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GNSO Reference Documents

Date: 
02/28/2006

GNSO Reference Documents

  1. ICANN's Generic Names Supporting Organization (GNSO), is responsible for developing and recommending to the ICANN Board substantive policies relating to generic top-level domains.
    Bylaws for Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers: http://www.icann.org/general/corporate.html

  2. The GNSO Council is responsible for managing this GNSO Policy-Development Process
    http://www.icann.org/general/archive-bylaws/bylaws-28feb06.htm#AnnexA

    The GNSO Council consists of 3 representatives from each of 6 Constituencies representing particular groups of stakeholders, as described in Section 5 of the ICANN bylaws: http://www.icann.org/general/archive-bylaws/bylaws-28feb06.htm#X-5 and 3 Nominating Committee appointees: http://www.icann.org/committees/nom-comm/ who all have full voting rights.

    In addition, both the At Large Advisory Committee (ALAC) and the Government Advisory Committee (GAC) have appointed one non-voting liaison to the GNSO Council.

    1. gTLD Registries (representing all gTLD registries under contract to ICANN);
    2. Registrars (representing all registrars accredited by and under contract to ICANN);
    3. Internet Service and Connectivity Providers (representing all entities providing Internet service and connectivity to Internet users)
    4. Commercial and Business Users (representing both large and small commercial entity users of the Internet);
    5. Non-Commercial Users (representing the full range of non- commercial entity users of the Internet); and
    6. Intellectual Property Interests (representing the full range of trademark and other intellectual property interests relating to the DNS).

  3. ICANN's Major Agreements and Related Reports http://www.icann.org/general/agreements.htm

    • ccTLD Agreements
    • Registry and Sponsorship Agreements
    • Registry and Sponsors Monthly Reports
    • Registrar Accreditation Agreements/MoUs

    ICANN operates in large part by entering into agreements with various other parties involved in the operation of the Internet. These agreements fall generally into two categories: Transition Agreements and Implementation Agreements.

  4. Consensus Policies: http://www.icann.org/general/consensus-policies.htm

    ICANN's agreements with accredited registrars and with gTLD registry operators require compliance with various specifically stated procedures and also with "consensus policies." Sponsors and registry operators of sponsored TLDs may be required to comply with consensus policies in some instances. The following policies are specifically identified as having been adopted as consensus policies by the ICANN Board of Directors as of the dates shown:

    1. Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy (adopted by ICANN Board 26 August 1999; form of implementation documents approved 24 October 1999).
    2. Whois Data Reminder Policy (adopted by ICANN Board 27 March 2003; implementation documents issued 16 June 2003).
    3. Inter-Registrar Transfer Policy (effective on 12 November 2004, adopted by ICANN Board 25 April 2003; implementation documents issued 13 July 2004).
    4. Whois Marketing Restriction Policy (effective on 12 November 2004, adopted by ICANN Board 27 March 2003; implementation documents issued 12 August 2004).
    5. Restored Names Accuracy Policy (effective on 12 November 2004, adopted by ICANN Board 27 March 2003; implementation documents issued 12 August 2004).
    6. Expired Domain Deletion Policy (effective on 21 December 2004, adopted by ICANN Board 31 October 2003; implementation documents issued 21 September 2004).