2016 Supplemental Agreement with the Internet Engineering Taskforce (IETF)
Status of 2016 Supplemental Agreement01 October 2016: The 2016 Supplemental Agreement with the Internet Engineering Taskforce (IETF) is now in effect. |
Overview
Since 2000, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been in place between ICANN and the IETF. Under the MoU, ICANN performs a set of functions involving assignment of protocol parameters used in IETF standards. Every year, the parties agree to append the MoU with a Supplemental Agreement that defines service levels for the performance of the protocol parameters registries function. A series of Supplemental Agreements to the MoU have been entered into between 2007 and 2014.
In the ICG proposal, the IETF community expressed satisfaction with the current arrangements with ICANN, and proposed to maintain the existing MoU. In particular, the IETF community proposed that the IANA protocol parameters registry updates continue to function day-to-day as they have been doing for the last decade or more, and to continue relying on the system of agreements, policies, and oversight mechanisms already in place between by the IETF, ICANN, and the Internet Architecture Board for the provision of the protocol parameters-related IANA functions.
In the ICG proposal, the IETF community required that a new Supplemental Agreement between ICANN and the IETF community be completed. Specifically, the IETF leadership requested that the new Supplemental Agreement include:
>> An acknowledgement from ICANN that the protocol parameters are in the public domain.
>> A commitment from ICANN to a smooth transition to subsequent operators if the case should arise.
To implement this task, ICANN and the IETF leadership engaged in negotiations for a 2016 Supplemental Agreement. In addition to containing SLA for the performance of the protocol parameters registries function, the 2016 Supplemental Agreement explicitly states that: “ICANN does not claim any right to the contents of the protocol parameter registries as these are in the public domain.” It also contains a provision that ICANN will provide reasonable best efforts and cooperation to effect an orderly and efficient transfer to a successor, if the case should arise, at no cost to the IETF.
On May 27, 2016, the ICANN Board issued a resolution approving the 2016 IETF MoU Supplemental Agreement for signing. On June 24, 2016, ICANN and representatives of the IETF signed the 2016 Supplemental Agreement.