Preliminary Issue Report on the Inter-Registrar Transfer Policy (IRTP) Part C

ICANN Staff is seeking comments on the Preliminary Issue Report on the Inter-Registrar Transfer Policy Part C [PDF, 572 KB]. Specifically, this Report addresses:

1. "Change of Control" function, including an investigation of how this function is currently achieved, if there are any applicable models in the country-code name space that can be used as a best practice for the gTLD space, and any associated security concerns. It should also include a review of locking procedures, as described in Reasons for Denial #8 and #9, with an aim to balance legitimate transfer activity and security.

2. Whether provisions on time-limiting Form Of Authorization (FOA)s should be implemented to avoid fraudulent transfers out. For example, if a Gaining Registrar sends and receives an FOA back from a transfer contact, but the name is locked, the registrar may hold the FOA pending adjustment to the domain name status, during which time the registrant or other registration information may have changed.

3. Whether the process could be streamlined by a requirement that registries use IANA IDs for registrars rather than proprietary IDs

This Public Comment solicitation represents an opportunity for the ICANN community to provide its views on the issues outlined above and on whether a Policy Development Process should be initiated. Further data and supporting information on issues b) and c) are especially welcomed as these issues were originally raised in 2005. This Preliminary Issue Report will be updated to reflect community feedback submitted through this forum. A Final Issue Report will then be presented to the Generic Names Supporting Organization (GNSO) Council for its consideration.

The Inter-Registrar Transfer Policy (IRTP) is an existing community consensus policy that was implemented in late 2004 and is now being reviewed by the GNSO. The IRTP aims to provide a straightforward procedure for domain name holders to transfer their names from one ICANN-accredited registrar to another should they wish to do so. The policy also provides standardized requirements for registrar handling of such transfer requests from domain name holders. The IRTP Part C is the third in a series of five Policy Development Processes (PDPs) that address areas for improvements in the existing Inter-Registrar Transfer Policy.  The GNSO Council requested an Issue Report on IRTP Part C at its meeting on 22 June 2011 (see http://gnso.icann.org/resolutions/#201106).

• Preliminary Issue Report on the Inter-Registrar Transfer Policy Part C [PDF, 572 KB]
• Inter-Registrar Transfer Policy