RE: [council] New gtld process

[<tony.ar.holmes@xxxxxx>]

Bruce/All
It would certainly be inappropriate for Council to proceed prior to the
tasks identified below being completed.  Additionally ICANN staff would
not be able to produce a comprehensive issues report.

Council now has a very full agenda following the decisions taken in
Carthage on the creation of the 3 WHOIS Task Forces.

This seems a good way forward.

Tony


-----Original Message-----
From: Bruce Tonkin [mailto:Bruce.Tonkin@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx] 
Sent: 02 November 2003 18:38
To: council@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Cc: Paul Twomey; jeffrey@xxxxxxxxx
Subject: [council] New gtld process


Hello All,

I note from the ICANN Board meeting that:
(1) ICANN is going ahead with the limited round of sponsored TLDs
(2) ICANN is commencing the development of a new strategy for new TLDs
(see resolution below)

At the council meeting in Carthage we delayed considering the motion to
call for an issues report on new TLDs.  It would seem to me sensible for
this to occur after ICANN receives the following information:

- a full assessment of technical standards to support multilingual TLD's
by the Internet Architecture Board (IAB) 

- an assessment of the introduction of competition into the TLD market
and other similar markets, allocation mechanisms and possible
appropriate business models for the TLD manager-ICANN relationship to be
provided by an international economics organization 

- a review and report on intellectual property issues involved in the
introduction of a new TLD shall be requested from the World Intellectual
Property Organization 

- reports regarding the technical stability issues related to the
introduction of new TLDs including contingency planning to ensure
continuity of registry services from the IAB and ICANN's Security and
Stability Committee (SECSAC) 

- an independent review of consumer protection issues from a consumer
protection body will be requested 

It  note there was no mention of the GNSO in the ICANN Board resolution
describing the development of the policy

My personal view is:
(1) ICANN staff should assist in collecting together the various reports
and produce an issues rpeort
(2) GNSO initiate policy development to create the policy for new TLDs
(3) Board to approve policy
(4) ICANN staff to manage the implementation of the policy

I will seek to clarify the timing and involvement of the GNSO in the
ICANN process as laid out in the Board resolution with the ICANN
President, so that we can schedule our work appropriately for 2004.

Regards,
Bruce Tonkin
Registrars rep on the GNSO Council



From: http://www.icann.org/announcements/advisory-31oct03.htm

Whereas the development of an appropriate process and policy for the
creation of new gTLDs has been a topic of Board and community debate
since the creation of ICANN.

Whereas there is a fundamental need for a comprehensive process to move
from the proof of concept test commenced with the 2000 round to the
liberalization of the gTLD market.

Whereas ICANN needs to deliver this comprehensive approach to new gtlds
not only in response to community demand, but also toward completion of
a task agreed under ICANN's new MoU with the U.S. Department of
Commerce.

Whereas ICANN has committed to deliver, by September 2004, a
comprehensive evaluation of: 

a. The potential impact of new gtlds on the Internet root server system
and Internet stability; 
b. The creation and implementation of selection criteria for new and
existing TLD registries, including public explanation of the process,
selection criteria, and the rationale for selection decisions; c.
Potential consumer benefits/costs associated with establishing a
competitive environment for TLD registries; and 
d. Recommendations from expert advisory panels, bodies, agencies, or
organizations regarding economic, competition, trademark, and
intellectual property issues.

Whereas ICANN is also committed to define and implement a predictable
strategy for selecting new gtlds using straightforward, transparent, and
objective procedures that preserve the stability of the Internet
(development of strategy is to be completed by September 30, 2004 and
implementation to commence by December 31, 2004).

Whereas ICANN also needs to consider technical and operational means by
which the operation of a TLD could be undertaken by another party in the
event that any incident causes a particular TLD to become inoperable. 

Whereas the Board recognizes that in order for ICANN to meet these
timelines, the evaluation must commence almost immediately, and will
require a significant proportion of ICANN resources. 

Whereas the Board believes the development of this long-term policy
should begin immediately in November 2003, with the timing of the
presentation of reports and receipt of various inputs to occur between
ICANN's October 2003 meeting in Carthage, and March 2004 meeting in
Rome.

Whereas the areas to be covered in the development of policy on TLDs
include completion of the formal review of the TLDs created in the
new-TLD proof of concept initiated in 2000, obtaining advice and
analysis on issues pertinent to long-term policy for TLDs from expert
sources, receipt and review of community input, consideration and
commencement if deemed appropriate of a targeted Policy-Development
Process within the Generic Names Supporting Organization, and
consultation with ICANN's Advisory Committees and other Supporting
Organizations.

Whereas the final report on the success to date, and issues faced by,
the TLDs created in 2000 is expected to be delivered at ICANN's March
2004 meeting in Rome. 

Whereas ICANN is aware that the TLDs selected in 2000 have faced
significant acceptance problems, which should be considered and
addressed, if possible. These include compatibility problems with
installed software (DNS resolvers, provisioning software and end-user
applications) of ISPs, corporate network operators and application
providers, as well as other distribution and acceptance issues, such as
registrars interested in providing domain name services with respect to
a new gtld. 

Whereas expert advice is expected to be sought from areas including: 

an international economics organization on the introduction of
competition into the TLD market and other similar markets, allocation
mechanisms and possible appropriate business models for the TLD
manager-ICANN relationship; 
a review and report on intellectual property issues involved in the
introduction of new gtld to be provided by the World Intellectual
Property Organization; 
consumer protection issues, potentially from a consumer protection
agency; 
reports from the Internet Architecture Board and ICANN's Security and
Stability Committee on technical stability issues related to the
introduction of new gtlds, including planning for registry failures; 
assessment of the Internet Architecture Board on the need for additional
technical standards to support multilingual TLDs. 
Whereas the Board will be considering, and seeking views from experts
and the community on the appropriate balance between corporate/sponsor
control of a gTLD and "management on behalf of the Internet community"
and with regard to clarifying and better delineating the appropriate
structure and scope of the relationship between TLD operators and ICANN.

Resolved [03.166] that the Board directs the President to begin an
expeditious and targeted development of strategy and policy leading to a
streamlined process for the introduction of new gtlds, and

Resolved [03.167] that the Board directs the President to begin to seek
community input into development of this strategy and process
immediately following this meeting in Carthage, and to establish a
public forum for comments on new gtld policy at
<tldpolicy-comments@xxxxxxxxx>. 

Resolved [03.168] that the Board has requested that a report on the new
gtld policy should be completed by September 30, 2004 and the
implementation of the new gtld policy shall commence before December 31,
2004.