Unsponsored TLD Agreement: Appendix I (.info)

Unsponsored TLD Agreement: Appendix I (.info)

(27 February 2001)

Registry Code of Conduct

Afilias will at all times operate as a trusted neutral third-party provider of DNS Registry Services. Afilias recognizes that domain names are the means by which businesses, consumers, and individuals gain access to, navigate, and reap the benefits of the global Internet. These benefits cannot be fully realized, however, unless DNS resources are administered in a fair, efficient, and neutral manner that makes them available to all parties desiring to provide DNS services. To ensure the provision of neutral Registry Services, Afilias will comply with the following Code of Conduct.

1. Other than in connection with the distribution of dividends or other profits to Afilias' members and shareholders, neither Afilias or any of its subcontractors will, directly or indirectly, show any preference or provide any special consideration to any company, person or entity that is a DNS registry provider or registrar services provider, as those terms are defined by ICANN, including the registry or registrar owned by a member of Afilias.

2. All registrars accredited by ICANN who are authorized to register domain names in the .info registry shall have equal access to Registry Services provided by Afilias.

3. Afilias and its subcontractors shall not in any way attempt to register domain names in their own right, except for names designated for operational purposes in compliance with Subsection 3.6.1 or 3.6.2 of the Registry Agreement. In its monthly report to ICANN, Afilias shall include a list of all names designated for operational purposes.

4. Any shareholder, subsidiary, affiliate, or other related entity of Afilias that also operates as a provider of registrar services shall maintain separate books of account with respect to its registrar operations.

5. Neither Afilias, nor its owners, subsidiaries, affiliates, or other related entities shall have access to user data or proprietary information of a registrar served by Afilias, except as necessary for registry management and operations.

6. Afilias will ensure that no user data or proprietary information from any registrar are disclosed to its affiliates, subsidiaries, or other related entities, except as necessary for registry management and operations.

7. Confidential information about Afilias' business services will not be shared with employees of any DNS services provider, except as necessary for registry management and operations.

8. Afilias will conduct internal neutrality reviews on a regular basis. In addition, Afilias and ICANN may mutually agree on an independent party that ICANN may hire, at ICANN's expense, to conduct a neutrality review of Afilias, ensuring that Afilias and its owners comply with all the provisions of this Registry Operator Code of Conduct. The neutrality review may be conducted as often as once per year. Afilias will provide the analyst with reasonable access to information and records appropriate to complete the review. The results of the review will be provided to ICANN and shall be deemed to be confidential and proprietary information of Afilias and its owners.

Page Updated 24-Dec-2002

©2001  The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers. All rights reserved.