Public Comment

Public Comment is a vital part of our multistakeholder model. It provides a mechanism for stakeholders to have their opinions and recommendations formally and publicly documented. It is an opportunity for the ICANN community to effect change and improve policies and operations.

Inter-Registrar Transfer Policy Issues

Open: 5 September 08
Closed: 29 September 08

Explanation: The Inter-Registrar Transfer Policy (IRTP) aims to provide a straightforward procedure for domain name holders to transfer their names from one ICANN-accredited registrar to another. As part of a broader review of this policy, a Policy Development Process (PDP) is currently ongoing on new Inter-Registrar Transfer Policy issues. These new Inter-Registrar Transfer Policy issues include questions relating to registrar exchange of registrant e-mail information, the potential need for including new forms of electronic authentication and potential provisions for “partial bulk transfers.” The Working Group is requesting your input for its deliberations to answer the following questions:

Issue I - Is there a way for registrars to make Registrant E-mail Address data available to one another? Currently there is no way of automating approval from the Registrant, as the Registrant Email Address is not a required field in the registrar Whois. This slows down and/or complicates the process for registrants, especially since the Registrant can overrule the Admin Contact .

Issue II - Whether there is need for other options for electronic authentication (e.g., security token in the Form of Authorization (FOA)) due to security concerns on use of email addresses (potential for hacking or spoofing) .

Issue III - Whether the policy should incorporate provisions for handling “partial bulk transfers” between registrars - that is, transfers involving a number of names but not the entire group of names held by the losing registrar .

For further details, please visit http://www.icann.org/en/announcements/announcement-08sep08-en.htm.

Staff member responsible: Marika Konings

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