Input needed on ICANN’s proposed settlement agreement with VeriSign

[ICANN At-Large - Denise Michel <michel@xxxxxxxxx>]

AT-LARGE STRUCTURES -- REQUEST FOR INPUT

RECIPIENTS: (See list below)

ACTION:  The views of your members are urgently needed on ICANN’s 
proposed settlement agreement with VeriSign.  The ALAC is developing 
comments and advice for ICANN’s Board and we want to make sure they 
reflect your group’s perspective.  The proposed agreement would end 
pending lawsuits between ICANN and VeriSign and would make several 
permanent changes to the operation of the .COM registry, including 
allowing VeriSign to raise the price of .COM registrations by 7% each 
year, and ICANN pre-approving the following new registry-level services: 
Waiting List Service, Consolidate, Internationalized Domain Names, 
"Restore," and Transfer Dispute Resolution. This has important 
implications for Internet users.  Please review the settlement documents 
at <http://www.icann.org/announcements/announcement-24oct05.htm> and 
email your comments to <forum@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> *and* 
<settlement-comments@xxxxxxxxx> (publicly posted) (or 
<committee@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> if you do not want them posted) by 24 
November 2005.

*Please share this announcement with your membership.*

BACKGROUND:

ICANN has reached an agreement to end all pending litigation over its 
long-standing dispute with VeriSign. ICANN’s Board is accepting public 
comments on the settlement agreement, which is subject to their final 
approval.

ICANN states that, under the agreement, VeriSign will: withdraw all 
pending litigation and arbitration relating to .COM; agree to support 
ICANN’s position on a wide range of issues concerning registry services 
(such as Sitefinder) and the way they are introduced; commit to binding 
international arbitration to prevent any future disagreements from 
resulting in costly and disruptive litigation; and recognize and 
participate in the ICANN consensus policy process.  At this point 
however, from the ALAC’s perspective, the overall benefits are unclear.

The ALAC has raised questions about several elements of the agreement, 
including:

•    Why should it allow VeriSign to increase the price it charges per 
.COM domain name registration by 7% annually from a US$6 base price 
(which will be passed on to Registrars which could pass it on to 
everyone with a .COM domain name) and will this place an unreasonable 
burden on individual Internet users;
•    Why should it extend the term of VeriSign’s management of the .COM 
registry forever with no competition for price or service;
•    Why does it not require VeriSign to invest in .COM registry 
infrastructure to improve stability and security;
•    Why should it give VeriSign the right to use .COM zone metadata for 
commercial purposes;
•    Why does ICANN give specific approval to a set of new services that 
ICANN previously argued were in breach of the current .COM agreement: 
the Waiting List Service, IDNs, and Consolidate;
•    Why should it provide ICANN with US.50 cents for every .COM 
registration plus US$1,250,000, especially when there is little outside 
oversight on how it is spent and it is unclear at this point how these 
funds will benefit Internet users; and
•    Would users be better off if ICANN pursued litigation instead of 
settling – what are the pros and cons?

The ALAC is continuing to investigate and discuss this agreement and 
urges all individual Internet users, and especially .COM registrants and 
users of .COM domains, to share their views on how this agreement might 
affect them.  Send emails for public posting to both ICANN 
<settlement-comments@xxxxxxxxx> and the At-Large forum 
<forum@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>.  The ALAC has scheduled two forums on the 
proposed settlement at the ICANN Vancouver meeting.  Check 
<www.alac.icann.org> for details.

Contact information for groups certified as "At-Large Structures" and 
ALS applicants:

AFRICA
-  Nigerian Internet Users Coalition
Status: Pending
Contact:  Tyokunbo Abiola <tyokunbo@xxxxxxxxxxx>

- Africa Youth Foundation
Status: Pending
Contact:  Paulyn Jansen, <jansen@xxxxxx>

- ISOC-DRC
Status: Certified as At-Large Structure
Contact:  Didier Rukeratabaro Kasole <didier@xxxxxxxxxxxx>

- Moroccan Internet Society
Status: Certified as At-Large Structure
Contact:  Abdelaziz Hilali, <hilali@xxxxxxxxxx>, Amine El Khettar,
<info@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, and Mohammed Hassi Rahou <mhassirahou@xxxxxxxx>

- Anais.AC
Status: Certified as At-Large Structure
Contact:  Robertine Tankeu Keutchankeu, <rtankeu@xxxxxxxx>

- Sudan Internet Society
Status: Certified as At-Large Structure
Contact:  Mohamed El Bashir Ahmed <mbashir@xxxxxxxxxxxx>, and Mohammed 
El Fatih <elfatih@xxxxxxxxxxx>

ASIA/AUSTRALIA/PACIFIC
- Internet Users Society - Niue
Status: Certified as At-Large Structure
Contact: Stafford Guest <sguest@xxxxxxx>

- Pacific Islands Chapter of the Internet Society (PICISOC)
Status: Certified as At-Large Structure
Contact: Franck Martin <franck.martin@xxxxxxxxx>

- Internet Society of Australia (ISOC-AU)
Status: Certified as At-Large Structure
Contact: Adam Creed <adamcr33d@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> and Tony Hill 
<president@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>

- Internet Users Network (Japan)
Status: Certified as At-Large Structure
Contact:  Izumi Aizu, <iza@xxxxxxx>

- Internet Society Vasudhay Kutumbhkum (ISVK)- India
Status: Certified as At-Large Structure
Contact:  Sunil B. Krishna <Krismark@xxxxxxxx>, Nirmol K. Agarwal
<nirmol81@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, and Uma Baskaran <uma_baskaran@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>

- ISOC Taiwan Chapter
Status: Certified as At-Large Structure
Contact:  Joanna Tso, <joanna@xxxxxxxxxxxx>, and Ian Chiang 
<ian@xxxxxxxxxxxx>

- At Large @ China
Status: Certified as At-Large Structure
Contact:  Mr. Zuo Feng, <zuofeng@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, and Dr. Li Hu
<lihu@xxxxxxxxxx>

- National Information Infrastructure Enterprise Promotion Association
Status: Certified as At-Large Structure
Contact:  Dr. Han-Min Hsia, <hsia@xxxxxxxxxx>, and Mr. Kuo-Wei Wu, 
<kwu@xxxxxxxxxx>

- Arab Knowledge Management Society (AKMS)
Status: Certified as At-Large Structure
Contact: Ibrahim Nakhala, <akms@xxxxxxxx>, and Charles Shaban, 
<cshaban@xxxxxxxx>

EUROPE
- Internet Society Nederland
Status: Certified as At-Large Structure
Contact: Koen Klooster<koen.klooster@xxxxxxx>

- Internet Society Belgiuim
Status: Certified as At-Large Structure
Contact:  Rudi Vansnick, <rudi.vansnick@xxxxxxx>

- Internet Society - Catalan Chapter
Status: Certified as At-Large Structure
Contact:  Dr. Andreu Veà, <andreu@xxxxxxxxxxxx>, and Andrés Oliva
<aoliva@xxxxxxxxxxxx>

- Internet Society - Finland
Status: Certified as At-Large Structure
Contact: Tommi Karttaavi, <tommi.karttaavi@xxxxxxx>

- Internet Society - Bulgaria
Status: Certified as At-Large Structure
Contact: Julia Velkova <julia@xxxxxxx>, Dragoslava Pefeva <dpefeva@xxxxxxx>

- Internet Society (ISOC) Luxembourg A.S.B.L.
Status: Certified as At-Large Structure
Contact: Patrick Vande Walle <patrick@xxxxxxx>

- Förderverein Informationstechnik und Gesellschaft (FITUG) e.V
Status: Certified as At-Large Structure
Contact: Thomas Roessler <roessler@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>

- Societa' Internet (ISOC  Italy)
Status: Certified as At-Large Structure
Contact: Vittorio Bertola, <v.bertola@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>

LATIN AMERICA/CARIBBEAN ISLANDS
- Asociación Internauta
Status: Certified as At-Large Structure
Contact:  Sergio Walter Salinas Porto <presidente@.internauta.org.ar>

- AGEIA DENSI
Status: Certified as At-Large Structure
Contact: Carlos Aguirre <carlosaguirre@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>

- JCI Ecuador
Status: Certified as At-Large Structure
Contact: Wladimir Dávalos S. <daniels@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>

- Asociación Ecuatoriana de Derecho Informático y Telecomunicaciones, AEDIT
Status: Certified as At-Large Structure
Contact: Paulina Casares <po@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>

- Corporación Ecuatoriana de Comercio Electrónico, CORPECE
Status: Pending
Contact: Carlos Vera <cvera@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>

- Asociación Costarricense de Derecho Informático
Status: Certified as At-Large Structure
Contact:  Alejandra Castro Bonilla <dereinfo@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> and
<acastro@xxxxxxxxxx>

- Alf-Redi
Status: Certified as At-Large Structure
Contact: Erick Iriarte Ahon, <faia@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, and Jose Ovidio
Salgueiro, <jsalgueiro@xxxxxxxxx>