Introduction
At its meeting on 15 December, the GNSO Council initiated a Policy Development Process (PDP) on the requirement to lock a domain name subject to Uniform Dispute Resolution Policy (UDRP) proceedings (see http://gnso.icann.org/resolutions/#201112). As per the new GNSO PDP, a group of volunteers should be convened to draft the charter for the PDP Working Group, which is to be approved by the GNSO Council.
Task of the Drafting Team
The Drafting Team will be tasked with developing a charter for the PDP Working Group to address the requirement to lock a domain name subject to UDRP Proceedings. The elements of the Charter should include, at a minimum, the following elements as specified in the GNSO Working Group Guidelines: Working Group identification; Mission, Purpose and Deliverables; Formation, Staffing and Organization, and; Rules of Engagement. The proposed charter will be submitted to the GNSO Council for its consideration.
Volunteers
If you are interested to participate, please send an email to the GNSO Secretariat (gnso.secretariat@gnso.icann.org). You will be required to complete a Statement of Interest in order to participate.
Background Information on the Issue
A discussion on the requirements of locking a domain name subject to UDRP Proceedings was initially conducted as part of the Inter-Registrar Transfer Part B Policy Development Process where it was noted that 'that locking a domain name registration subject to a UDRP dispute should be a best practice' however, the WG 'noted that any changes to making this a requirement should be considered in the context of any potential UDRP review'. Subsequently, an Issue Report was requested on the state of the UDRP in which this specific issue was also highlighted in various contributions (E.g. 'No requirement to lock names in period between filing complaint and commencement of proceedings', 'Need clarification of domain locking', 'Unclear what is meant by "Status Quo". No explanation of "Legal Lock" mechanisms and when they go into effect or when they should be removed'). As a result, the GNSO Council decided to initiate a PDP on this specific issue only.