[AfrICANN-discuss] REMINDER: Domain Tasting Public Comment Period closes on 28 January 2008

[Anne-Rachel Inné]

REMINDER: Domain Tasting Public Comment Period closes on 28 January 2008
http://www.icann.org/public_comment/#domain-tasting-2008

Please submit comments to:
domain-tasting-2008 at icann.org
Comments may be viewed at:
http://forum.icann.org/lists/domain-tasting-2008/

Explanation: The body that represents individual Internet users within
ICANN, the At Large Advisory Committee (ALAC), asked ICANN's main policy
body, the Generic Names Supporting Organisation (GNSO) to review the issue
of "domain tasting" in spring 2007.

Domain tasting is where someone uses existing legitimate processes to
register a domain name and then tests to see if the address has sufficient
traffic to provide more income than the annual registration fee (usually
through the addition of pay-per-click advertising). If the address is deemed
sufficiently profitable, it is kept. If not, the current "add grace period"
- where domains can be returned within five days without cost - is used to
return the domain at no net cost to the registrant. This process has seen an
enormous increase in the number of domains registered and returned and some
feel represents a loophole that needs to be closed.

In response to the ALAC's request in spring 2007, the GNSO Council requested
that ICANN staff prepare an issues paper for review and discussion. That
Issues Report [pdf] was produced and discussed at ICANN's San Juan meeting
in June 2007, during which the GNSO Council decided to set up a working
group to gather more information. The working group came back with an
Outcomes Report [pdf] in October 2007.

As a result of both reports, the GNSO Council decided at the end of October
2007 to launch a formal policy development process (PDP) into domain
tasting, beginning with a request that other parties in the ICANN structure
provide their input on the issue. As a result of all this, an Initial Report
[pdf] has been produced outlining the process, possible actions to be taken,
and the arguments put forward for and against such actions.

It is this Initial Report that has been put out for public comment. Feedback
will be incorporated into a Final Report supplied to the GNSO Council for it
to review and take action where necessary.

-- 
Anne-Rachel Inne
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: https://lists.afrinic.net/pipermail/africann/attachments/20080124/2ba3a658/attachment-0001.htm