.org Registry Agreement: Appendix I

.org Registry Agreement: Appendix I

22 October 2002

Public Interest Registry ("PIR") will at all times operate as a trusted neutral third-party provider of DNS Registry Services. The domain names within .org are the means by which businesses, consumers, and individuals all over the world will access, navigate, and otherwise benefit from the global Internet. It is vital for the community that the DNS resources are administered in a fair, efficient, and neutral manner to ensure equal access for all parties in the competitive DNS space. To ensure the neutral operation of the Registry Services, PIR will follow the following Code of Conduct:

1. PIR will not, and will require that its subcontractors in the provision of Registry Services do not (other than in connection with the distribution of dividends or other profits to their members and shareholders), directly or indirectly, show any preference or provide any special consideration to any DNS registry operator or ICANN-Accredited Registrar authorized for the .org top-level domain over any other such registry operator or registrar, as those terms are defined by ICANN, including the registry operator or registrar owned by a member of PIR or any of its subcontractors in the provision of Registry Services.

2. All ICANN-Accredited Registrars authorized to register names in the .org top-level domain shall have equal access to Registry Services provided by PIR and its subcontractors in the provision of Registry Services.

3. PIR and its subcontractors shall not in any way attempt to warehouse or 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, PIR shall include a list of all names designated for operational purposes.

4. Any owner, member, subsidiary, affiliate, or other related entity of PIR or of any of its subcontractors in the provision of Registry Services that also operates as a provider of registrar services shall maintain separate books of account with respect to its registrar operations.

5. Neither PIR nor its subcontractors in the provision of Registry Services, nor their owners, members, subsidiaries, affiliates, or other related entities shall have access to user data or proprietary information of an ICANN-Accredited Registrar, except as necessary for registry management and operations.

6. PIR will ensure that no user data or proprietary information from any ICANN-Accredited Registrar is disclosed to affiliates, subsidiaries, or other related entities of PIR or of its subcontractors in the provision of Registry Services, except as necessary for registry management and operations.

7. Confidential information about PIR's business services will not be shared with employees of any DNS registry operator or ICANN-Accredited Registrar, except as necessary for registry management and operations.

8. Neither PIR nor any member, director, officer, or employee of PIR will hold a greater that 5% interest, financial or otherwise in a company that obtains Registry Services from PIR.

9. No director, officer, or employee of PIR will also be a director, officer, or employee of any PIR subsidiary, affiliate or other entity that also operates as an ICANN-Accredited Registrar.

10. PIR will not attempt to itself determine any entity's right to a particular domain name (except as required by the Registry Agreement), and has no means by which to verify such rights.

11. PIR will conduct internal neutrality reviews on a regular basis. In addition, PIR and ICANN may mutually agree on an independent party ("Neutrality Analyst") that ICANN may hire, at ICANN's expense, to conduct a neutrality review of PIR and its subcontractors in the provision of Registry Services, ensuring that PIR, its subcontractors in the provision of Registry Services, and any of their owners, subsidiaries, affiliates, or other related entities that also operates as a provider of registrar services, comply with all the provisions of this Registry Operator Code of Conduct. The neutrality review may be conducted as often as once per year. PIR will provide, and will cause its subcontractors in the provision of Registry Services to provide, the Neutrality Analyst with reasonable access to information and records appropriate to complete the review. The results of the review of the Neutrality Analyst will be provided to ICANN and shall be deemed to be confidential and proprietary information of PIR.

Page Updated 22-Oct-2002

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