RE: [registrars] Verisign change to operation of the .com DNS lookup service

["Bruce Tonkin" <Bruce.Tonkin@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hello Tim,

The GNSO Council is next meeting on 25 Sept 2003 by teleconference.

I have had one request to place the topic on the agenda - so I guess it
will be discussed.

It would be useful to have a registrar constituency position on this
topic.  

Note I need to declare a conflict of interest in this topic.  Melbourne
IT has a relationship with Microsoft, where we do receive some revenue
from domain names registered through the MSN search solution in response
to an invalid domain name entered into the Internet Explorer browser.

Regards,
Bruce


> -----Original Message-----
> From: Tim Ruiz [mailto:tim@xxxxxxxxxxx] 
> Sent: Tuesday, 16 September 2003 12:33 PM
> To: Bruce Tonkin; registrars@xxxxxxxx
> Subject: RE: [registrars] Verisign change to operation of the 
> .com DNS lookup service
> 
> 
> >I would have thought that this would be treated as a "new" registry 
> >service in the same way as WLS is considered a new registry service, 
> >thus requiring approval from ICANN and the Dept of Commerce.
> 
> Bruce, will this question be raised with ICANN by the GNSO Council?
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: owner-registrars@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx 
> [mailto:owner-registrars@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx] On > Behalf Of Bruce 
> Tonkin
> Sent: Monday, September 15, 2003 8:12 PM
> To: registrars@xxxxxxxx
> Subject: [registrars] Verisign change to operation of the 
> .com DNS lookup service
> 
> Hello All,
> 
> The .com lookup service implemented using the DNS protocol by 
> Verisign on behalf of Internet users of domain names ending 
> in .com is a core Internet service.  Only Verisign is able to 
> offer this service through its contract with ICANN.
> 
> It is very disappointing that:
> 
> (1) Verisign did not raise this with registrars at our 
> meeting in Marina Del Ray last week.
> 
> (2) Verisign gave no notice period to the change in the 
> operation of the service.  This will impact the installed 
> base of software of many organisations.
> 
> I would have thought that this would be treated as a "new" 
> registry service in the same way as WLS is considered a new 
> registry service, thus requiring approval from ICANN and the 
> Dept of Commerce.
> 
> A fairer way of implementing the service would be to allow 
> organisations to register their own domain names that are 
> mis-spellings of their own names, and have these redirected 
> to a search/directory page of their choice - perhaps at a 
> cheaper rate than the present $6.  Forcing all traffic to a 
> single page operated by Verisign seems like an extension of 
> their existing monopoly rights with respect to .com.
> 
> Regards,
> Bruce Tonkin
> 
> 
>