Greetings. As you know I am on the registration abuse policy working group. Yesterday's teleconference was the first I have been able to attend. I wanted to pass on to you the working definition established for abuse and see if anyone has any comment. Please let me know if you do, and I will pass on to the WG. Beau Brendler ------------------------------- Abuse is an action that: 1. Causes actual and substantial harm, or is a material predicate of such harm, and 2. Is illegal or illegitimate, or is otherwise considered contrary to the intention and design of a stated legitimate purpose, if such purpose is disclosed. Notes: * This is a working definition as per group consensus on April 27, 2009 and may be re-visited should the WG find it inadequate after examining some specific examples. * The party or parties harmed, and the substance or severity of the abuse, should be identified and discussed in relation to a specific proposed abuse. * The term "harm" is not intended to shield a party from fair market competition. * The above definition of abuse is indebted to the definition of "misuse" in the document "Working Definitions for Key Terms that May be Used in Future WHOIS Studies" prepared by the GNSO Drafting Team [18 February 2009, at http://gnso.icann.org/issues/whois/whois-working-definitions-study-terms-18f...]. ** This e-mail message is intended only for the designated recipient(s) named above. The information contained in this e-mail and any attachments may be confidential or legally privileged. If you are not the intended recipient, you may not review, retain, copy, redistribute or use this e-mail or any attachment for any purpose, or disclose all or any part of its contents. If you have received this e-mail in error, please immediately notify the sender by reply e-mail and permanently delete this e-mail and any attachments from your computer system.