Translation and Transliteration of Contact Information
Implementation Project Status
Updated 31 October 2019
- Due to complexities emerging from the Implementation Review Team's (IRT's) discussions and work in other areas related to registration data directory services (RDDS)—in particular the Temporary Specification for gTLD Registration Data Expedited Policy Development Process (EPDP)—the implementation's projected announcement and effective dates are to be determined (TBD).
- The Translation and Transliteration of Contact Information Working Group's policy recommendations have been slated for analysis as part of addressing Recommendation 27 from the EPDP Team's Phase 1 Final Report.
- ICANN org has prepared a draft policy document that has been reviewed by the IRT, which is based on input received from the IRT during the course of the implementation.
Timeframe
- Board Approval: September 2015
- [Projected] Announcement of Implementation: TBD
- [Projected] Effective Date: TBD
Summary
This implementation project is addressing GNSO recommendations presented in the final report [PDF, 984 KB] on the Translation and Transliteration of Contact Information Policy Development Process (PDP). The goal of the PDP was to determine how to best facilitate the entry of contact information into domain name registration data and directory services by non-English speakers and users of non-ASCII scripts.
The recommendations from the final report are as follows:
- It is not desirable to make transformation of contact information mandatory. Any parties requiring transformation are free to do so on an ad hoc basis outside WHOIS or any replacement system, such as the Registration Data Access Protocol (RDAP). If not undertaken voluntarily by registrar/registry (see Recommendation #5), the burden of transformation lies with the requesting party.
- Whilst noting that a WHOIS replacement system should be capable of receiving input in the form of non-ASCII script contact information, its data fields should be stored and displayed in a way that allows for easy identification of what the different data entries represent and what language(s)/script(s) have been used by the registered name holder.
- The language(s) and script(s) supported for registrants to submit their contact information data may be chosen in accordance with gTLD-provider business models.
- Regardless of the language(s)/script(s) used, it is assured that the data fields are consistent to standards in the Registrar Accreditation Agreement (RAA), relevant Consensus Policy, Additional WHOIS Information Policy (AWIP) and any other applicable polices. Entered contact information data are validated, in accordance with the aforementioned Policies and Agreements and the language/script used must be easily identifiable.
- If the transformation of contact information is performed, and if the WHOIS replacement system is capable of displaying more than one data set per registered name holder entry, these data should be presented as: additional fields (in addition to the authoritative local script fields provided by the registrant) and that these fields be marked as transformed and their source(s) indicated.
- Any WHOIS replacement system, for example RDAP, should remain flexible so that contact information in new scripts/languages can be added and expand its linguistic/script capacity for receiving, storing and displaying contact information data.
- These recommendations should be coordinated with other WHOIS modifications where necessary and are implemented and/or applied as soon as a WHOIS replacement system that can receive, store and display non-ASCII characters, becomes operational.