ICANN AT-LARGE MONTHLY ANNOUNCEMENT

In this issue:

• STRATEGY FOR NEW TLDs – ICANN recently posted an Initial Version of New gTLD Implementation Strategy for public comment. The report states that ICANN “is committed to develop and implement a comprehensive strategy for selecting new gTLDs using predictable, straightforward, transparent, and objective procedures that preserve the stability and security of the Internet.” It has been posted for 15 days of public comment closing at 17:00 PDT on 15 October. You are encouraged to email comments to gtld-strategy-draft@icann.org.

• AUCTIONING EXPIRED DOMAIN NAMES – GOOD OR BAD FOR CONSUMERS? – ICANN also recently posted an “advisory” to raise awareness of plans by two registrars to begin directly selling or auctioning expired domain registrations. If registrants fail to renew their domain names at the conclusion of an expiration grace period, NSI and Tucows plan to auction the rights to these domain names, instead of allowing them to “drop back into the pool” of names available for re-registration on a first-come, first-served basis, as is currently the process. Both registrars plan to give part of the auction price to the prior registrant (NSI plans to give 20% or less, Tucows plans to give about 80%). Is this good for registrants? Should registrars have the right to control and auction these names and, if so, what is ICANN’s role? What might this mean for ICANN’s delete policy and Verisign’s proposed wait list service? Do you have an opinion? Post your views via email to forum@alac.icann.org.

• AT-LARGE COMING TO A COUNTRY NEAR YOU – ALAC members and At-Large community leaders invite you to meet them at, and/or participate in, events scheduled this fall to share information and expand user involvement in ICANN. In the Latin America and Caribbean region, all interested individuals are invited to attend the Latin-American Workshop on Internet Governance in Cuzco, Peru 13-15 October, co-sponsored by the ALAC and the UNICT (see http://www.alac.icann.org/latin/). A similar workshop is being planned in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago at the end of this month. Look for ALAC members Tadao Takahashi and Erick Iriarte at these workshops, as well as at the IV Congrès Mondial de droit de l’informatique Alfa-Redi, Cuzco on 11-15 October. In the Asia/Australia/Pacific region, Hong Xue, Tommy Matsumoto, and Izumi Aizu will participate in: the International Symposium on Public Participation in Internet Governance in Seoul, Korea, on October 26, 2004; the AP At-Large Meeting, Seoul, Korea, on October 27, 2004; and more meetings of AP At-Large groups will be scheduled soon (see http://www.alac.icann.org/asia/). To meet-up with an ALAC member, send an email to committee@alac.icann.org. See the At-Large calendar at http://www.alac.icann.org/calendar.htm for links to events of interest to At-Large.

• AT-LARGE CONTINUES TO GROW – On 7 September 2004, the ALAC certified as “At-Large Structures” the Internet Society Congo (based in DRC, in the Africa region) and the Internet Users Network (based in Japan, in the Asia/Australia/Pacific region). In addition, the ALAC is conducting due diligence on two groups from North America that have applied for ALS certification -- America@Large (based in USA), and the Intellectual Property & Technology (IPT) Section of the Hawaii State Bar Association (based in USA), a group from Asia/Australia/Pacific -- Communications and Multimedia Consumer Forum of Malaysia (CfM), and ISOC Belgium (in the European region). Join a group or form a new one. Information is posted at www.alac.icann.org/announcements/announcement-24sep03.htm and www.alac.icann.org/applications/.

• STRATEGY FOR NEW TLDs – ICANN recently posted an “Initial Version of New gTLD Implementation Strategy” for public comment. The report states that ICANN “is committed to develop and implement a comprehensive strategy for selecting new gTLDs using predictable, straightforward, transparent, and objective procedures that preserve the stability and security of the Internet.” It has been posted for 15 days of public comment closing at 17:00 PDT on 15 October. You are encouraged to email comments to gtld-strategy-draft@icann.org.

  According to ICANN, “implementation of this strategy will introduce competition and choice to the market for domain registration services” and it expects the implementation of new gTLDs to be a “transparent and straightforward allocation process” that will “ensure the stability and security of the Internet.” ICANN also states that its strategy will have the flexibility to address issues raised through DNS evolution, changes in the marketplace, new industry standards, and other developments. Incorporating relevant community guidance on each of the issues identified in this initial strategy also is listed as an objective. If you have a relevant comment, please email it to gtld-strategy-draft@icann.org

• AUCTIONING EXPIRED DOMAIN NAMES – GOOD OR BAD FOR CONSUMERS? – ICANN also recently posted an “advisory” to raise awareness of plans by two registrars to begin directly selling or auctioning expired domain registrations. If registrants fail to renew their domain names at the conclusion of an expiration grace period, NSI and Tucows plan to auction the rights to these domain names, instead of allowing them to “drop back into the pool” of names available for re-registration on a first-come, first-served basis, as is currently the process. Both registrars plan to give part of the auction price to the prior registrant (NSI plans to give 20% or less, Tucows plans to give about 80%). Is this good for registrants? Should registrars have the right to control and auction these names and, if so, what is ICANN’s role? What might this mean for ICANN’s delete policy and Verisign’s proposed wait list service? Do you have an opinion? Post your views via email to forum@alac.icann.org.

  On 20 September 2004, Network Solutions announced the introduction of a "New, Enhanced Backorder Service that Provides Preferred Access to Expired Domain Names,"

  (See link at http://www.icann.org/announcements/announcement-21sep04-1.htm). This followed Tucows' announcement on 7 September 2004 of a similar, new "Auction Service for Expiring Domain Names," (see link at http://www.icann.org/announcements/announcement-21sep04-1.htm).

  ALAC members would like to explore how this might effect implementation of the current ICANN “Expired Domain Deletion Policy” http://www.icann.org/registrars/eddp.htm and Verisign’s proposed “Wait List Service” http://www.icann.org/minutes/report-vgrs-wls-22aug02.htm, as well as basic questions about registrars’ “rights” to domain names, and ICANN’s role regarding these auctions. Please share your views via email to forum@alac.icann.org.

• AT-LARGE COMING TO A COUNTRY NEAR YOU – ALAC members and At-Large community leaders invite you to meet them at, and/or participate in, events scheduled this fall to share information and expand user involvement in ICANN. In the Latin America and Caribbean region, all interested individuals are invited to attend the Latin-American Workshop on Internet Governance in Cuzco, Peru 13-15 October, co-sponsored by the ALAC and the UNICT (see http://www.alac.icann.org/latin/). A similar workshop is being planned in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago at the end of this month. Look for ALAC members Tadao Takahashi and Erick Iriarte at these workshops, as well as at the IV Congrès Mondial de droit de l’informatique Alfa-Redi, Cuzco on 11-15 October. In the Asia/Australia/Pacific region, Hong Xue, Tommy Matsumoto, and Izumi Aizu will participate in: the International Symposium on Public Participation in Internet Governance in Seoul, Korea, on October 26, 2004; the AP At-Large Meeting, Seoul, Korea, on October 27, 2004; and more meetings of AP At-Large groups will be scheduled soon (see http://www.alac.icann.org/asia/). To meet-up with an ALAC member, send an email to committee@alac.icann.org. See the At-Large calendar at <http://www.alac.icann.org/calendar.htm> for links to events of interest to At-Large.

• AT-LARGE CONTINUES TO GROW – On 7 September 2004, the ALAC certified as “At-Large Structures” the Internet Society Congo (based in DRC, in the Africa region) and the Internet Users Network (based in Japan, in the Asia/Australia/Pacific region). In addition, the ALAC is conducting due diligence on two groups from North America that have applied for ALS certification -- America@Large (based in USA), and the Intellectual Property & Technology (IPT) Section of the Hawaii State Bar Association (based in USA), a group from Asia/Australia/Pacific -- Communications and Multimedia Consumer Forum of Malaysia (CfM), and ISOC Belgium (in the European region). Join a group or form a new one. Information is posted at www.alac.icann.org/announcements/announcement-24sep03.htm and www.alac.icann.org/applications/.

   

  This brings the total number of groups certified as At-Large Structures to 18. These organizations intend to help individual Internet user communities throughout the world participate in ICANN activities and decision-making that affect them. These groups represent a variety of individual users, and are wholly independent from ICANN. Certification simply recognizes that these groups meet ICANN's criteria for involving individual Internet users at the local or issue level in ICANN and for promoting individuals' understanding of, and participation in, ICANN.

The Interim At-Large Advisory Committee

alac@icann.org

www.alac.icann.org