Kind Regards, Benedetta Rossi BC Secretariat https://community.icann.org/display/gnsobc/Home www.bizconst.org bc-secretariat@icann.org
Comment / Reply Periods (*)
Comment Open Date:
15 March 2013
Comment Close Date:
19 April 2013 - 23:59 UTC
Reply Open Date:
20 April 2013
Reply Close Date:
13 May 2013 - 23:59 UTC
Important Information Links
To Submit Your Comments (Forum)
Brief Overview
Originating Organization:
GNSO
Categories/Tags:
Purpose
(Brief):
This Public Forum invites comments on the Preliminary Issue Report on the gTLD
registration data services [PDF, 946 KB]. The Report forms part of a
ICANN Board-initiated GNSO policy development process (PDP)
that aims to review the purpose and accuracy of domain name
registration data and directory services, as well as its
underlying technical protocol – currently also known as
'Whois'.
Current Status:
The Preliminary Issue Report explores the issue
of gTLD registration data services, which includes the
purpose of collecting and maintaining gTLD registration
data, and solutions to improve accuracy and access to gTLD
registration data. This Public Comment solicitation
represents an opportunity to share perspectives on this
topic as well as the contents of the Preliminary Issue
Report. In parallel to this Preliminary Issue Report, the
ICANN Board has convened an Expert Working Group (EWG) whose
findings will feed into the Final Issue Report.
Next Steps:
Following review of the public comment forum
and once the Expert Working Group has concluded its work, a
Final Issue Report will be published and the PDP will be
initiated.
Staff Contact:
Lars Hoffmann
Detailed Information
Section I: Description, Explanation, and
Purpose:
Comprehensive 'Whois' policy reform remains the
source of long-running discussions within the ICANN as well
as wider Internet community. Any discussion of 'Whois' –
hereafter called gTLD registration data and directory
services – typically includes topics such as purpose,
accuracy, availability, privacy, anonymity, cost, policing,
intellectual property protection, security and malicious use
and abuse.
The Board specifically called out two of these
topics in its request; purpose and accuracy. With regard to
purpose, at a minimum the most basic purpose, which is
commonly accepted, is that gTLD registration data allows
domain name holders to be contacted. However, who would be
granted the right to access the data under what
circumstances and contact the holder and by which means, is
a set of difficult follow-up questions that need to be
answered. In relation to accuracy, There are many data
elements in the Whois database required under the Registry
Agreements and the Registrar Accreditation Agreements; if
only one of these data fields is incorrect, does that mean
the Whois information is inaccurate? And how can the
accuracy of data be verified and/or measured, especially
considering that if data is not accurate the purpose of
gathering the data might be questionable in the first place.
This Preliminary Issue report lays out in
detail many of the issues mentioned above and how they
relate to the gTLD registration data and directory services.
In addition, it also provides an overview of many of the
affected Stakeholder Groups, Constituencies, and other
relevant parties. Furthermore, the Report explains in
details the continuous issues with regard to accuracy and
purpose of gTLD registration data services and elaborates on
the need for changes to the technical aspects.
In addition to requesting the Issue Report, the
Board has directed the formation of an Expert
Working Group (EWG) that is currently
working on a comprehensive proposal how to solve the issues
surrounding the purpose and accuracy of domain registration
data services. The EWG is tasked with providing concrete
solutions to many (if not all) of the issues raised in this
Report. In accordance with the Board's direction, the
outcome of the EWG will feed into the Final Issue Report
which will form the basis for the next steps in the Policy
Development Process.
Section II: Background:
After the submission of a Report drafted by the
Whois Policy Review Team in 2012, the ICANN Board passed a resolution on 8 November 2012 that led to the creation of an Expert Working
Group (EWG) and, in parallel, also launched a
Board-initiated GNSO Policy Development Process (PDP).
ICANN's requirements for domain name
registration data collection, access and accuracy for gTLD
registries have undergone some important changes; yet after
more than 12 years of GNSO task forces, working groups,
workshops, surveys and studies the policy is still in need
of comprehensive reforms that address the significant number
of issues related to gTLD registration data services.
Following review of the public comments
received, the Staff Manager will update the Issue Report as
appropriate and submit a summary of the comments received
together with the Final Issue Report.
Section
III: Document and Resource Links:
Section
IV: Additional Information:
N/A
(*) 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@gnso.icann.org