAR TOOL KIT WILL MEET REGISTRAR'S
REQUIREMENTS, OR THAT THE OPERATION OF THE REGISTRAR TOOL KIT WILL
BE UNINTERRUPTED OR ERROR-FREE, OR THAT DEFECTS IN THE REGISTRAR TOOL
KIT WILL BE CORRECTED. FURTHERMORE, REGISTRY OPERATOR DOES NOT WARRANT
NOR MAKE ANY REPRESENTATIONS REGARDING THE USE OR THE RESULTS OF THE
REGISTRAR TOOL KIT OR RELATED DOCUMENTATION IN TERMS OF THEIR CORRECTNESS,
ACCURACY, RELIABILITY, OR OTHERWISE. SHOULD THE REGISTRAR TOOL KIT
PROVE DEFECTIVE, REGISTRAR ASSUMES THE ENTIRE COST OF ALL NECESSARY
SERVICING, REPAIR OR CORRECTION OF REGISTRAR'S OWN SYSTEMS AND SOFTWARE.
7. INSURANCE
7.1
Insurance Requirements. Registrar shall acquire, prior to the
Effective Date, an adequate Liability and Indemnity insurance policy
to the value of USD 500,000 from a reputable insurance provider and
shall maintain insurance meeting these requirements throughout the
Term of this Agreement. Registrar shall provide a copy of the insurance
policy and proof of paid premiums to Registry Operator upon Registry
Operator's reasonable request.
8. DISPUTE
RESOLUTION
8.1
Dispute Resolution. Disputes arising under or in connection with
this Agreement, including requests for specific performance, shall
be resolved through binding arbitration conducted as provided in this
Section pursuant to the rules of the International Court of Arbitration
of the International Chamber of Commerce ("ICC"). The arbitration
shall be conducted in the English language and shall occur in England,
United Kingdom. There shall be three arbitrators: each party shall
choose one arbitrator and, if the two arbitrators are not able to
agree on a third arbitrator, the third shall be chosen by the ICC.
The parties shall bear the costs of the arbitration in equal shares,
subject to the right of the arbitrators to reallocate the costs in
their award as provided in the ICC rules. The arbitrators shall have
the right to award attorney fees. The arbitrators shall render their
decision within ninety days of the initiation of arbitration. For
the purpose of aiding the arbitration and/or preserving the rights
of a party during the pendency of an arbitration, each party shall
have the right to seek temporary or preliminary injunctive relief
from the arbitration panel or from any court of competent jurisdiction,
which shall not be a waiver of this arbitration agreement.
9. TERM
AND TERMINATION
9.1
Term of the Agreement; Revisions. The Term of this Agreement shall
commence on the Effective Date and, unless earlier terminated in accordance
with the provisions of this Agreement, shall expire on the last day
of the calendar month which is sixty months after the Effective Date.
In the event that revisions to Registry Operator's approved form of
Registry-Registrar Agreement are approved or adopted by ICANN, Registrar
will either execute an amendment substituting the revised agreement
in place of this Agreement or, at its option exercised within fifteen
days after receiving notice of such amendment, terminate this Agreement
immediately by giving written notice to Registry Operator. In the
event that Registry Operator does not receive the said executed amendment
or notice of termination within the fifteen day period stated above,
Registrar shall be deemed to have terminated this Agreement on the
expiration of the said fifteen day period.
9.2
Termination. This Agreement may be terminated as follows:
9.2.1
Termination For Cause. In the event that either party materially
breaches any of its obligations under this Agreement and such breach
is not substantially cured within thirty calendar days after written
notice thereof is given by the other party, then the non-breaching
party may, by giving written notice thereof to the other party,
terminate this Agreement as of the date specified in such notice
of termination.
9.2.2
Termination at Option of Registrar. Registrar may terminate
this Agreement at any time by giving Registry Operator thirty days
notice of termination.
9.2.3
Termination Upon Loss of Registrar's Accreditation. This Agreement
shall terminate in the event Registrar's accreditation by ICANN
is terminated or expires without renewal.
9.2.4
Termination in the Event of Termination of Registry Agreement. This
Agreement shall terminate in the event that Registry Operator's
Registry Agreement with ICANN is terminated or expires without entry
of a subsequent Registry Agreement with ICANN and this Agreement
is not assigned under Section 10.1.1.
9.2.5
Termination in the Event of Insolvency or Bankruptcy. Either
party may terminate this Agreement if the other party is adjudged
insolvent or bankrupt, or if proceedings are instituted by or against
a party seeking relief, reorganization or arrangement under any
laws relating to insolvency, or seeking any assignment for the benefit
of creditors, or seeking the appointment of a receiver, liquidator
or trustee of a party's property or assets or the liquidation, dissolution
or winding up of a party's business.
9.3
Effect of Termination. Upon the expiration or termination of this
Agreement for any reason:
9.3.1
Registry Operator will complete the registration of all Registered
Items processed by Registrar prior to the effective date of such
expiration or termination, provided that Registrar's payments to
Registry Operator for Fees are current and timely.
9.3.2
Registrar shall immediately transfer its sponsorship of Registered
Items to another ICANN-accredited registrar in compliance with any
procedures established or approved by ICANN.
9.3.3
All Confidential Information of the Disclosing Party in the possession
of the Receiving Party shall be immediately returned to the Disclosing
Party.
9.3.4
All fees owing to Registry Operator shall become immediately due
and payable.
9.4
Survival. In the event of termination of this Agreement, the following
shall survive: (i) Subsections 2.6, 3.6, 5.1, 5.2, 6.1, 6.3, 6.4,
8.1, 9.4, 10.1, 10.2, 10.3, 10.4, 10.6, 10.7 and 10.8 and (ii) the
Registered Item Holder's indemnification obligation under Subsection
3.4. Neither party shall be liable to the other for damages of any
sort resulting solely from terminating this Agreement in accordance
with its terms.
10. MISCELLANEOUS
10.1
Assignments.
10.1.1
Assignment to Successor Registry Operator. In the event the
Registry Operator's Registry Agreement is terminated or expires
without entry by Registry Operator and ICANN of a subsequent registry
agreement, Registry Operator's rights under this Agreement may be
assigned to a company with a subsequent registry agreement covering
the Registry TLD upon ICANN's giving Registrar written notice within
sixty days of the termination or expiration, provided that the subsequent
registry operator assumes the duties of Registry Operator under
this Agreement.
10.1.2
Assignment in Connection with Assignment of Agreement with ICANN.
In the event that Registry Operator's Registry Agreement with
ICANN for the Registry TLD is validly assigned, Registry Operator's
rights under this Agreement shall be automatically assigned to the
assignee of the Registry Agreement, provided that the assignee assumes
the duties of Registry Operator under this Agreement. In the event
that Registrar's accreditation agreement with ICANN for the Registry
TLD is validly assigned, Registrar's rights under this Agreement
shall be automatically assigned to the assignee of the accreditation
agreement, provided that the subsequent registrar assumes the duties
of Registrar under this Agreement.
10.1.3
Other Assignments. Except as otherwise expressly provided in
this Agreement, the provisions of this Agreement shall inure to
the benefit of and be binding upon, the successors and permitted
assigns of the parties. Neither party shall assign or transfer its
rights or obligations under this Agreement without the prior written
consent of the other party, which shall not be unreasonably withheld.
10.2
Notices. Any notice or other communication required or permitted
to be delivered to any party under this Agreement shall be in writing
and shall be deemed properly delivered, given and received when delivered
(by hand, by registered mail, by courier or express delivery service,
by e-mail or by telecopier during business hours) to the address or
telecopier number set forth beneath the name of such party below,
unless party has given a notice of a change of address in writing:
| If to
Registrar: |
| |
|
with a copy to: |
|
| |
|
| If to
Registry Operator: |
| |
Global Name Registry
Ltd.
125 High Holborn
London WC1V 6QA
United Kingdom
Telephone: 44/207/025-2200
Facsimile: 44/207/242-9105
Attention: General Counsel
|
| with a copy
to: |
|
| |
Rita A. Rodin
Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom, LLP
Four Times Square
New York, NY 10036-6522
United States
Telephone: +1/212/735-3000
Facsimile: +1/212/735-2000 |
10.3
Third-Party Beneficiaries. The parties expressly agree that ICANN
is an intended third-party beneficiary of this Agreement. Otherwise,
this Agreement shall not be construed to create any obligation by
either party to any non-party to this Agreement, including any holder
of a Registered Item. Registrar expressly acknowledges that, notwithstanding
anything in this Agreement to the contrary, it is not a third-party
beneficiary of the Registry Agreement.
10.4
Relationship of the Parties. Nothing in this Agreement shall be
construed as creating an employer-employee or agency relationship,
a partnership or a joint venture between the parties.
10.5
Force Majeure. Neither party shall be liable to the other for
any loss or damage resulting from any cause beyond its reasonable
control (a "Force Majeure Event") including, but not limited
to, insurrection or civil disorder, war or military operations, national
or local emergency, acts or omissions of government or other competent
authority, compliance with any statutory obligation or executive order,
industrial disputes of any kind (whether or not involving either party's
employees), fire, lightning, explosion, flood, subsidence, weather
of exceptional severity, and acts or omissions of persons for whom
neither party is responsible. Upon occurrence of a Force Majeure Event
and to the extent such occurrence interferes with either party's performance
of this Agreement, such party shall be excused from performance of
its obligations (other than payment obligations) during the first
six months of such interference, provided that such party uses best
efforts to avoid or remove such causes of nonperformance as soon as
possible.
10.6
Amendments. No amendment, supplement, or modification of this
Agreement or any provision hereof shall be binding unless executed
in writing by both parties.
10.7
Waivers. No failure on the part of either party to exercise any
power, right, privilege or remedy under this Agreement, and no delay
on the part of either party in exercising any power, right, privilege
or remedy under this Agreement, shall operate as a waiver of such
power, right, privilege or remedy; and no single or partial exercise
or waiver of any such power, right, privilege or remedy shall preclude
any other or further exercise thereof or of any other power, right,
privilege or remedy. Neither party shall be deemed to have waived
any claim arising out of this Agreement, or any power, right, privilege
or remedy under this Agreement, unless the waiver of such claim, power,
right, privilege or remedy is expressly set forth in a written instrument
duly executed and delivered on behalf of such party; and any such
waiver shall not be applicable or have any effect except in the specific
instance in which it is given.
10.8
Entire Agreement. This Agreement (including its exhibits, which
form a part of it) constitutes the entire agreement between the parties
concerning the subject matter of this Agreement and supersedes any
prior agreements, representations, statements, negotiations, understandings,
proposals or undertakings, oral or written, with respect to the subject
matter expressly set forth herein.
10.9
Counterparts. All executed copies of this Agreement are duplicate
originals, equally admissible as evidence. This Agreement may be executed
in counterparts, and such counterparts taken together shall be deemed
the Agreement. A facsimile copy of a signature of a party hereto shall
have the same effect and validity as an original signature.
10.10
Governing Law. This Agreement is governed by the laws of England
and Wales.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties
hereto have executed this Agreement as of the date set forth in the
first paragraph hereof.
| THE
GLOBAL NAME REGISTRY LTD. |
[Registrar]
|
| By: |
|
By: |
|
| Name: |
|
Name: |
|
| Title: |
|
Title: |
|
EXHIBIT
A
REGISTRAR TOOL KIT
Registry Operator will provide
software to registrars enabling them to write client applications to
interface with the Registry System interface. This software will consist
of a Java API with sample code and C/C++ sample code.
Examples of XML message assembly
will be shown in the sample code in addition to code illustrating how
static XML requests can be sent to Registry Operator. The Registrar
Tool Kit will give the Registrar a reference implementation that conforms
to the RRP.
The Registrar Tool Kit will
also contain documentation explaining the protocol specification in
detail. Information included in this documentation will contain the
format of request messages and possible response messages, as well as
command sequences and message assembly rules for each SRS operation.
Descriptions of the software
implementing the RRP specification will be in the documentation. This
includes details about the software package hierarchy and explanations
of the objects and methods defined within.
The Registrar Tool Kit will
be licensed under the GNU Lesser General Public License and this Agreement.
EXHIBIT
B
ENGINEERING AND CUSTOMER
SERVICE SUPPORT
Customer Service Support
During the Term of this Agreement,
Registry Operator shall provide reasonable telephone, fax and e-mail
customer service to Registrar, not Registered Item Holders or prospective
customers of Registrar, for any issues relating to the Registry System
and its operations.
Upon Registrar's request
to become an authorized registrar for the Registry TLD, Registry Operator
will assign Registrar a dedicated Account Manager. The Account Manager
will be the primary contact point for Registrar, to whom queries of
any nature may be directed. Registrars will conduct the majority of
interactions with the Registry Operator through its Customer Service
Department and the dedicated Account Manager, each of which will be
responsible for escalating all queries according to the Escalation Procedures
as described this Exhibit.
In addition to the assistance
of the Customer Service Department and dedicated Account Manager, Registry
Operator shall also provide a web-based knowledge base for FAQs and
reference materials, as well as a web-based trouble-ticketing system
interface. The web interface for the knowledge base will become available
after signature of the Registry Agreement prior to the launch of the
Registry TLD. The web-based trouble ticketing system will be operational
before or concurrent with the launch of the Live SRS, as identified
in Appendix J to the Registry Agreement.
Customer Service System
(CSS) and Escalation Procedures
Registry Operator will use
an escalation procedure to evaluate the priority of an issue and respond
accordingly during the course of the query resolution process. Escalation
will be used to ensure that all queries are dealt with in a timely manner
using all reasonable commercial and technical means.
The system and procedures
the Registry Operator maintains are collectively referred to as the
Customer Service System (CSS). The Customer Services System and associated
escalation procedures described below will be operational before or
concurrent with "Commencement-of-Service Date," as defined
in the Registry Agreement. Each telephone call, e-mail, fax, and/or
postal mail received from Registrar raising a problem/query will be
given a unique reference number, or "ticket," to facilitate
ease of tracking and escalation. Support calls or other forms of communication
shall be escalated as deemed necessary by support staff who shall be
trained in the appropriate procedures. Issues can be escalated manually
by the staff, or automatically by the CSS issue ticketing and tracking
system.
CSS Security: The Registrar
must supply a list of no more than 10 named individuals that are authorized
to contact the Registry Operator by phone or email. Each of these individuals
will be assigned a unique pass phrase such that the Registry Operator
can then authenticate the authorized Registrar representatives. Registrar
will also designate the primary and secondary CSS Security List Managers,
who are authorized to modify the list of 10 representatives.
Examples of when escalations
might occur include:
- Registrar needs an immediate
answer to an urgent query that has not been previously resolved.
- Registrar is dissatisfied
with the product, systems or services provided.
- The employee receiving
the request does not have the authority or sufficient knowledge to
resolve the query.
Escalation Priority Levels
Escalation priority levels
are explained below from the highest to the lowest priority:
Priority 1: A "major
production system" is down or severely impacted. Priority 1 issues
are likely to be categorized as catastrophic outages that affect the
overall Registry System operations and thereby all Registrars.
Priority 2: Registrar
has a serious issue with a "primary feature" necessary for
daily operations for which no work-around has been discovered and
which completely prevents the feature from being used. Priority 2
issues will likely affect more than one registrar.
Priority 3: Registrar
has an issue with a "non-critical feature" for which a work-around
may or may not exist. Priority 3 issues may be unique to one Registrar.
Priority 4: Registrar
has a "general enquiry," usage question, or feature enhancement
request.
|
ESCALATION
PATHS
FOR PRIORITIES
|
STEPS FOR EACH
PRIORITY LEVEL
(Escalation paths describe the pre-defined route a
query shall take)
|
|
Priority
1:
"Major
Production System"
|
Step 1:
Request is received through a Customer Service Representative
(CSR), the dedicated Account Manager, or the emergency line.
|
|
Step 2:
Request is escalated immediately to the Operations Manager and/or
the appropriate technical operations staff.
|
|
Step 3:
If the Operations Manager and/or technical operations staff
are unable to resolve the issue in a timely manner it is escalated
to the Chief Technology Officer (CTO) and/or other members of
the Executive Committee.
|
|
Priority
2 & 3:
Primary Features
or Non-Critical Features
|
Step 1:
Request is received through a Customer Service Representative
(CSR) or the dedicated Account Manager.
|
|
Step 2:
If not resolved the request is escalated to the Customer Service
Manager or Operations Manager who ensures that request is resolved,
drawing on technical operations staff and/or finance/billing
support.
|
|
Step 3:
If the Customer Service or Operations Staff are unable to resolve
the problem the request is escalated to the CTO and/or other
members of the Executive Committee.
|
|
Priority
4:
General
Enquiry
|
Step 1:
Request is received by CSR or dedicated Account Manager.
|
|
Step 2:
If not resolved, the request is escalated to the Customer Service
Manager or Operations Manager.
|
|
Step 3:
If the Customer Service Manager or Operations Manager is unable
to resolve the issue it is escalated appropriately.
|
Escalation Patterns by
Communication Channel.
There are three main channels
of communication through which an issue can be brought to the attention
of the Registry Operator: the Customer Service Department, the dedicated
Account Managers and the emergency line. Escalation paths for these
channels are outlined below:
Emergency Line Escalation
Path:
Step 1: The customer calls
the emergency telephone
number, which will be answered by a qualified technical operations
engineer on duty 24X7.
Step 2: The engineer discusses
problem with the customer and verifies that the problem is a valid
Priority 1 issue. If the problem is not deemed to be Priority 1, the
engineer will make an entry in the CSS and refer the case to a CSR
and the dedicated Account Manager for resolution. If the problem is
a Priority 1 issue, the engineer starts resolving the problem immediately.
If the issue cannot be resolved satisfactorily within the first 15
minutes, the case will be escalated to field engineers, the Operations
Manager, the Chief Technology Officer, and/or other members of the
Executive Committee as required to expedite the issue resolution.
Step 3: After resolving
the issue the engineer makes an entry in the CSS, changes the request
status to "resolved," and then calls or emails the customer
back directly (as well as the CSR and/or dedicated Account Manager)
to describe how the issue was resolved.
If resolution of the issue
takes longer than 15 minutes the Registrar (and dedicated Account
Manager) will be given periodic updates (at a minimum - every 30 minutes)
via telephone and/or email.
Customer Service Department
& Account Manager Escalation Paths: The
Customer Service Department and dedicated Account Manager will, as the
Registrar's primary point of contact, deal with all enquiries, with
the exception of calls through the emergency line.
Step 1: The Customer Service
Department and/or Account Manager receives a request, either by telephone,
email, fax, or postal mail.
Step 2: If not able to
resolve the issue in a timely manner, the CSR would ensure the Account
Manager is notified, evaluate the severity of the request, assign
a priority and make an entry into the CSS. The CSR and/or Account
Manager would also then assign an owner, for example: the Customer
Service Manager, the Operations Manager, technical support staff and/or
finance/billing support.
Step 3: If the new owner
of the request cannot resolve the issue, the relevant Department Head
is notified.
Step 4: If the Department
Head cannot resolve the issue it is escalated to the Chief Technology
Officer and/or other members of the Executive Committee. The above
process creates the ability to track any unresolved issues until a
workaround or fix is provided.
Targeted Response Times:
Prior to or on the "Commencement-of-Service Date" Registry
Operator aims to ensure that 80% of all responses are within the following
Targeted Response Times:
|
Priority
|
Description
|
Response Time
|
Resolution Time
|
|
Priority
1
|
A
"major production system" is down or severely impacted.
|
Action
taken as soon as reported
|
60
minutes
|
|
Priority
2
|
A
serious issue with a "primary feature" necessary for
daily operations.
|
First
level analysis: 2 hours
|
12
hours
|
|
Priority
3
|
An
issue with a "non-critical feature" for which a work-around
may or may not exist.
|
First
level analysis: 24 hrs
|
TBD
|
|
Priority
4
|
A
"general enquiry" or request for feature enhancement.
|
48
hours
|
TBD
|
EXHIBIT
C
REGISTRAR'S REGISTRATION
AGREEMENT
[To be supplied by Registrar]
EXHIBIT
D
POLICY ON TRANSFER OF
SPONSORSHIP OF REGISTRATIONS BETWEEN REGISTRARS
A. Holder-Authorized
Transfers.
Registrar Requirements.
The registration agreement
between Registrar and its Registered Item Holder shall include a provision
explaining that a Registered Item Holder will be prohibited from changing
its Registrar during the first 60 days after initial registration of
the Registered Item with the Registrar. Beginning on the 61st day after
the initial registration with the Registrar, the procedures for change
in sponsoring registrar set forth in this policy shall apply. Enforcement
shall be the responsibility of the registrar sponsoring the Registered
Item registration.
The gaining Registrar shall
check the "hold" status of the Registered Item in question
before proceeding with the Registered Item transfer procedure. If the
Registered Item is on hold for any reason the Registrar is notified
and the transfer process is terminated.
For each instance where a
Registered Item Holder wants to change its registrar for an existing
Registered Item (e.g., a domain name that appears in a particular top-level
domain zone file), the gaining registrar shall:
1) Obtain express authorization
from an individual who has the apparent authority to legally bind
the Registered Item Holder (as reflected in the database of the losing
Registrar).
a) The form of the authorization
is at the discretion of each gaining registrar.
b) The gaining registrar
shall retain a record of reliable evidence of the authorization.
2) In those instances when
the Registrar of record is being changed simultaneously with a transfer
of a Registered Item from one party to another, the gaining Registrar
shall also obtain appropriate authorization for the transfer. Such
authorization shall include, but not be limited to, one of the following:
a) A bilateral agreement
between the parties.
b) The final determination
of a binding dispute resolution body.
c) A court order.
3) Request, by the transmission
of a "transfer" command as specified in the RRP, that the
Registry Database be changed to reflect the new Registrar.
a) Transmission of a
"transfer" command constitutes a representation on the
part of the gaining Registrar that:
(1) the requisite authorization
has been obtained from the Registered Item Holder listed in the
database of the losing Registrar, and
(2) the losing registrar
will be provided with a copy of the authorization if and when
requested.
In those instances when the
registrar of record denies the requested change of registrar, the Registry
Operator shall notify the prospective gaining registrar that the request
was denied and the reason for the denial.
Instances when the requested
change of sponsoring registrar may be denied include, but are not limited
to:
1) Situations described
in the Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy and the Eligibility Requirements
Dispute Resolution Policy
2) A pending bankruptcy
of the Registered Item Holder
3) Dispute over the identity
of the Registered Item Holder
4) Request to transfer
sponsorship occurs within the first 60 days after the initial registration
with the registrar
In all cases, the registrar
of record shall respond to the e-mail notice regarding the "transfer"
request within five (5) calendar days. Failure to respond will result
in a default "approval" of the "transfer." This
process is further described in Part 6 - Object Transfers of Appendix
C to the Registry Agreement.
Registry Requirements.
Upon receipt of the "transfer"
command from the gaining Registrar, Registry Operator will transmit
an e-mail notification to both registrars.
Registry Operator shall complete
the "transfer" if either:
1) the losing registrar
expressly "approves" the request, or
2) Registry Operator does
not receive a response from the losing registrar within five (5) calendar
days.
When the Registry Database
has been updated to reflect the change to the gaining registrar, Registry
Operator will transmit an email notification to both registrars.
Records of Registration.
Each Registered Item Holder
shall maintain its own records appropriate to document and prove the
initial Registered Item registration date, regardless of the number
of registrars with which the Registered Item Holder enters into a contract
for registration services.
Effect on Term of Registration.
The completion by Registry
Operator of a transfer under this Part A shall result in a one-year
extension of the existing registration, provided that in no event shall
the total unexpired term of a registration exceed ten (10) years. Such
extension shall be subject to a fee, as described in Exhibit F.
B. ICANN-Approved Transfers.
Transfer of the sponsorship
of all the registrations sponsored by one registrar as the result of
acquisition of that registrar or its assets by another Registrar may
be made according to the following procedure:
(a) The gaining registrar
must be accredited by ICANN for the Registry TLD and must have in
effect a Registry-Registrar Agreement with Registry Operator for the
Registry TLD.
(b) ICANN must certify
in writing to Registry Operator that the transfer would promote the
community interest, such as the interest in stability that may be
threatened by the actual or imminent business failure of a registrar.
Upon satisfaction of these
two conditions, Registry Operator will make the necessary one-time changes
in the Registry Database for no charge, for transfers involving 50,000
Registered Item registrations or fewer. If the transfer involves registrations
of more than 50,000 Registered Item registrations, Registry Operator
will charge the gaining registrar a one-time flat fee of US$ 50,000.
EXHIBIT
E
REGISTRY OPERATOR'S OPERATIONAL
STANDARDS, POLICIES, PROCEDURES, AND PRACTICES
1. SETTING UP A NEW
ACCOUNT
Registry Operator's procedure for setting up a new Registrar account
will consist of three phases; initiation, completion and approval.
The tasks within each phase must be completed satisfactorily in order
for Registrar to proceed to the next phase. Prior to the initiation
phase, upon initial contact with a Registrar interested in working
with the Registry Operator, the assigned Account Manager (as described
in Exhibit B) will send out an information package that will include
all necessary documentation, contracts, forms, and software required
by Registrar to complete all necessary phases.
2. SECURITY
Each EPP session shall be authenticated and encrypted using two-way
secure socket layer ("SSL") protocol. Registrar agrees to
authenticate every RRP client connection with the Registry System
using both an X.509 server certificate issued by a commercial Certification
Authority identified by Registry Operator and its Registrar password,
which it shall disclose only to its employees with a need to know.
Registrar agrees to notify Registry Operator within four hours of
learning that its Registrar password has been compromised in any way
or if its server certificate has been revoked by the issuing Certification
Authority or compromised in any way.
3. REGISTRAR NOTIFICATION
PROCEDURE
Registry Operator shall be responsible for notifying registrars of
events that affect the performance of the Registry System. These events
may include but will not be limited to; planned downtime, unplanned
downtime due to; force majeure (natural disaster), security breach,
Denial of Service (DoS) attacks or other such malicious events and
other system failure events.
Registry Operator will follow strict guidelines for notifying registrars
of any planned downtime. At a minimum all registrars will be made
aware of any scheduled downtime in no less than 10 working days prior
to the event.
Further, Registry Operator will use all reasonable efforts to alert
all affected registrars of any unplanned downtime immediately.
4. REGISTRATION REQUIREMENTS
In addition to the provisions of Subsections 3.3, 3.4 and 3.5 of this
Agreement, in its registration agreement with each Registered Name
Holder and SLD E-mail Address Holder, Registrar shall require such
Registered Name Holder or SLD E-mail Address Holder to:
(a) represent and warrant
that the data provided in the registration application is true,
correct, up to date and complete;
(b) represent and warrant
that the registrant will use best efforts at all times during the
term of his or her registration to keep the information provided
above up to date;
(c) represent and warrant
that the registration satisfies the Eligibility Requirements;
(d) agree to be subject
to the Eligibility Requirements Dispute Resolution Policy (the "ERDRP")
and the Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy (the "UDRP");
and
(e) agree that Registry
Operator will have no liability of any kind for any loss or liability
resulting from (i) the processing of registration requests prior
to live SRS launch, including, without limitation, the ability or
inability of registrant to obtain a Registered Name or SLD E-mail
Address registration using these processes; or (ii) any dispute
over any Registered Name, SLD E-mail Address, Defensive Registration
or NameWatch Registration, including the decision of any dispute
resolution proceeding related to any of the foregoing.
In addition to the provisions
of Subsections 3.3, 3.4 and 3.5 of this Agreement, in its registration
agreement with each Defensive Registration Holder, Registrar shall
require such Defensive Registration Holder to:
(a) represent and warrant
that the data provided in the registration application is true,
correct, up to date and complete;
(b) represent and warrant
that the registrant will use best efforts at all times during the
term of his or her registration to keep the information provided
above up to date;
(c) represent and warrant
that the registration satisfies the Eligibility Requirements;
(d) agree that the Defensive
Registration will be subject to challenge pursuant to the ERDRP;
(e) agree that if the
Defensive Registration is successfully challenged pursuant to the
ERDRP, the Defensive Registration Holder will pay the challenge
fees;
(f) if a challenge is
successful, then the Defensive Registration will be subject to the
procedures described in the ERDRP and the Eligibility Requirements
including, without limitation, the cancellation of the Defensive
Registration Holder's Defensive Registrations;
(g) agree that if a Phase
I Defensive Registration (as described in Appendices C and L to
the Registry Agreement) is successfully challenged on the basis
that it did not meet the applicable eligibility requirements, the
Defensive Registration Holder will thereafter be required to demonstrate,
at its expense, that it meets the eligibility requirements for Phase
I Defensive Registrations for all other Phase I Defensive Registrations
that it registered within .name through any registrar. In the event
that the Defensive Registration Holder is unable to demonstrate
the foregoing with respect to any such Phase I Defensive Registration(s),
those Defensive Registration(s) will be cancelled; and
(h) agree that Registry
Operator will have no liability of any kind for any loss or liability
resulting from (i) the processing of registration requests prior
to live SRS launch, including, without limitation, the ability or
inability of registrant to obtain a Defensive Registration or NameWatch
Registration using these processes; or (ii) any dispute over any
Registered Name, SLD E-mail Address, Defensive Registration or NameWatch
Registration, including the decision of any dispute resolution proceeding
related to any of the foregoing.
5. ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS
Registrar shall comply with the provisions of the Eligibility Requirements
and the ERDRP as they apply to registrars.
6. START-UP PROCEDURES
Registrar shall comply with all procedures implemented by Registry
Operator in connection with the launch of the Registry TLD as described
in Appendix J to the Registry Agreement, as may be modified from time
to time. Such procedures shall be posted on Registry Operator's world
wide web site, located at <http://www.gnr.com>.
7. DISCLAIMERS
Registry Operator will have no liability of any kind for any loss
or liability resulting from (a) the processing of registration requests
prior to live SRS launch, including, without limitation, the ability
or inability of a registrant to obtain a domain name or SLD E-mail
address registration using these processes; or (b) any dispute over
any Registered Name, SLD E-mail Address, Defensive Registration or
NameWatch Registration, including the decision of any dispute resolution
proceeding related to any of the foregoing.
EXHIBIT
F
REGISTRATION
FEES
1. Registered Name -
Initial Registration Fees
The fee per year that Registry Operator may charge at the time of
registration for each Registered Name registered (the "Registered
Name Initial Registration Fee") during the Term of the Registry
Agreement depends upon the total number of Registered Names registered
at that time in the Registry TLD and shall not exceed the fees set
forth in the following table:
|
Maximum Registered
Name Initial Registration Fee
|
Volume Range (Number
of Registered Names)
|
|
US $5.25
|
0 to 7,999,999
|
|
US $5.00
|
8,000,000 to 14,999,999
|
|
US $4.75
|
15,000,000 +
|
The Registered Name Initial
Registration Fees above do not include any direct or indirect taxation
that Registry Operator may be obligated to add on. Registrar shall
pay the Registered Name Initial Registration Fee and any applicable
taxes in full at the time of registration.
2. Registered Name -
Renewal Fees
The fee per year that Registry Operator may charge at the time of
renewal for each Registered Name renewal (the "Registered Name
Renewal Fee") in the Registry TLD during the Term of the Registry
Agreement will be equivalent to the Registered Name Initial Registration
Fee chargeable to Registrar at the time of renewal, and may not exceed
the fees described in Subsection 1 above. The Registered Name Renewal
Fees referred to above do not include any direct or indirect taxation
that Registry Operator may be obligated to add on. Registrar shall
pay the Registered Name Renewal Fee and any applicable taxes in full
at the time of renewal.
3. Cooperative Marketing
Fund Share per Registered Name
Registry Operator will provide a Cooperative Marketing Fund as described
in Appendix J to the Registry Agreement. The additional fees chargeable
for the service (the "Cooperative Marketing Fund Share")
depend upon the total number of Registered Names registered at the
time in the Registry TLD, and shall not exceed the fees set forth
in the following table:
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Cooperative Marketing
Fund Share Fee
|
Volume Range
(Number of Registered Names)
|
|
US $5.00
|
0 to 349,999
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|
US $3.00
|
350,000 to 999,999
|
|
US $1.00
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1,000,000 to 10,000,000
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The Cooperative Marketing
Fund Share fees above do not include any direct or indirect taxation
that Registry Operator may be obligated to add on. Registrar shall
pay the Cooperative Marketing Fund Share fee and any applicable taxes
in full at the time of registration.
4. Fee for Intellectual
Property NameWatch Service
Registry Operator will provide an intellectual property NameWatch
("NameWatch") service as described in Appendix C to the
Registry Agreement. NameWatch reports will be available on a daily,
weekly or monthly basis. The fee charged by Registry Operator for
NameWatch registration (the "NameWatch Fee") may not exceed
the fees set forth in the following table:
|
Maximum
NameWatch Fee
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NameWatch
Reporting Frequency
|
|
US
$50.00 per year
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Daily
|
|
US
$50.00 per year
|
Weekly
|
|
US
$50.00 per year
|
Monthly
|
The NameWatch Fees above
do not include any direct or indirect taxation that Registry Operator
may be obligated to add on. The ICANN-Accredited Registrar sponsoring
the NameWatch registration shall pay the NameWatch Fee and any applicable
taxes in full at the time of registration.
5.
Second Level Domain Email Forwarding Service - Initial Registration
Fees
The SLD E-mail Address forwarding service is described in Appendix
C to the Registry Agreement. The fee per year that Registry Operator
may charge at the time of registration for each SLD E-mail Address
registered (the "SLD E-mail Initial Registration Fee") during
the Term of the Registry Agreement depends upon the total number of
SLD E-mail Addresses registered at that time in the Registry TLD and
shall not exceed the fees set forth in the following table:
|
Maximum SLD E-mail
Initial Registration Fee
|
Volume Range
(Number of Registered SLD E-mail Addresses)
|
|
US $20.00
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0 to 1,999,999
|
|
US $17.00
|
2,000,000 to 4,999,999
|
|
US $15.00
|
5,000,000 +
|
The SLD E-mail Initial
Registration Fees above do not include any direct or indirect taxation
that Registry Operator may be obligated to add on. Registrar shall
pay the SLD E-mail Initial Registration Fee and any applicable taxes
in full at the time of registration.
6. Second Level Domain
Email Forwarding Service-Renewal Fees
The fee per year that Registry Operator may charge at the time of
renewal for each SLD E-mail address renewal (the "SLD E-mail
Renewal Fee") in the Registry TLD during the Term of the Registry
Agreement will be equivalent to the SLD E-mail Initial Registration
Fee chargeable at that time and may not exceed the fees described
in Subsection 5 above. The SLD E-mail Renewal Fees referred to above
do not include any direct or indirect taxation that Registry Operator
may be obligated to add on. Registrar shall pay the SLD E-mail Renewal
Fee and any applicable taxes in full at the time of renewal.
7. Defensive Registration
- Initial Registration Fees
Registry Operator's Defensive Registration Service is described in
Appendices C and L to the Registry Agreement. The fees charged by
Registry Operator for Defensive Registrations (the "Defensive
Registration Fee") may not exceed the fees set forth in the following
table:
|
Per Defensive Registration
on a Third Level Only
|
|
US $ 250
|
Per Defensive Registration
in Combination (both 2nd and 3rd level)
|
The Defensive Registration
Fees do not include any direct or indirect taxation that Registry
Operator may be obligated to add on. Registrar shall pay the Defensive
Registration Fee and any applicable taxes in full at the time of registration.
8. Defensive Registration
- Renewal Fees
The fee that Registry Operator may charge for each Defensive Registration
renewal (the "Defensive Registration Renewal Fee") in the
Registry TLD during the Term of the Registry Agreement will be equivalent
to the Defensive Registration Fee chargeable at that time and may
not exceed the fees described in Subsection 7 above. The Defensive
Registration Renewal Fees referred to above do not include any direct
or indirect taxation that Registry Operator may be obligated to add
on. Registrar shall pay the Defensive Registration Renewal Fee and
any applicable taxes in full at the time of renewal.
9. Multilingual/International
Domain Name Registrations
During the Term of the Registry Agreement, Registry Operator contemplates
the introduction of Multilingual Domain Name Registrations, offered
through ICANN-Accredited Registrars. The charge for this service will
be negotiated with ICANN.
10. Bulk Transfer Fee
For a bulk transfer approved by ICANN under Part B of Exhibit D to
this Agreement, Registry Operator will charge the gaining registrar
US$0 (for transfer of 50,000 combined Registered Items or fewer) or
US$50,000 (for transfers of more than 50,000 combined Registered Items).
This amount does not include any direct or indirect taxation that
Registry Operator may be obligated to add on, the payment of which
shall be the Registrar's sole obligation.
11. Fees for Transfers
of Sponsorship of Registered Item Registrations
Where the sponsorship of a Registered Item is transferred from one
ICANN-Accredited Registrar to another ICANN-Accredited Registrar,
Registry Operator will require the registrar receiving the sponsorship
to request (a) a renewal of one year, in the case of Registered Name
and SLD E-mail Address registrations, or (b) an extension of one year,
in the case of Defensive Registrations and NameWatch registrations.
In connection with such renewal or extension, Registry Operator will
charge a fee for the requested renewal or extension (a "Renewal
Fee"), as such fees are set forth in this Exhibit. For extension
of Defensive Registrations, the extension fee shall be one-tenth of
the then-applicable Defensive Registration Fee. The transfer shall
result in an extension according to the renewal request, subject to
a ten-year maximum on the future term of any Registered Item. The
Renewal Fee and any applicable taxes shall be paid in full at the
time of the transfer by the ICANN-Accredited Registrar receiving sponsorship
of the Registered Item.
12. Fee Adjustments
The pricing for initial and renewal registrations of Registered Items
set forth above shall be adjusted pursuant to Subsections 3.14.5 and
4.4 of the Registry Agreement.
EXHIBIT
G
SERVICE LEVEL
AGREEMENT
1. Definitions. Capitalized
terms used herein and not otherwise defined shall have the definitions
ascribed to them in the Registry-Registrar Agreement.
1.1 "Claim Month"
means the calendar month when SRS Unavailability occurred, for which
the Registrar can claim SLA Credit.
1.2 "Current Pricing
Level" refers to prices charged for Registry Services as provided
in Appendix G of the Registry Agreement as adjusted pursuant to
Subsections 3.14.5 and 4.4 of the Registry Agreement.
1.3 "Monthly Timeframe"
shall mean each single calendar month beginning and ending at 0000
Greenwich Mean Time (GMT).
1.4 "Performance
Specifications" refers to a description of the functional attributes
of a particular system or service. The attributes outlined in a
Performance Specification are measurable.
1.5 "Planned Outage"
means the periodic pre-announced occurrences when the SRS Service
will be stopped for maintenance or care. Planned Outages will be
published at least one week in advance to the Registrar Community
in the form on an email to each Registrar and a notice posted on
Registry Operator's web site. Planned Outages will be scheduled
only during the following window period of time each week, 0600
- 1500 GMT on Sunday (the "Planned Outage Period"). The
beginning of this Planned Outage Period may be changed from time
to time by the Registry Operator, in its sole discretion, upon prior
notice to each Registrar. Planned Outages will not exceed 4 hours/per
calendar week beginning at 1200 GMT Monday nor total more than 8
hours/per month. Notwithstanding the foregoing, Registry Operator
may incur one (1) additional Planned Outage of up to 12 hours in
duration during the Planned Outage Period and the immediately following
three hours for major systems or software upgrades ("Extended
Planned Outages"). These Extended Planned Outages represent
total allowed Planned Outages for the month.
1.6 "Registrar Community"
refers to all ICANN-Accredited Registrars accredited by ICANN for
the Registry TLD and who have executed Registry-Registrar Agreements
with Registry Operator for the Registry TLD.
1.7 "Round-trip"
means the amount of measured time that it takes for a reference
query to make a complete trip from the sampling agent, to the service
being tested and back again. Usually measured in milliseconds.
1.8 "SLA" means
this Service Level Agreement between Registry Operator and Registrar,
as set forth in this Exhibit.
1.9 "SLA Credit"
means those credits available to the Registrar pursuant to the SLA.
1.10 "SRS Service"
shall mean the service accessible to Registrar for operating on
the main registry data store using the defined protocol (RRP/EPP)
for Registry-Registrar interaction. It does not include WWW, FTP,
SCP or other services not associated directly with adding, deleting
or modifying domain-names.
1.11 "SRS Availability"
means when the SRS Service is operational and predictably responding
in a commercially reasonable manner. By definition, this does not
include Planned Outages or Extended Planned Outages. System Availability
will be monitored and recorded by Registry Operator from multiple
datapoints within the Internet. The following formula shall be used
for calculating SRS Availability:
where:
|
A
= 100 * (
|
TA - UDT
|
)
|
|
TA
|
A = SRS Availability
in percent
UDT = Unplanned Downtime in hours for the Monthly Timeframe
TA = Time available in hours for the Monthly Timeframe
1.11.1 The following
periods will not be included in calculating SRS Availability:
1.11.1.1 All periods
of SRS Unavailability that result from the effects of scheduled
service maintenance;
1.11.1.2 All periods
of SRS Unavailability that result from events locally at the
Registrar, or events outside of Registry Operator's control;
and
1.11.1.3 All periods
of SRS Unavailability that result from events that can be classified
as malicious attacks, such as denial of service ("DOS")
attacks.
1.12 "SRS Unavailability"
means when, as a result of a failure of systems within Registry
Operator's control, Registrar is unable to either:
1.12.1 establish a
session with the SRS gateway which shall be defined as:
1.12.1.1 successfully
completing a TCP session start;
1.12.1.2 successfully
completing the SSL authentication handshake; and
1.12.1.3 successfully
completing the registry registrar protocol ("RRP")
session command.
1.12.2 Execute a 3
second average round trip for 95% of the RRP check domain commands
and/or less than 5 second average round trip for 95% of the RRP
add domain commands, from the SRS gateway, through the SRS system,
back to the SRS gateway as measured during each Monthly Timeframe.
1.13 "Transaction"
shall mean completion of a defined SRS command.
1.14 "Unplanned
Downtime" shall mean all of the following:
1.14.1 The amount of
time recorded between a trouble ticket first being opened by Registry
Operator in response to a Registrar's claim of SRS Unavailability
for that Registrar through the time when the Registrar and Registry
Operator agree the SRS Unavailability has been resolved with a
final fix or a temporary work around, and the trouble ticket has
been closed. This will be considered SRS Unavailability only for
those Registrars impacted by the outage as evidenced by their
submission of an SLA claim;
1.14.2 The amount of
time recorded between a trouble ticket first being opened by the
Registry Operator in the event SRS Unavailability that affects
all of the Registrar Community through the time when the Registry
Operator resolves the problem with a final fix or a temporary
work around, and the trouble ticket is closed;
1.14.3 The amount of
time the Planned Outage exceeds the limits established in Subsection
1.5 above; and
1.14.4 The amount of
time that the Planned Outage time occurs outside the window of
time established in Subsection 1.5 above.
2. Service Level (Availability
and Performance)
2.1 SRS Service. Registry
Operator provides built-in redundancy into the SRS Service in the
form of 2 databases capable of running the SRS Service. Such redundancy
will ensure that SRS Unavailability is kept to an absolute minimum.
2.1.1 SRS Service Availability
= 99.4%. Registry Operator will provide the above-referenced SRS
Service Availability. Registry Operator will log SRS Unavailability
once Registrar reports an occurrence by phone, e-mail or fax as
described in the customer support escalation procedures described
in Exhibit B. The committed Performance Specification is 99.4%
measured on a monthly basis.
2.1.2 Performance Level.
Registry Operator will, on average, be capable of processing 40
Transactions per second.
2.1.3 Response Time.
The SRS Service will have a worst-case response time of 3 seconds,
not including network delays, before it will be considered Unavailable.
3. Measurement
Registry Operator
will monitor the SRS Service Level in accordance with the following
principles.
3.1 SRS Service/Component
Monitoring: The Monitoring Tools used by Registry Operator will
be the following:
3.1.1 TIVOLI Management
Environment (TME 10). A suite of distributed systems management
products, provides management of network computing resources of
many different types from a single point. TME 10 products provide
a consistent interface to different operating systems and services,
and allow administrators to control users, systems and applications
from one desktop. The Registry Operator will use TME 10 to manage
and monitor applications, computers, networks and backup.
3.1.2 Big Brother.
This tool is designed to let system administrators monitor network,
application and computer performance in near real-time, from any
web browser, anywhere. Big Brother uses a client-server architecture
combined with methods, which both push and pull data. Network
testing is done by polling all monitored services from a single
machine and reporting these results to a central location. The
Registry Operator will use Big Brother to monitor network, computer
and application status.
3.1.3 The Multi Router
Traffic Grapher (MRTG). This is a tool to monitor the traffic
load on network-links. MRTG generates HTML pages containing GIF
images that provide a LIVE visual representation of this traffic.
The Registry Operator will use this tool for additional monitoring
of services, computers and applications using SNMP.
3.2 Performance Monitoring:
The SRS Service will be sampled and tested as to their performance
pursuant to the schedule attached as Exhibit A to Appendix D of
the Registry Agreement.
4. Credits
4.1 Calculation of
SLA Credit. If SRS Service Availability is less than the specified
service level as defined in Subsection 2.1.1, then Registrar is
connected to, and actively operating on the SRS Service by adding
domains in the Claim Month, Registrar will be entitled to an SLA
Credit. The SLA Credit will be calculated in the following way:
|
C
= (N * R *
|
(S
- A)
|
)
* 5%
|
|
100
|
for S > A, where:
C = Calculated compensation
in US dollars
N = Number of new domain name registrations by claiming Registrar
during the Claim Month
R = Current Pricing Level for a domain name in US dollars
S = Agreed service level during the Claim Month in percentage
A = Availability of service during the Claim Month in percentage
Example of SLA Credit
Calculation:
Registry Operator records
a service level exception across a Claim Month of 25 minutes beyond
the time periods contemplated by the SLA. Assuming the Claim Month
had 30 days, the Claim Month will contain a total of 43,200 minutes.
The 25 minute service level exception equates to 25/43,200 = 0.058%
downtime. For purposes of this example, the current pricing level
is assumed to be $5.25 and the total number of new domain name registrations
by the claiming registrar is 50,000. Thus:
N = 50,000
R = $5.25
S = 99.4% (the agreed SRS Availability)
A = 99.342% (99.4% - 0.058%)
|
C
= (50,000 * 5.25*
|
(99.4
- 99.342)
|
)
* 5%
|
|
100
|
C = US $7.61
4.1.1 Under no circumstances
shall Registry Operator issue SLA Credits when the availability
problems are caused by network providers and/or the systems of
the individual Registrars.
4.1.2 Registry Operator
will not attempt to discern what discount levels were in effect
at the time the specific time of the service level exception,
but rather use the then-current discount level. All SLA Credit
will be paid, including the appropriate discounts and rate levels,
according to the then- current rate schedule.
4.2 Submission of
Claim for SLA Credit. In order for Registrars to claim SLA Credit,
the following procedure must be followed:
4.2.1 Registrar must
submit any claims for credits for any particular Claim Month to
Registry Operator by fax within 7 days of the end of the Claim
Month. Such claims must include the Registrar's calculation of
SRS Unavailability.
4.2.2 Credits can only
be claimed by Registrars that were connected to and actively operating
on the SRS Service by adding domain name registration in the Claim
Month.
4.2.3 SLA Credit will
only be given for periods of SRS Unavailability that have been
reported as outlined in Subsection 5.1 below.
4.3 Validation of
Claim. The Registry Operator will confirm the validity of the
SLA Credit application as outlined in Subsections 5.2 and 5.3 below.
4.4 Maximum Credits
- The total amount of SLA Credit, across all Registrars, issued
by Registry Operator in a Claim Month shall not exceed 5% of Registry
Operator's previous Monthly Timeframe's revenue from domain name
registrations eligible for SLA Credit. The total amount of SLA Credit,
across all Registrars, issued by Registry Operator in a given calendar
quarter shall not exceed 5% of the previous calendar quarter's revenue
as generated by domain name registrations eligible for a SLA Credit.
For purposes of this SLA, Cooperative Marketing Fund Contributions
do not constitute revenue.
4.5 Payment of Credits
- SLA Credits claimed and validated, as outlined in Subsections
4.1 and 4.3 above, will be given to Registrar by applying them to
the Registrar's prepaid account if such account exists. If no such
prepaid account exists, then the SLA Credits shall issue as otherwise
agreed between the parties and in accordance with Subsection 5.9
below.
4.6 Appeal of Credits
- If Registrar has a dispute with regards to the accuracy of
the payment of SLA Credit, as outlined in Subsection 4.1, the following
procedures will apply:
4.6.1 Registrar may,
within 7 days of the Registry Operator validating the claim, send
in a request for a review of the calculation. Such request must
clearly state the reason for the request.
4.6.2 The request will
be assessed and returned with a response within 7 business days.
4.6.3 If the calculation
is not revised to the satisfaction of Registrar, Registrar may
request that the matter be referred to Registry Operator's Compliance
Manager. The Compliance Manager will then use reasonable efforts
to establish Registrar's grounds for the complaint.
5. Obligations
5.1 The affected Registrar
must assist the Registry Operator by reporting each occurrence of
alleged SRS Unavailability to Registry Operator customer service
help desk in the manner required by Registry Operator in order for
an occurrence to be treated as SRS Unavailability for purposes of
the SLA. Registry Operator will treat all SRS Unavailability problems
equally and fix them within a commercially reasonable period of
time, however, Registry Operator reserves the right to prioritize
the order according to problem severity. Incidents flagged by the
Monitoring Tools described in Subsection 3 will also be qualified
as ticketed events and will be logged for validation purposes.
5.2 In the event that
all of the Registrar Community are affected by SRS Unavailability,
Registry Operator is responsible for opening a blanket trouble ticket
and using commercially reasonable efforts to notify the Registrars
of the trouble ticket number and details.
5.3 Both Registrars and
Registry Operator must use commercially reasonable good faith efforts
to establish the cause of any SRS Unavailability. If it is mutually
determined to be a Registry Operator problem, the incident will
become part of the Unplanned Outage Time.
5.4 Registry Operator
will perform monitoring from internally located systems as a means
to verify that the conditions of the SLA are being met.
5.5 Registrar must inform
Registry Operator any time its estimated volume of transactions
(excluding check domain commands), will exceed its previous month's
volume by more than 25%. In the event that Registrar fails to inform
Registry Operator of a forecasted increase of volume of transactions
of 25% or more and Registrar's volume increases 25% or more over
the previous month, and should the total volume of transactions
added by the Registry Operator for all registrars for that month
exceed the Registry Operator's actual volume of the previous month's
transactions by more than 20%, then the Registrar(s) failing to
give such notice will not be eligible for any SLA Credit in that
Monthly Timeframe. Registrars shall provide their forecasts at least
30 days prior to the first day of the next applicable month. In
addition, Registry Operator agrees to provide Registrars with monthly
transaction summary reports starting no later than 120 days after
the Commencement-of-Service Date.
5.6 Registry Operator
will notify Registrar of Planned Outages outside the Planned Outage
period at least 7 days in advance of such planned outage. In addition,
Registry Operator will use commercially reasonable and good faith
efforts to maintain an accurate 30 day advance schedule of possible
upcoming Planned Outages.
5.7 Registry Operator
will use commercially reasonable efforts to restore the critical
systems of the SRS Service within 48 hours in the event of a Force
Majeure and will use commercially reasonable efforts to restore
full SRS Service functionality within 72 hours. Outages due to a
Force Majeure will not be considered as SRS Unavailability.
5.8 Beginning no later
than 120 days after the Commencement-of-Service Date, the Registry
Operator will publish preliminary weekly SRS Service performance
and availability reports. Registry Operator will use best efforts
to finalize these reports no later than 30 days after the preliminary
reports are provided.
5.9 The SLA will be reconciled,
and SLA Credits will be issued, on a quarterly basis.
5.10 The Registrar Community,
as a group, may, under reasonable terms and conditions, audit the
reconciliation records for the purposes of verifying service level
performance and availability. The frequency of these audits will
be no more than once every six month period during the term of this
Agreement.
5.11 Registry Operator's
obligations under this SLA are waived during the first 120 days
after the Live SRS Launch as described in Appendix J to the Registry
Agreement.
5.12 Registry Operator
will initiate the addition, deletion or other modification of DNS
zone information to the master DNS server within 5 minutes of a
Transaction. Registry Operator will notify Registrar regarding any
scheduled maintenance and unavailability of the TLD root-servers.
Registry Operator will use reasonable efforts to notify Registrar
in advance when changes to the schedule occur.
5.13 Registry Operator
will provide SRS Availability percentages during each Monthly Timeframe
as listed in Subsection 2.
5.14 Registry Operator
will update the Whois Service pursuant to the procedures and timelines
described in Appendices C, D and O of the Registry Agreement. Registry
Operator will notify Registrar in advance when changes to the Whois
Service update schedule occur.
6. Miscellaneous
6.1 This Appendix is
not intended to replace any term or condition in the Registry-Registrar
Agreement.
6.2 Dispute Resolution
will be handled pursuant to the arbitration provisions of the Registry-Registrar
Agreement.
Comments concerning the layout, construction and functionality
of this site
should be sent to webmaster@icann.org.
Page Updated
19-Jun-2003
(c) 2001 The Internet Corporation
for Assigned Names and Numbers. All
rights reserved.
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