PUBLICCOMMENTCLOSE 2019-05-02 00:00:00.0 UTC STATEMENTNAME <p><a href="https://www.icann.org/public-comments/info-renewal-2019-03-18-en">Proposed Renewal of .info Registry Agreement</a></p><p><u>Note:</u> Extension for submission granted to 02 May, immediately after CPWG meeting. See <a href="https://community.icann.org/display/alacpolicydev/At-Large+Workspace%3A+ALAC+Statement+on+Registry+Agreements" style="text-decoration: none;">ALAC Statement on Registry Agreements</a>.</p> STATEMENTSTATUS <p>Other - S<span style="color: #000000; text-decoration: none;">tatement now being considered under a new wiki workspace: </span></p><p><a href="https://community.icann.org/display/alacpolicydev/At-Large+Workspace%3A+ALAC+Statement+on+Registry+Agreement+Renewals+.org%2C+.biz+and+.info" style="text-decoration: none;">ALAC Statement on Registry Agreement Renewals .org, .biz and .info</a></p> STATEMENTASSIGNEE STAFFCONTACT <p class="contact-name">Russ Weinstein<br /><a href="mailto:globalsupport@icann.org" style="font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, 'Fira Sans', 'Droid Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0px;">globalsupport@icann.org</a></p> STATEMENTNUMBER PUBLICCOMMENTINFO <h2>Brief Overview</h2><p><strong><em>Purpose:</em></strong> The purpose of this public comment proceeding is to obtain community input on the proposed .info renewal agreement. This renewal agreement is a result of discussions between <abbr title="Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers">ICANN</abbr> and Afilias Limited, the registry operator for the .info top-level domain (<abbr title="Top Level Domain">TLD</abbr>).</p><p><strong><em>Current Status:</em></strong> The current .info Registry Agreement (herein referred to as current .info agreement) will expire on 30 June 2019. Section 4.2 of the current .info agreement provides that it shall be renewed upon the expiration of the initial term set forth in Section 4.1.</p><p><strong><em>Next Steps:</em></strong> Following review of the public comments received, <abbr title="Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers">ICANN</abbr> org will prepare and publish a summary and analysis of the comments. The report will be available for the <abbr title="Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers">ICANN</abbr>Board in its consideration of the proposed .info renewal agreement.</p><h2>Section I: Description and Explanation</h2><p>The proposed renewal agreement for the .info <abbr title="Top Level Domain">TLD</abbr> is based on the <a href="https://newgtlds.icann.org/sites/default/files/agreements/agreement-approved-31jul17-en.html">base generic top level domain (<abbr title="generic Top Level Domain">gTLD</abbr>) Registry Agreement</a> (herein referred to as base registry agreement) updated on 31 July 2017. However, in order to account for the specific nature of the .info <abbr title="Top Level Domain">TLD</abbr>, relevant provisions in the <a href="https://www.icann.org/resources/agreement/info-2013-08-22-en">current .info agreement</a> have been carried over to the .info renewal agreement.</p><p>As a result, the proposed .info renewal agreement is substantially similar to the terms of the base registry agreement. Listed below are summaries of both a) provisions in the proposed .info renewal agreement that are materially different from the current .info agreement, and b) material differences between the .info renewal agreement and the base registry agreement.</p><ol class="lower-alpha"><li><strong>Provisions in the proposed .info renewal agreement that are materially different from the current .info registry agreement:</strong><ul style="margin-left: 20px;"><li><strong>Approved Services (Exhibit A):</strong> Consistent with all new gTLDs and other legacy <abbr title="Top Level Domain">TLD</abbr> registry agreement renewals, Exhibit A has been updated to include the following additional or modified approved services: Anti-Abuse, Registry Lock, Bulk Transfer After Partial Portfolio Acquisition (BTAPPA), Whois Contact Lookup, Internationalized Domain Names (<abbr title="Internationalized Domain Names">IDNs</abbr>), Registration Validation per Applicable Law, and an implementation period of 270 calendar days to transition all systems to the requirements of the .info renewal agreement.</li><li><strong>Protection of Legal Rights of Third Parties and Minimum Requirements for Rights Protection Mechanisms (Section 2.8 and Specification 7 of the proposed renewal agreement):</strong> To better conform with the base registry agreement, the .info renewal agreement will be subject to the Rights Protection Mechanisms (RPMs) set forth in Section 2 of Specification 7, including the Uniform Rapid Suspension (<abbr title="Uniform Rapid Suspension">URS</abbr>) system, the Trademark Post-Delegation Dispute Resolution Procedure (<abbr title="Post-Delegation Dispute Resolution Procedure">PDDRP</abbr>) and the Registration Restrictions Dispute Resolution Procedure (<abbr title="Registration Restrictions Dispute Resolution Procedure">RRDRP</abbr>). Afilias Limited is also authorized to develop additional rights protection mechanisms. Section 2.8 of the .info renewal agreement also does not contemplate processes and procedures for launch of the <abbr title="Top Level Domain">TLD</abbr>, as is consistent with other legacy <abbr title="Top Level Domain">TLD</abbr> Registry Agreement renewals.</li><li><strong>Public Interest Commitments (Section 2.17 and Specification 11 of the proposed renewal agreement):</strong> The Registry Operator has adopted the public interest commitments and applicability of the Public Interest Commitments Dispute Resolution Process (<abbr title="Public Interest Commitment Dispute Resolution Procedure">PICDRP</abbr>) comparable to other new <abbr title="generic Top Level Domain">gTLD</abbr> Operators (except Specification 11, Section 2, which refers to the initial application for the <abbr title="generic Top Level Domain">gTLD</abbr>).  </li><li><strong>Fees to be paid to <abbr title="Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers">ICANN</abbr> org (Section 6.1 of the proposed renewal agreement):</strong> The .info renewal agreement has been modified to match the fee provisions in the base registry agreement. Accordingly, the registry fixed fee of $6,250 per calendar quarter is proposed for the .info <abbr title="Top Level Domain">TLD</abbr>, beginning on the effective date of the renewal agreement. The registry-level transaction fee remains at $0.25 for each annual increment of an initial or renewal domain name registration.</li><li><strong>Registry Code of Conduct (Section 2.14 and Specification 9 of the proposed renewal agreement):</strong> The Registry Operator has adopted the code of conduct in conformity with the base registry agreement.</li><li><strong>Pricing for <abbr title="Domain Name">Domain Name</abbr> Registrations and Registry Services (Section 2.10 of the proposed renewal agreement):</strong> In alignment with the base registry agreement, the price cap provisions in the current .info agreement, which limited the price of registrations and allowable price increases for registrations, are removed from the .info renewal agreement. Protections for existing registrants will remain in place in line with the base registry agreement. This change will not only allow the .info renewal agreement to better conform with the base registry agreement, but also takes into consideration the maturation of the domain name market and the goal of treating the Registry Operator equitably with operators of new gTLDs and other legacy gTLDs utilizing the base registry agreement.</li><li><strong>Misc. Provisions:</strong> Various other provisions have been modified, at the request of the Registry Operator and after bilateral negotiations with Registry Operator, to align with terms previously included in the current .info agreement.</li></ul></li><li><strong>Material differences between the proposed renewal agreement for .info and the base <abbr title="generic Top Level Domain">gTLD</abbr> Registry Agreement:</strong><ul style="margin-left: 20px;"><li><strong>Registry Interoperability and Continuity (Section 2.7 and Specification 6 of the base <abbr title="generic Top Level Domain">gTLD</abbr> Registry Agreement):</strong> Section 6 of Specification 6 of the base registry agreement (Name Collision Occurrence Management) will not apply to the .info <abbr title="Top Level Domain">TLD</abbr>as it has been in operation since 2001. This is consistent with other legacy <abbr title="Top Level Domain">TLD</abbr>registry agreement renewals.</li><li><strong>Emergency Transition (Section 2.13 and 2.14 of the proposed renewal agreement) and Continued Operations Instrument (Section 2.12 and Specification 8 of the base <abbr title="generic Top Level Domain">gTLD</abbr> Registry Agreement):</strong> In alignment with the base registry agreement, the .info renewal agreement will continue to incorporate the registrant protection provision allowing <abbr title="Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers">ICANN</abbr> org to designate an emergency interim registry operator if emergency thresholds for registry functions are reached. However, the Continued Operations Instrument requirement will not apply to the .info <abbr title="Top Level Domain">TLD</abbr> as it has been in continuous operation since 2001. As a result, provisions in Section 4.3(b) and (c) of the base registry agreement (Termination by <abbr title="Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers">ICANN</abbr>) are not applicable to the .info <abbr title="Top Level Domain">TLD</abbr> and, therefore, are of no force or effect. This is consistent with other legacy TLDs who have adopted the Emergency Transition provisions.</li><li><strong>Pass Through Fees related to the Trademark Clearinghouse (Section 6.4 of the base <abbr title="generic Top Level Domain">gTLD</abbr> Registry Agreement):</strong> This requirement will not apply to the .info <abbr title="Top Level Domain">TLD</abbr>as it has been in continuous operation since 2001. As a result, provisions in Section 6.4 of the base registry agreement are not applicable to the .info <abbr title="Top Level Domain">TLD</abbr> and, therefore, are of no force or effect. This is consistent with other legacy <abbr title="Top Level Domain">TLD</abbr> registry agreement renewals.</li><li><strong>Schedule of Reserved Names (Specification 5 of the base <abbr title="generic Top Level Domain">gTLD</abbr> Registry Agreement)</strong>: The .info renewal agreement amends Section 2 of Specification 5 (Two-Character ASCII Labels) allowing the Registry Operator to allocate two-character labels that were reserved in prior registry agreements. The allocation of two-character labels is subject to the Registration Policy and Post Registrations Complaint Investigation provisions to avoid confusion with corresponding country codes, as stated in Appendix A of the Authorization for Release of Letter/Letter Two-Character ASCII Labels at The Second Level issued to all new <abbr title="generic Top Level Domain">gTLD</abbr> registry operators on 13 December 2016. Additionally, the provision on the Registry Operator&apos;s use of up to 100 names for the operation and promotion of the <abbr title="Top Level Domain">TLD</abbr>(Section 3.2) and the provisions on activation of names relating to International Olympic Committee, International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement (Section 5) and names relating to Intergovernmental Organizations Section (Section 6) are of no force or effect in the proposed .info renewal agreement.</li><li><strong>Misc. Provisions:</strong> Various other provisions have been modified to remove references to the initial delegation of the <abbr title="Top Level Domain">TLD</abbr>, entry into the root-zone, statements made in the registry <abbr title="Top Level Domain">TLD</abbr> application and launch of the <abbr title="Top Level Domain">TLD</abbr>, as they are not applicable to a legacy <abbr title="Top Level Domain">TLD</abbr>.</li></ul></li></ol><p>Posted for public comment are both clean and &quot;redline&quot; versions of the .info renewal agreement, and the Addendum to the Registry Agreement that is proposed to be executed by the parties as follows:</p><ul style="margin-left: 20px;"><li><a href="https://www.icann.org/sites/default/files/tlds/info/info-proposed-renewal-18mar19-en.pdf">Proposed .info renewal agreement</a></li><li><a href="https://www.icann.org/sites/default/files/tlds/info/info-proposed-renewal-redline-18mar19-en.pdf">Redline showing changes compared to the base registry agreement</a></li><li><a href="https://www.icann.org/sites/default/files/tlds/info/info-proposed-addendum-18mar19-en.pdf">Proposed addendum to the current .info agreement</a></li></ul><p><strong>Contractual Compliance Review:</strong> As part of the renewal process, <abbr title="Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers">ICANN</abbr> conducted a contractual compliance review of the current .info agreement. Afilias Limited was found to be in compliance with its contractual requirements for the operation of the .info <abbr title="Top Level Domain">TLD</abbr>.</p><h2>Section II: Background</h2><p><abbr title="Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers">ICANN</abbr> and Afilias Limited first entered into a <abbr title="Top Level Domain">TLD</abbr> Registry Agreement on <a href="https://www.icann.org/resources/unthemed-pages/index-d0-2001-05-11-en">11 May 2001</a> for the operation of the .info <abbr title="Top Level Domain">TLD</abbr>, which was subsequently renewed on <a href="https://www.icann.org/resources/unthemed-pages/index-71-2012-02-25-en">8 December 2006</a> and <a href="https://www.icann.org/resources/agreement/info-2013-08-22-en">22 August 2013</a>.</p><p>In addition to the .info renewal agreement, the registry agreements of several &quot;legacy&quot; gTLDs, namely, .tel, .mobi, .jobs, .travel, .cat and .pro, have been renewed based on the base registry agreement as a result of bilateral negotiations between <abbr title="Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers">ICANN</abbr> and the applicable registry operators. These renewed agreements can be viewed at: <a href="https://www.icann.org/resources/pages/registries/registries-agreements-en">https://www.icann.org/resources/pages/registries/registries-agreements-en</a>.</p><h2>Section III: Relevant Resources</h2><p><br /></p><ul style="margin-left: 20px;"><li><a href="https://www.icann.org/resources/agreement/info-2013-08-22-en">Current .info Registry Agreement and Appendices</a></li><li><a href="https://newgtlds.icann.org/sites/default/files/agreements/agreement-approved-global-amendment-31jul17-en.html">Approved base New <abbr title="generic Top Level Domain">gTLD</abbr> Registry Agreement (as updated on 31 July 2017)</a></li></ul><p><br /></p><h2>Section IV: Additional Information</h2><h2>Section V: Reports</h2> FINALVERSION FINALDRAFT FIRSTDRAFT <p>*24 April 2019 - <ac:link><ri:user ri:userkey="8aa0802249f42f260149f4308d0305db" /></ac:link></p><p><strong>ALAC Statement on the Proposed Renewal of the .ORG, .BIZ, .INFO and .ASIA Registry Agreements</strong></p><p><ac:structured-macro ac:name="view-file" ac:schema-version="1" ac:macro-id="28caab34-bdcb-426c-aa8f-ce62936b02d2"><ac:parameter ac:name="name"><ri:attachment ri:filename="#4244345-v2-Draft ALAC Statement on the Proposed Renewal of the ORG Registry Agreement.pdf" /></ac:parameter><ac:parameter ac:name="height">250</ac:parameter></ac:structured-macro></p>