Dear BC Members, Please find below an announcement released yesterday regarding a new open public comment. Steve DelBianco will advise on the BC's next steps on any BC comments. http://www.icann.org/en/public-comment/irtp-b-rec8-21feb12-en.htm Inter-Registrar Transfer Policy Part B Policy Development Process – Recommendation 8 Concerning Standardizing and Clarifying WHOIS Status MessagesComment/Reply Periods (*)Important Information LinksComment Open:21 February 2012Comment Close:25 March 2012Close Time (UTC):23:59 UTCPublic Comment AnnouncementReply Open:26 March 2012To Submit Your Comments (Forum)Reply Close:15 April 2012View Comments SubmittedClose Time (UTC):23:59 UTCReport of Public CommentsBrief OverviewOriginating Organization:ICANN BoardCategories/Tags:Policy Processes, ICANN Board/Bylaws, Contracted Party AgreementsPurpose (Brief):Public notice is hereby provided of the proposed change related to the Inter-Registrar Transfer Policy to standardize and clarify WHOIS status messages that is considered for adoption as well as an opportunity to comment on the adoption of the proposed policy change, prior to ICANN Board consideration.Current Status:Following adoption by the Generic Names Supporting Organization (GNSO) Council of IRTP Part B Recommendation #8 and the related staff proposal, a public comment forum is now opened as required by the ICANN Bylaws prior to ICANN Board consideration.Next Steps:Following the closing of the public comment period, the ICANN Board will consider the comments received in conjunction with its consideration of the proposed change to the IRTP.Staff Contact:Marika KoningsEmail:policy-staff@icann.orgDetailed InformationSection I: Description, Explanation, and PurposeThe Inter-Registrar Transfer Policy (IRTP) Part B presented its recommendations to the GNSO Council last year. For one of those recommendation, #8 ("The WG recommends standardizing and clarifying WHOIS status messages regarding Registrar Lock status. The goal of these changes is to clarify why the Lock has been applied and how it can be changed. Based on discussions with technical experts, the WG does not expect that such a standardization and clarification of WHOIS status messages would require significant investment or changes at the registry/registrar level."), the GNSO Council requested ICANN staff to provide a proposal. In consultation with the IRTP Part B Working Group, ICANN Staff prepared a proposal that, together with the IRTP Part B recommendation, has now been approved by the GNSO Council.The ICANN Staff proposal [PDF, 290 KB] agrees that the standardization and clarification of WHOIS status messages does not require significant investment or changes at the registry/registrar level. As outlined in the IRTP Part B Final Report, it is possible to associate each EPP status value with a message that explains the meaning of the respective status value. Registrars would be required to display a link to information on each status code directly next to the status in the output, for example: "Status: ClientLock http://www.internic.net/status/html/clientlock". This link would then direct to an ICANN controlled web page where the relevant status code information as described in the ‘EPP Status Codes, what do they mean and why should I know?’1 is posted. ICANN will also post translations of the status information. The web page can make use of localization information from the browser the user is using to display the web page in the related language. The requirement for registries and registrars to provide this link and ensure uniformity in the message displayed could be implemented as a standalone ‘WHOIS Status Information Policy’ or as an addition to the IRTP. In order to avoid potential blocking or stripping out of URLs from WHOIS output for valid reasons, registrars would be required to not remove Internic.net hyperlinks (or particularly the Internic.net status hyperlink) from their WHOIS output. In addition to the link, registrars would be required to include in the WHOIS output a note that would state "For more information on WHOIS status codes, please visit Internic.net” where the link to the information would be posted.You are invited to submit comments until 25 March 2012 before final consideration by the ICANN Board.Section II: BackgroundThe Inter-Registrar Transfer Policy (IRTP) aims to provide a straightforward procedure for domain name holders to transfer their names from one ICANN-accredited registrar to another should they wish to do so. The policy also provides standardized requirements for registrar handling of such transfer requests from domain name holders. The policy is an existing community consensus policy that was implemented in late 2004 and is now being reviewed by the GNSO.The IRTP Part B Policy Development Process (PDP) was the second in a series of five PDPs that address areas for improvements in the existing Inter-Registrar Transfer Policy. The GNSO IRTP Part B Policy Development Process Working Group was tasked to address five issues focusing on issues related to domain hijacking, the urgent return of an inappropriately transferred name and "lock status". The WG delivered its Final Report to the GNSO Council on 31 May 2011. The GNSO Council acted on a number of the recommendations at its meeting on 22 June 2011. In relation to recommendation #8, a proposal from staff was requested. Following consultations with the IRTP Part B Working Group and a public comment forum on the Staff Proposal, the ICANN Staff proposal was submitted to the GNSO Council on 3 January 2012. On 10 January 2012, the IPC provided its comments to ICANN staff proposal (as described in http://gnso.icann.org/mailing-lists/archives/council/msg12555.html). Based on the review of the IPC Proposal, ICANN staff provided an updated proposal (as described in http://gnso.icann.org/mailing-lists/archives/council/msg12600.html) which was approved, together with the IRTP Part B Recommendation #8 at its meeting on 16 February 2012. As required by the ICANN Bylaws, public notice is hereby provided of the policy that is considered for adoption as well as an opportunity to comment on the adoption of the proposed policy, prior to consideration by the ICANN Board of these recommendations.Section III: Document and Resource LinksICANN Staff Proposal on IRTP Part B Recommendation #8 [PDF, 290 KB]GNSO Council Resolution on the adoption of the IRTP Part B Recommendation #8GNSO Council Resolution on the adoption of the IRTP Part B Final Report and RecommendationsIRTP Part B Final Report [PDF, 972 KB]IRTP Part B PDP Proposed Final Report [PDF, 734 KB]IRTP Part B PDP Initial Report [PDF, 765 KB]IRTP Part B Issue Report [PDF, 260 KB]Inter-Registrar Transfer Policy (IRTP)Section IV: Additional InformationNone Kind Regards, Benedetta Rossi BC Secretariatwww.bizconst.orgbc-secretariat@icann.org