Assignment of Registry Agreement or Registry Operator Change of Control
Please note that the English language version of all translated content and documents are the official versions and that translations in other languages are for informational purposes only.
For registry operators subject to the base new gTLD Registry Agreement ("Registry Agreement"), any proposed assignment of the Registry Agreement or direct or indirect change of control of the registry operator must follow the process set forth in Section 7.5 of the Registry Agreement.
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Assignment - occurs when the registry operator transfers any of its rights and/or obligations under the Registry Agreement to another entity. Assignments can be classified as:
- Assignment to Affiliated Assignee
- Assignment to Existing Registry Operator
- Assignment to New Registry Operator
- Change of Control - occurs when there is a change in the possession, directly or indirectly, of the power to direct or cause the direction of management or policies of the registry operator. Please refer to the definition of "control" in Section 2.9(c) of the Registry Agreement.
The review and approval processes for assignments or changes of control will follow related but distinct paths, which may vary depending on the specific set of circumstances surrounding the transaction. For further information and instructions on submitting a request, please visit the Assignment or Change of Control webpages.
If your request is related to a subcontracting arrangement of any Critical Function (as identified in Section 6 of Specification 10 of the Registry Agreement), please visit the Material Subcontracting Arrangement (MSA) change webpage for further details. When both an assignment of a Registry Agreement and MSA change are being contemplated simultaneously, please keep in mind the timing of submission because an MSA change request must be started and completed under the same registry operator.
ICANN organization encourages early engagement with your account manager when planning for these types of transactions to help you better understand the service request case(s) that may be applicable, including any timing considerations. To schedule a consultation call, registry operators may contact their account managers directly or open a General Inquiry case in the Naming Services portal. Note that any such inquiries shall not be considered notice of an assignment or change of control as required by the Registry Agreement.
Registry operators are not to construe any consultations with ICANN organization as legal, business or tax advice. Each registry operator should consult its own attorney, accountant or other professional advisors concerning legal, business, tax, or other matters concerning the proposed assignment or change of control. No statement contained herein shall be deemed to modify or supplement in any way the provisions of the Registry Agreement.This webpage and the various linked webpages herein are resources and guides only and by no means limits ICANN's rights provided under the Registry Agreements or limits ICANN in performing its diligence of the assignment requests.