Unsponsored TLD Agreement: Appendix C, Section J (.info)

(20 October 2003)

Functional Specifications

Section J—Additional Services

Redemption Grace Period Service - Stage 1

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 covers all names deleted by registrars, with the exception of those names deleted in the Add Grace Period.

The RGP Service will be implemented in two stages. Stage 1 is as described in the following. Stage 2, which will be implemented after further discussion of the parties and amendment of this Appendix C, will include a capability allowing inter-registrar transfers of deleted names so that registrants can choose which registrar will restore their deleted name(s).

Implementation

Stage 1 of the .info Registry RGP Service will use an automated restore process. Only the process of submitting a Restore Request for Large Incidents and the Restore Report for all restore requests will be manual.

Only EPP statuses defined in the current EPP specifications will be used. As such, all domains slated for deletion will remain in Pending Delete status for 35 days or until they are restored. Domains will be in the Redemption Grace Period for the first 30 days and in a Redemption Hold Period for the remaining 5 days.

PendingDelete Status:

All domains deleted outside the Add Grace Period will be placed in 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 the PendingDelete timeframe, domain names can only be restored during the first 30 days. The only action allowed by the Registrar in this timeframe is the restoration of the domain name.

At the conclusion of the 30-day Redemption Grace Period, the domains will remain in PendingDelete for an additional five days. During this time, domains cannot be restored, modified, deleted, or transferred

Note: BULK TRANSFER operations are allowed within the 30-day RGP. 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 requests are denied during the RGP. For stage 2, the parties will agree on a mechanism to allow Transfer 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 of their dates of deletion in the “Last Updated Date” field. The status of domain names in the first 30 days is: Pending Delete—Restorable; the status of domain names in the last 5 days is Pending Delete—Scheduled for Release.

Restore Process

In order to request the restoration of a name, the Registrar must either use the Restore screen in the Web-based administrative site, or use the existing EPP <renew> command with the RGP extension.

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 will be no Restore Grace Period.

Restore Lock Period

After the name has been restored, it will be placed into a Restore Lock Period for a period up to seven calendar days. In this time period the registrar must submit an RGP Restore Report to the Registry Operator (including the requirements set forth below).

If the registrar fails to submit a complete RGP Restore Report within the Restore Lock Period, the Registry Operator will, following an attempt to notify the registrar, automatically undo the Restore (with no refund to the Registrar) and return the name to a deleted status, subject to a new Redemption Grace Period.

If the registrar submits a successful RGP Restore Report within the Restore Lock Period, the Registry Operator will remove the deleted status attribute from the registration and return the registered name to the state it was in immediately prior to the delete request.

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 shall be a basis for termination of 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.

The reports will be transmitted electronically according to a specified format and shall include the following content:

• 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
  
• 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 .INFO 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 included in the report).
  
• 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.

Page Updated 20-Jan-2004
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