FYI The Department of Commerce has now released its notice of inquiry (NOI) "regarding the upcoming expiration of the JPA with ICANN." Comments are due ON OR BEFORE JUNE 8, 2009. The NOI summarizes the history of the JPA and asks eight questions that are very far reaching. They ask about whether the original White Paper principles are still appropriate and whether ICANN has integrated them. They ask if the private sector-led, bottom-up process is still the most appripriate, or if there are better. They ask about ICANN's progress against the JPA core tasks and subsequent commitments made by the ICANN Board. they ask whether progress is sufficient to transition ICANN to full independence, and if not what remains to be done. Then they ask if there enough safeguards in place to ensure continued security and stability of the DNS, and if they can ensure protection of stakeholder interests and the model itself. And finally they ask what the NTIA final report on the JPA should include. It appears they are seeking either oral or written comments, all of which will be put on the public record. -- Patrick Vande Walle Check my blog: http://patrick.vande-walle.eu