PAB gTLD-News : Final Domain Name Plan Is Expected In Two Weeks (fwd)

From: Sascha Ignjatovic (sascha@isoc.vienna.org)
Date: Thu Apr 30 1998 - 04:11:00 PDT


Ira Magaziner, White House senior policy adviser and Internet point man,
said Wednesday that he expects a final paper on the Internet domain names
registry to be released within two weeks.

http://www.techweb.com/wire/story/domnam/TWB19980429S0005

              Final Domain Name Plan Is Expected In Two Weeks
              (04/29/98; 12:38 p.m. ET)
              By Mo Krochmal, TechWeb

              NEW YORK -- Ira Magaziner, White House
              senior policy adviser and Internet point man, said
              Wednesday that he expects a final paper on the
              Internet domain names registry to be released
              within two weeks.

              "Once it's issued, we'll move on with it," said
              Magaziner Wednesday at the Interent and
              Electronic Commerce Conference here in New
              York.

              The initial plan, known as the "green paper," calls
              for a private, nonprofit corporation to control the
              entire Internet domain name system. The
              corporation would have the power to appoint up to
              five independent organizations to be registries,
              each of which could administer just one new
              top-level domain.

              The White House has been soliciting comments
              on the green paper since it was released in late
              January.

              "We've met with dozens of groups and had good
              discussions with the European Union," Magaziner
              said. "We're bridging the gaps, and there'll be
              some modifications based on the comments
              we've received," he said. "Now we'll move on."

              A plan to move Internet domain name registration
              to the private sector was not in place by the time
              the National Science Foundation's contract with
              Network Solutions, based in Herndon, Va., expired
              March 31.

              The contract was extended for six months, but
              time is running out, Magaziner said. A new
              nonprofit group must be started so it can get up to
              speed quickly, he said.

              "The modifications will be speaking to the
              preponderance of comments that have been
              made," he said.

              As in domain name registration, the government
              needs to keep a hands-off approach to
              e-commerce and let private industry be the
              leader, Magaziner said.

              As for Microsoft, Magaziner said he could not
              comment. He added, however, "The mere
              existence of high market share should not be
              evident of a problem. What is a problem is if high
              market share is used as predatory behavior to
              stifle comepetition."



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