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FW: Agenda - TLD Security Forum
by Phil Corwin Sept. 25, 2013

Sept. 25, 2013

BC members in the DC area next Tuesday may find this free event of interest- http://www.tldsecurity.net/agenda.html 8:00-9:00 Breakfast 9:00-9:15 Introduction Tim Switzer, NTAG 9:15-10:15 Speed Talks: Analysis of DITL Name Collision Data Alex Stamos, Artemis | Chris Cowherd, Donuts | Quentin Spencer, Neustar | Roy Hooper & Wayne MacLaurin, Demand Media 10:15-10:45 Open Discussion: Proposed Mitigations of Name Collisions Alex Stamos, Artemis | Chris Cowherd, Donuts | Quentin Spencer, Neustar | Roy Hooper & Wayne MacLaurin, Demand Media 10:45-11:20 Perspectives from the SSAC Jim Galvin, Afilias 11:20-12:00 Morning Keynote Laureen Kapin, FTC 12:00-13:00 Lunch 13:00-13:30 Privacy, Security and Freedom in the domain industry Gabriel Rottman, ACLU 13:30-14:10 Panel Discussion: Certificate Authorities TBD 14:10-14:50 Brand Owner Concerns Regarding New gTLD Security Dan Jaffe & Amy Mushahwar, Association of National Advertisers 14:50-15:00 Break 15:00-15:40 TBD Chris Davis & Norm Ritchie, Secure Domain Foundation 15:40-16:00 Conclusion Tim Switzer, NTAG 16:00-19:00 Reception ICANN Rooftop Philip S. Corwin, Founding Principal Virtualaw LLC 1155 F Street, NW Suite 1050 Washington, DC 20004 202-559-8597/Direct 202-559-8750/Fax 202-255-6172/Cell Twitter: @VLawDC "Luck is the residue of design" -- Branch Rickey Sent from my iPad ----- No virus found in this message. Checked by AVG - www.avg.com<http://www.avg.com> Version: 2013.0.3392 / Virus Database: 3222/6638 - Release Date: 09/04/13 Internal Virus Database is out of date.

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Buenos Aires Preparation: Cross Constituency Breakfast guest preference
by Benedetta Rossi Sept. 25, 2013

Sept. 25, 2013

Dear BC Members, As it was discussed on the last BC members call, planning for the upcoming ICANN meeting in Buenos Aires is underway. In order to guide decisions for inviting guests to both the Cross Constituency breakfast, scheduled to take place on Tuesday morning at ICANN in Buenos Aires, and planning for CSG engagement with other groups, you are asked to rank the four possible groups that are under consideration in order of your preference. The CSG will have at least one possible time slot for a substantive interaction with one of the groups, besides the Tuesday am breakfast slot. Schedules may prevent availability of a group at a preferred time, but the CSG ExComm will consider priorities from all three groups in the CSG in issuing invitations. Please give me your preferences regarding the groups below, with a simple 1,2,3,4 ranking. With apologies for the short turn around, it would be appreciated if you could respond by Friday. Groups under consideration, listed in alphabetical order: At-Large CCNSO GAC SSAC Thank you ever so much for your input, Kind Regards, Benedetta Rossi BC Secretariat bc-secretariat(a)icann.org <https://community.icann.org/display/gnsobc/Home> https://community.icann.org/display/gnsobc/Home www.bizconst.org

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Reminder: Update Regarding Call for Volunteers to Evaluate Metrics Related to Competition, Consumer Trust and Consumer Choice
by Benedetta Rossi Sept. 24, 2013

Sept. 24, 2013

Dear BC Members, Please find below a reminder regarding the Update Regarding Call for Volunteers to Evaluate Metrics Related to Competition, Consumer Trust and Consumer Choice. Thank you ever so much, Kind Regards, Benedetta Rossi BC Secretariat bc-secretariat(a)icann.org https://community.icann.org/display/gnsobc/Home www.bizconst.org Dear All- ICANN has updated its call for volunteers to evaluate metrics related to Competition, Consumer Trust and Consumer Choice. As described more fully in the <http://www.icann.org/en/news/announcements/announcement-17sep13-en.htm> updated announcement, volunteers will now have more certainty regarding the timing of their commitment. The group of volunteers to be convened this year will serve for a limited duration and scope-focusing exclusively on evaluating the proposed metrics for data gathering to support a future AoC review. As this will be a precursor to help inform the future review, the volunteer team for this initial activity will be referred to as the "Implementation Advisory Group for Competition, Consumer Trust and Consumer Choice." Since the review team will not be convened until such time as new gTLDs have been in operation for one year, it is not necessary to follow the procedures under the AoC for selection of review team members. As a result, representatives from and endorsements of SO/ACs are no longer requested. Instead, the Implementation Advisory Group will be open to all interested volunteers, and it is hoped that volunteers from all SO/ACs will choose to participate in this important effort. Individuals interested in serving on the Implementation Advisory Group for CCT are encouraged to email <mailto:iag-cct@icann.org> iag-cct(a)icann.org by 15 October 2013. Please reply by specifying your interest in this group, your affiliation (if any) with an SO/AC, and your background. Very best regards, ICANN Staff

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FOR REVIEW: Latest draft of BC comments on Expert Working Group (EWG) for directory services (Whois)
by Steve DelBianco Sept. 16, 2013

Sept. 16, 2013

As a follow-up to Thursday's BC call, here's a new draft for member review. First thing I did was re-read the EWG report on which we are commenting. (link<http://www.icann.org/en/groups/other/gtld-directory-services/initial-report…>) It's also helpful to review FAQs published by the EWG (link<http://www.icann.org/en/groups/other/gtld-directory-services/faqs>) Second thing I did was review prior BC positions on this, starting with our Jul-2011 "Response to WHOIS Policy Review Team Discussion Paper" (link<http://www.bizconst.org/Positions-Statements/BC_on_WHOIS_Review_Questions.p…>) where the BC said: "ICANN should also consider mechanisms to create and maintain a centralized WHOIS database." Also see Jun-2012 BC comment on WHOIS Affirmation Review (link<http://www.bizconst.org/Positions-Statements/BC%20on%20WHOIS%20RT%20Final%2…>), where we endorsed privacy/proxy obligations: • Adopting agreed standardized relay and reveal processes and timeframes • Conducting periodic due diligence checks on customer contact information; • Providing clear and unambiguous guidance on the rights and responsibilities of registered name holders, and how those should be managed in the Privacy / Proxy environment. And see our May-2013 comments on the new RAA (link<http://www.bizconst.org/Positions-Statements/BC%20Comment%20on%20final%2020…>), where we proposed Relay and Reveal obligations and timelines for privacy/proxy services. Then I started with our 9-Aug draft comments and added discussion from 29-Aug BC member call. Attached is my 2-Sep draft, plus a redline comparing with the previous draft distributed (9-Aug). Please REPLY ALL with objections or comments before Thursday 5-Sep so we can meet the EWG deadline of 6-Sep. Looking forward to an informed and respectful discussions, so we can get our thoughts to the EWG while they are working on their final report for October publication. -- Steve DelBianco Executive Director NetChoice http://www.NetChoice.org and http://blog.netchoice.org +1.202.420.7482

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NGPC Takes Action on GAC Durban Advice on New gTLDs
by Benedetta Rossi Sept. 13, 2013

Sept. 13, 2013

<http://www.icann.org/en/news/announcements/announcement-12sep13-en.htm> http://www.icann.org/en/news/announcements/announcement-12sep13-en.htm NGPC Takes Action on GAC Durban Advice on New gTLDs 12 September 2013 The ICANN Board New gTLD Program Committee (NGPC) met on 10 September 2013 and, among other things, reached a decision regarding the GAC's <http://newgtlds.icann.org/en/announcements-and-media/announcement-01aug13-e n> further advice on new gTLDs. The GAC conveyed its advice to the NGPC in its <https://gacweb.icann.org/download/attachments/27132037/Final_GAC_Communique _Durban_20130717.pdf?version=1&modificationDate=1374215119858&api=v2> Durban Communiqué [PDF, 103 KB], issued on 18 July 2013. Applicants submitted responses to the advice on 23 August 2013. At its most recent meeting, the NGPC adopted the Durban Scorecard, available at <http://www.icann.org/en/groups/board/documents/resolutions-new-gtld-annex-1 -10sep13-en.pdf> Annex 1 [PDF, 119 KB], disposing of all of the GAC's further advice with one exception the NGPC indicated it would take action on the advice concerning the .amazon string at a future meeting. The NGPC also discussed the remaining open items from the Beijing Communiqué. These include the advice pertaining to protections for IGO names and acronyms; Category 1 Safeguard advice; and Category 2 advice with respect to exclusive access registries. The NGPC and staff are working with the GAC to identify a time and place for further dialogue on these items. The NGPC will next meet on 28.09.2013 and will provide a further update following that meeting. The New gTLD evaluation and objection processes remains on track while the NGPC continues its deliberations. The NGPC is prioritizing its work in order to allow the greatest number of applications to move forward as soon as possible. We will continue to provide updates on the NGPC's progress in responding to the GAC Beijing and Durban Advice. Glen de Saint Géry GNSO Secretariat gnso.secretariat(a)gnso.icann.org http://gnso.icann.org <http://gnso.icann.org/>

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Consultation on gTLD Delegation and Redelegation User Instructions and Source of Policy and Procedures
by Benedetta Rossi Sept. 13, 2013

Sept. 13, 2013

http://www.icann.org/en/news/announcements/announcement-10sep13-en.htm Consultation on gTLD Delegation and Redelegation User Instructions and Source of Policy and Procedures Comment / Reply Periods (*) Comment Open Date: 10 September 2013 Comment Close Date: 1 October 2013 - 23:59 UTC Reply Open Date: 2 October 2013 Reply Close Date: 22 October 2013 - 23:59 UTC Important Information Links <http://www.icann.org/en/news/announcements/announcement-10sep13-en.htm> Public Comment Announcement <mailto:comments-gtld-drd-ui-policy-10sep13@icann.org> To Submit Your Comments (Forum) <http://forum.icann.org/lists/comments-gtld-drd-ui-policy-10sep13/> View Comments Submitted Brief Overview Originating Organization: ICANN Categories/Tags: * Top-Level Domains Purpose (Brief): A consultation on User Instructions and Source of Policy for Delegation and Redelegation of a Generic Top Level Domain (gTLD). Current Status: Initial public consultation Next Steps: Review comments received Staff Contact: Michelle Cotton <mailto:michelle.cotton@icann.org?subject=More%20information%20on%20the%20Consultation%20on%20gTLD%20Delegation%20and%20Redelegation%20User%20Instructions%20and%20Source%20of%20Policy%20and%20Procedures%20public%20comment%20period> Email Staff Contact Detailed Information Section I: Description, Explanation, and Purpose: The Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA) functions contract ( <http://www.ntia.doc.gov/page/iana-functions-purchase-order> SA1301-12-CN-0035) between ICANN and the United States Department of Commerce, National Telecommunications Information Administration (NTIA) to maintain the continuity and stability of services related to certain interdependent Internet technical management functions, known collectively as the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority calls for a public consultation from all interested and affected parties to help satisfy the following objective: C.2.6 Transparency and Accountability — [No later than 1 October 2013], the Contractor shall develop performance standards, in collaboration with all interested and affected parties as enumerated in Section C.1.3, develop user instructions including technical requirements for each corresponding IANA function and post via a website. C.2.7 Responsibility and Respect for Stakeholders – [No later than 1 October 2013], the contractor shall, in collaboration with all interested and affected parties as enumerated in Section C.1.C, develop for each of the IANA functions a process for documenting the source of the policies and procedures and how it will apply the relevant policies and procedures for the corresponding IANA function and post via a website. This consultation involves the operation of the Delegations and Redelegations of Generic Top Level Domains (gTLDs) described in the IANA functions contract as the following: C.2.9.2.d Delegation and Redelegation of a Generic Top Level Domain (gTLD) ‑ The Contractor shall verify that all requests related to the delegation and redelegation of gTLDs are consistent with the procedures developed by ICANN. In making a delegation or redelegation recommendation, the Contractor must provide documentation verifying that ICANN followed its own policy framework including specific documentation demonstrating how the process provided the opportunity for input from relevant stakeholders and was supportive of the global public interest. The Contractor shall submit its recommendations to the COR via a Delegation and Redelegation Report. Section II: Background: This is one of a series of consultations to establish user instructions and source of policy for the delivery of the IANA functions, as described in contract SA1301-12-CN-0035. Section III: Document and Resource Links: * <http://www.icann.org/en/resources/registries/gtld-drd-ui-policy-10sep13-en.…> Consultation on Delegation and Redelegation of a Generic Top Level Domain (gTLD) User Instructions and Source of Policy [PDF, 167 KB] * <http://www.icann.org/en/resources/registries/gtld-drd-ui-10sep13-en.pdf> User Documentation on Delegating and Redelegating Generic Top-Level Domain (gTLD) [PDF, 295 KB] * Contract SA1301-12-CN-0035 and related documents <http://www.ntia.doc.gov/page/iana-functions-purchase-order> Section IV: Additional Information: None _____ (*) Comments submitted after the posted Close Date/Time are not guaranteed to be considered in any final summary, analysis, reporting, or decision-making that takes place once this period lapses. Glen de Saint Géry GNSO Secretariat gnso.secretariat(a)gnso.icann.org http://gnso.icann.org <http://gnso.icann.org/>

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U.S. official: If the UN keeps trying to regulate the Web, we should consider pulling funding
by Phil Corwin Sept. 12, 2013

Sept. 12, 2013

FYI-- http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-switch/wp/2013/09/12/u-s-official-i… U.S. official: If the UN keeps trying to regulate the Web, we should consider pulling funding By Brian Fung, Updated: September 12, 2013 The United States should consider withdrawing its funding from the International Telecommunications Union if the UN agency keeps trying to assert regulatory authority over the Internet, a U.S. official said Thursday. Ajit Pai, a Republican member of the Federal Communications Commission, hinted that the intergovernmental body's proposed rules<http://www.zdnet.com/itu-chief-claims-dubai-meeting-success-despite-collaps…> - which critics say gives governments more power to censor the Web - may have put the group's future in jeopardy. "If the organization decides to become an international regulatory authority for the Internet," he said at a Washington conference for gay and lesbian technology advocates, "we will have to ask ourselves whether the United States should remain one of its top two funders." The United States contributes<http://defundtheitu.com/uploads/S11-CL-C-0041.pdf> nearly $11 million a year to the ITU, a figure that accounts for 7.7 percent of the agency's budget. Japan is the only other country to donate as much. Last year, the United States and dozens of other countries walked away from an ITU plan that would have targeted spam and enhanced broadband access in developing countries, largely over a separate provision<http://www.theverge.com/2012/12/9/3747402/countries-propose-greater-itu-inf…> that would have allowed governments to manage their domestic Internets more intensively. Free-speech advocates worried that the rule would have given countries such as Russia and China greater freedom to suppress politically sensitive content. In response, one opposition organization launched a bid to defund the ITU. The North American Network Operators' Group started a White House petition in January, but failed to attract enough co-signers<https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/petition/de-fund-itu/mSJ49QcV> to require a response from the Obama administration. Pai is among the first U.S. officials to publicly sympathize with the idea. The next meeting of the ITU isn't until next year in Busan, South Korea. But that gives anti-ITU activists plenty of time to build support for the movement. (c) The Washington Post Company Philip S. Corwin, Founding Principal Virtualaw LLC 1155 F Street, NW Suite 1050 Washington, DC 20004 202-559-8597/Direct 202-559-8750/Fax 202-255-6172/cell Twitter: @VlawDC "Luck is the residue of design" -- Branch Rickey

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Renewed Call for Volunteers: Drafting Team to Develop Charter for a GNSO Working Group on GNSO Metrics & Reporting
by Benedetta Rossi Sept. 9, 2013

Sept. 9, 2013

Dear BC Members, Please find below the renewed call for volunteers for the drafting team to devemop Charter for a GNSO Working Group on GNSO Metrics & Reporting. Thank you, Kind Regards, Benedetta Rossi BC Secretariat bc-secretariat(a)icann.org https://community.icann.org/display/gnsobc/Home www.bizconst.org Renewed Call for Volunteers: Drafting Team to Develop Charter for a GNSO Working Group on GNSO Metrics & Reporting http://gnso.icann.org/en/announcements/announcement-06sep13-en.htm Date: 6 September 2013 In Brief The Generic Names Supporting Organization (GNSO) Council seeks volunteers to serve on a Drafting Team (DT) that will develop a charter for a new Working Group (WG). The GNSO Metrics & Reporting WG will be tasked with exploring opportunities with respect to reporting and metrics recommendations that could better inform policy development via fact-based decision making, where applicable. The Drafting Team is expected to submit the proposed Charter to the GNSO Council for approval. What This Team Will Do The Drafting Team is expected to develop a Charter on the basis of the <http://gnso.icann.org/en/council/annex-1-gnso-wg-guidelines-08apr11-en.pdf> GNSO Working Group Guidelines taking into account the <http://gnso.icann.org/en/issues/uofr-final-31mar13-en.pdf> Final Issue Report on Uniformity of Reporting, which recommended that such a Working Group should review how the community can collaborate with contracted parties and other service providers in the sharing of complaint and abuse data that may also further educate Registrants and Internet users in submission of complaints to the appropriate party. Such a Working Group could also investigate more formal processes for requests of data, metrics and other reporting needs from the GNSO that may aid in GNSO policy development efforts. How This Team Will Work ICANN Working Groups use transparent, open processes. The meetings of this DT will be recorded, and the recordings will be available to the public. The mailing list for the Drafting Team will be archived publicly. Drafting Team members are expected to submit Statements of Interest ( <https://community.icann.org/display/gnsosoi/New+SOIs> SOI). The group will collaborate using a public workspace. The Drafting Team is expected to follow the <http://gnso.icann.org/en/council/annex-1-gnso-wg-guidelines-08apr11-en.pdf> GNSO Working Group Guidelines. How to Join The GNSO Council invites interested parties to provide names of expected participants who can then be added to the DT mailing list. The DT will be open to anyone interested to join. Community members who wish to be invited to join the group should contact the <mailto:gnso.secretariat@icann.org?subject=Application%20to%20Join%20Uniform ity%20of%20Reporting%20Drafting%20Team> GNSO secretariat ( <mailto:gnso.secretariat@icann.org> gnso.secretariat(a)icann.org) Background In 2010, the Registration Abuse Policies Working Group (RAPWG) identified in its Final Report the 'need for more uniformity in the mechanisms to initiate, track, and analyze policy-violation reports'. The RAPWG as a result recommended in its Final Report that 'the GNSO and the larger ICANN community in general, create and support uniform reporting processes'. The GNSO in collaboration with the community and ICANN Contractual Compliance deliberated the issues through due diligence analysis, a review of current state compliance reporting systems, and future state implementation plans within ICANN. Based on the information gathered, the GNSO Council recommended the creation of an <http://gnso.icann.org/en/issues/uofr-final-31mar13-en.pdf> Issue Report to further research metrics and reporting needs in hopes to better aid the policy development process. The report created by ICANN Staff further outlined accomplishments regarding reporting and metrics for the Contractual Compliance function and it also reviewed other reporting sources that may be of relevance. On 9 May 2013, the GNSO Council approved the report's recommendations to await any further action regarding Contractual Compliance metrics and reporting until the conclusion of their three-year plan towards the end of 2013. At such time the GNSO Council will consider other actions, if any. In the meantime, the GNSO Council also adopted the recommendation to form a non-PDP Working Group tasked with exploring opportunities of reporting and metrics recommendations that could better inform policy development via fact-based decision making, where applicable. An availability review of both ICANN internal and external data sources is expected to be performed to help inform the deliberations of the WG. More information can be found on the <http://gnso.icann.org/en/group-activities/active/uofr> GNSO Metrics & Reporting WG page. Comments concerning the layout, construction and functionality of this site should be sent to webmaster [at] gnso.icann.org Glen de Saint Géry GNSO Secretariat <mailto:gnso.secretariat@gnso.icann.org> gnso.secretariat(a)gnso.icann.org <http://gnso.icann.org> http://gnso.icann.org

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Selection of Integration Panel for the IDN Root Zone Label Generation Rules (LGR)
by Benedetta Rossi Sept. 9, 2013

Sept. 9, 2013

<http://www.icann.org/en/news/announcements/announcement-06sep13-en.htm> http://www.icann.org/en/news/announcements/announcement-06sep13-en.htm Selection of Integration Panel for the IDN Root Zone Label Generation Rules (LGR) 6 September 2013 ICANN is pleased to announce that the Internationalized Domain Names (IDN) Variant Top Level Domain (TLD) Program has completed the selection of the Integration Panel for the IDN Root Zone Label Generation Rules (LGR). We received many applications from well-qualified individuals and we thank all the applicants for their interest in the IDN Variant TLD Program. The Integration Panel is a vital component in the implementation of the <http://www.icann.org/en/resources/idn/variant-tlds/draft-lgr-procedure-20ma r13-en.pdf> Procedure to Develop and Maintain the Label Generation Rules for the Root Zone in Respect of IDNA Labels [PDF, 1.39 MB] (the Procedure), and its success depends on having Integration Panel members with the right skills to perform the substantive work. The Procedure defines a two-pass process for the creation of IDN label generation rules (LGR) for the root zone. These rules are used to determine sets of potential "variants" of a given label that may be afforded specific treatment in the various root zone processes. ICANN published the <http://www.icann.org/en/news/announcements/announcement-3-06jun13-en.htm> Call for Subject Matter Experts for IDN Root Zone LGR Integration Panel and Advisors to All Panels on 6 June 2013. In response, ICANN received 22 eligible submissions and utilized the following selection process: 1. ICANN reviewed the candidates' submissions against the predefined criteria. The selection criteria were shared with the candidates and candidates were given the opportunity to provide any additional information in support of their candidature: * The selection criteria for members of the Integration Panel included at least one area of primary expertise in Unicode, Linguistics and Writing Systems, Domain Name System (DNS) and IDNA. * The selection process also took into account secondary experience the candidates had in those same areas of expertise. * In addition, the selection criteria required demonstrable ability and experience to perform systematic and detailed analysis of large data sets and to produce accurate and comprehensive results, have prior work experience, and demonstrated ability to advocate positions and build group consensus. 2. Each selection criterion was assigned a score. The evaluation team ranked each candidate's submission in relation to the selection criteria. The process allowed the evaluation team to identify the candidates who best satisfied the selection criteria. 3. Based on the scores for each of the candidates, the evaluation team arrived at a list of the most suitable candidates. For each area of expertise, the evaluation team reviewed the top candidates and made the final selection based on the aggregate expertise of the panel to ensure that all areas had appropriate representation. Selected panel members are listed below: * Marc Blanchet * Asmus Freytag * Michel Suignard * Nicholas Ostler * Wil Tan Integration Panel members are expected to serve an initial term through June 2014. Responsibilities of the Integration Panel members are stated in the Procedure and the <http://www.icann.org/en/news/announcements/announcement-3-06jun13-en.htm> call for subject matter experts. The decisions by the integration Panel are required to be unanimous. Expert advisors are available to the Integration Panel to aid its deliberations. These advisors aid the Integration Panel by lending their subject matter expertise, based on specific requests from the Panel. Using the same selection criteria as used for Panel members, the following advisor has been selected: * Michael Everson The selected Advisor will serve an initial term through June 2014. Additional advisors may be added at a later time as requested by the Panel and as specified in the Procedure. The Integration Panel will undertake the work through periodic conference calls and face-to-face meetings. The first face-to-face meeting is planned for early October 2013. Initial work includes preparing the maximal set of code points and default whole label variant evaluation rules for the root zone. This will serve as a starting point for the community Generation Panels, the second part in the two-pass process. For more information on the IDN Variant TLD Program, please visit <http://www.icann.org/en/resources/idn/variant-tlds> http://www.icann.org/en/resources/idn/variant-tlds. Glen de Saint Géry GNSO Secretariat gnso.secretariat(a)gnso.icann.org http://gnso.icann.org <http://gnso.icann.org/>

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FILED: Business Constituency Comments on Potential Postponement of GNSO Review
by Steve DelBianco Sept. 6, 2013

Sept. 6, 2013

We filed BC comments on the EWG today (see below). Thanks to Aparna and Bill Smith for taking the initiative on this issue. --Steve From: Steve DelBianco <sdelbianco(a)netchoice.org<mailto:sdelbianco@netchoice.org>> Date: Friday, September 6, 2013 6:46 PM To: "comments-gnso-review-15jul13(a)icann.org<mailto:comments-gnso-review-15jul13@icann.org>" <comments-gnso-review-15jul13(a)icann.org<mailto:comments-gnso-review-15jul13@icann.org>> Subject: Business Constituency Comments on Potential Postponement of GNSO Review Comments of ICANN's Business Constituency (BC) regarding Potential Postponement of the GNSO Review. As business users of the Internet, we depend upon its stability, security, resiliency, and interoperability in order to conduct commerce online. An effective Generic Names Supporting Organization (GNSO) plays a critical role in ensuring thatICANN can support the stability, security, resiliency, and interoperability of the Internet. As such, ICANN's bylaws require that a periodic review of theperformance of each supporting organization, including the GNSO, be conducted every five years. The GNSO review required in ICANN's bylaws should not be postponed, for three principal reasons: First, the timeline for the GNSO review is mandated by ICANN's bylaws. The bylaws should be carefully considered, respected, and amended as necessary. Ignoring or temporarily suspending compliance with the bylaws suggests that ad hoc processes are appropriate, undermining the community's confidence in its key structural documents. Second, much has changed since the last GNSO review. More people than ever before rely on the Internet as a platform for innovation and commerce; indeed, the Internet has become an indispensable platform for many businesses. The new gTLD program has blurred the lines between the discrete “silo” constituencies and bifurcated houses (contracted and non-) reflected in that last GNSO review and restructuring, making it more imperative that a review process be started sooner rather than later. Thus, the actions of the GNSO impact vastly more constituents than they did in 2006, when the last GNSO review was commenced. Third, the review has historically taken many years to implement. Given that we may face yet another lengthy review process, we encourage the Board and the GNSO community to avoid further delays in commencing the current round. Accordingly, the Business Constituency urges that the Structural Improvements Committee commence the GNSO review without delay. Doing so will both strengthen confidence in ICANN's bylaws and allow the GNSO community to consider the impact of changes that have occurred since 2006. -- Aparna Sridhar and Bill Smith prepared the draft and it was properly approved by BC membership on 6-Sep-2013 Steve DelBianco Vice chair for policy coordination ICANN Business Constituency

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