Here is a document from David Maher, describing a "MoU-Lite", like
Antony has been advocating for some time. This document would enter
into effect through a loophole in the gTLD-MoU: The gTLD-MoU says
that its signatories may participate in PAB, but, interestingly
enough, does not otherwise restrict membership.
The plan being considered is that signatories of the MoU-lite would be
able to designate representatives to PAB, and thus, be able to vote
for POC members when the planned change in the composition and
selection procedures for POC take place (which will also happen
soon).
POC wants to move on this very quickly, and has set a deadline for
comments at 2359Z, Wednesday, Feb 18. (That's 1 minute before
midnight...) Please direct comments on the draft to
poc-submit@gtld-mou.org
In my personal opinion this is a major positive step, one that has
been mentioned on this list since the early days, and I hope that you
will join me in supporting it.
I might also add that the window on getting in comments on the
changes to the POC is closing rapidly. The comments will be
summarized this weekend, POC may make changes accordingly, and it
will be done.
Kent
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>From dwmaher@ibm.net Thu Feb 12 09:37:06 1998
Alan and Kent:
Here is the DRAFT Statement of Principles that we are working on. We
welcome comments, criticism and suggestions from both PAB and CORE. We do
not believe that there is enough time to make this the subject of a formal
request for comments on the gtld-mou.org web site.
David
STATEMENT OF PRINCIPLES FOR THE GENERIC TOP LEVEL DOMAINS IN THE
INTERNET DOMAIN NAME SYSTEM
The undersigned subscribe to the principles set forth below, based on
the Generic Top Level Domain Memorandum of Understanding, signed at
Geneva, Switzerland on May 1, 1997 (gTLD-MoU). This statement
represents an agreement among the undersigned on a broad statement of
principles that should govern the administration of the generic top
level domains (gTLDs) in the domain name system (DNS) of the Internet.
This statement is not intended to and shall not impose legal
obligations on any of the undersigned.
I. The administration of the DNS is now and should remain under the
control of the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA).
II. IANA is now and should remain a private organization, whether in
the legal form of a corporation or otherwise, and should operate in
the public interest for the benefit of the Internet and not for
profit.
III. IANA should not at any time be under the control of any national
government.
IV. Registration services for second level domain names in the gTLDs
should be globally distributed, and, except in exceptional
circumstances, should be shared among all registrars that meet
appropriate technical qualifications set by IANA.
V. IANA should have supervisory control of the databases containing
the registration data of each gTLD in the DNS, subject to the
following principles:
(a) IANA shall determine when and whether to create new gTLDs
including specification of the alphanumeric strings, the timing of
introduction of new gTLDs and the number of gTLDS;
(b) The data in each database shall be freely available to the
public, subject only to legal restrictions relating to privacy;
(c) Each database shall operate in the public interest on a cost
recovery basis and not for profit, under the overall supervision of
IANA;
(d) Access for registration of second level domains in all databases
shall be equally available to all registrars (except in exceptional
circumstances determined by IANA) on a non-discriminatory basis.
VII. A procedure for resolving trademark disputes should be
established by contract among registrars of second level domains in
each of the gTLDs that will (a) strike a balance between domain name
holders and the owners of trademark rights and (b) offer an efficient
and inexpensive means of dispute resolution without supplanting or
interfering with the jurisdiction of national courts or the rights of
Internet users to have resort to the courts.
-- Kent Crispin, PAB Chair "No reason to get excited", kent@songbird.com the thief he kindly spoke... PGP fingerprint: B1 8B 72 ED 55 21 5E 44 61 F4 58 0F 72 10 65 55 http://songbird.com/kent/pgp_key.html