ICANN

Atallah responds to industry anger over ICANN contract changes

by Kieren McCarthy | 27 Feb 2013 |

If you have a better solution to the issue, let's hear it

Atallah: Surprised at the strong reaction to suggested contract changes.

ICANN COO Akram Atallah has responded to a wave of angry responses from the DNS industry over proposed changes to new registry contracts by asking it to "step up to the plate" and provide solutions to real problems.

Over 30 responses arrived on the last day of a public comment period on the revised contract, most of them highly critical. Key groups within the organization accused the organization of imposing top-down solutions, that the proposal contained "serious and fundamental flaws" and the revisions amounted to "nothing more than a power grab by ICANN staff".

DNS industry turns on ICANN over proposed contract changes

by .Nxt | 26 Feb 2013 |

Last minute flood of angry responses to new gTLD comment period

The domain name industry has responded angrily to an attempt by oversight organization ICANN to make last-minute changes to a contract covering new Internet extensions.

On the last day of a 21-day public comment period over the proposed changes, ICANN received 31 responses (40 in total). Most significant among them were joint letters from stakeholder groups within the organization all of which were highly critical of proposed changes to the registry contract for new gTLDs.

City of New York letter to ICANN re: PIC spec

From: MICHAEL A, CARDOZO
Corporation Counsel

The City of New York
Law Department
100 Church Street
New York, NY 10007

KATHERINE WINNINGHAM
Phone: (212) 788-0959
Fax: (212)571-4600
kwinning@law.nyc.gov

To: Mr. Fadi Chehadé
President and CEO
ICANN
6 Rond Point Schuman, Bt. 5
B-1040 Brussels
Belgium

February 25, 2013

Re: Comments of the City of New York on Proposed Revisions to Registry Agreement

Dear Mr. Chehadé:

The City of New York (the "City" or "NYC") applied in April 2012 to operate .nyc under the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numerals ("ICANN") process to introduce new gTLDs.

"Brand Registry Group" letter to ICANN re: PIC spec

Position Paper: Comments on the revised TLD Registry Agreement

Executive summary

The Brand Registry Group – in formation (BRG) makes the following requests in this paper:

a) Extend the deadline for comments until 31 March 2013
b) Create a type 2 Brand Registry Agreement template
c) Establish direct BRG – ICANN dialogue on the detail required to create a Brand Registry Agreement template.

Preliminary Comments

These comments are preliminary. The Brand Registry Group – in formation requests a delay of 30 days ending 31 March 2013 to the deadline for this comment period.

Need for a type 2 Brand Registry Agreement

The proposed Registry Agreement (RA) was written based on the historical experience that top-level domains (TLDs) were of the .com model, sold via Registrars at the second-level to millions of Registrants. This model is unfit-for-purpose for around 637 or 33% of the applications received as these applications are for future top-level domain registry operators:

who are the owners of a company or brand that forms their applied for TLD

NTIA letter to ICANN re: PIC spec

From: UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
The Assistant Secretary for Communications and Information
Washington, D.C. 20230

To:Dr. Stephen D. Crocker
Chairman of the Board of Directors
Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers
12025 Waterfront Drive, Suite 300
Los Angeles, CA 90094-2536

Dear Dr. Crocker:

Feb 26, 2013

On February 3, 2013, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) posted for public comment a revised new generic top-level domain name (gTLD) Registry Agreement that includes certain updates and changes, including a Public Interest Commitments Specification. I am writing to express the strong support of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) for this step and commend ICANN for so directly responding to the concerns previously expressed by the members of the Governmental Advisory Committee (GAC), including the United States, regarding the need for new gTLD applicants' commitments to be binding and enforceable. We therefore appreciate the opportunity to offer initial views on these proposals.

Internet industry letter to Congress leader on gTLDs

To: The Honorable John D. Rockefeller, Chairman, Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee; The Honorable Kay Bailey Hutchinson, Ranking Member, Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee

Dear Chairman Rockefeller and Ranking Member Hutchinson:

In response to the December 8 hearing regarding new generic top-level domains (gTLDs), we write to register our concern with the mischaracterization of elements of the gTLD program, and to communicate our support for new gTLDs.

The organizations signing this letter believe the introduction of new gTLDs will be innovative and economically beneficial, that the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) has conducted an inclusive and well-handled review of the program, and that preparations for gTLD introduction are sufficient to ensure Internet security and stability and to protect rights holders.

Congressional letter to ICANN asking for new gTLD program delay

Congress of the United States

House of Representatives

Committee on Energy and Commerce

December 21,2011

Dear Dr. Crocker and Mr. Beckstrom:

Last week, the House Energy and Commerce Committee Subcommittee on Communications and Technology held a hearing to examine the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) pending expansion ofthe generic Top-Level Domain (gTLD) program. Although we believe expanding gTLDs is a worthy goal that may lead to increased competition on the Internet, we are very concerned that there is significant uncertainty in this process for businesses, non-profit organizations, and consumers. To that end, we urge you to delay the planned January 12, 2012, date for the acceptance of applications for new gTLDs.

At the December 18, 2011, hearing, ICANN's Senior Vice President Kurt Pritz detailed the process by which your organization developed the gTLD expansion program as well as additional protections that have been put in place to protect businesses and consumers.

Congressional hearing packed with anti-gTLD witnesses (again)

by Kieren McCarthy | 12 Dec 2011 |

For the second time in a week, ICANN faces a hostile Congressional hearing over its new gTLD program, with the witness list stacked against it.

The House Subcommittee on Communications and Technology this morning published the list of people it has called for its hearing this Wednesday and it is almost an exact re-run of the Senate Hearing last week.

Last week's Senate hearing saw three of the five witnesses seemingly chosen because of their opposition to the program. The pattern is the same this week. Alongside representatives from ICANN and the US government, are three anti-gTLD witnesses and, just for good measure, an anti-ICANN witness.

ICANN CEO Rod Beckstrom has failed for the third time in a row to represent his organization, putting up Senior VP Kurt Pritz to face the fire while he continues on a world tour promoting the program (he is currently in Moscow).

European Commission gives qualified thumbs-up to IANA rebid

by Kieren McCarthy | 14 Nov 2011 |

The European Commission has given the process of rebidding for the IANA contract a qualified thumbs-up, claiming credit for some key changes but also complaining about the requirement that the winning contractor be based in the United States, and again raising the issue of 'applicable law'.

The contract covers a range of critical Internet functions including maintenance of the Internet's main directory, the root zone file. It has been awarded to ICANN for the past 10 years but its renewal this year will be done through an open-bid process, the final details of which were published late last week.

In a press release in response to the release of the final contract details, EC Commissioner Neelie Kroes noted that "the new IANA tender is a clear step forward for global internet governance." The release then highlights a number of clauses in the new contract that it claims resulted from its own "initiative to improve Internet Governance".

The "suggested changes" that the EC says it made at two meetings between Kroes and US counterpart Larry Strickling, in Brussels in May and Nairobi in September (at the IGF) include "clear and binding provisions on conflict of interest" and a requirement that "the next IANA contractor will have to provide specific documentation demonstrating how the underlying decision-making process was supportive of the public interest".

Conflict of interests

EC response to IANA RFP

The following press release was put out on Monday 14

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