- Category: gTLDs
- Topic: sTLD Agreement with .ASIA
- Board meeting date: 18 October 2006
- Resolution number: 06.___
- URL for Board minutes/resolution: http://www.icann.org/en/minutes/minutes-18oct06.htm
- Status: Completed
Summary
Board approves the proposed agreement with DotAsia Organization Limited concerning the .ASIA sTLD, and authorizes the President to take such actions as appropriate to implement the agreement.
Text
Kurt Pritz presented the public comments relating to the .ASIA registry agreement that had been posted on the ICANN website, and outlined the history and process associated with the application. Various board members acknowledged that they had discussed aspects of the .ASIA agreement previously and noted that there were no additional comments. Peter Dengate Thrush moved and Raimundo Beca seconded a request for the following resolution to be voted on.
During the voting discussion, Susan Crawford made the following comments on the record:
"I would like the minutes to reflect that I do not want to get in the way of opening up dot Asia, but that the idea of a sponsored TLD called dot Asia makes little sense, and the notion that ICANN could police such a sponsorship makes less sense.
I wish we could drop the entire notion of sponsored TLDs, but this process for dot Asia has already taken far too long. I don't want to get in the way. I hope we can move forward swiftly with a process for new gTLDs that is far more standardized and lightweight and offers a standard contract along the lines I will suggest in connection with biz, org, and info."
Additionally, Peter Dengate Thrush made the following comments on the record:
"I would like to also endorse what Susan has said and to say in relation to this application that it has seemed to me on occasion that the approach has been overly cautious, particularly in relation to geographic significance. And I congratulate the applicants on achieving this and for bearing with us through the process."
Also, Demi Getschko raised concerns regarding whether it was a "sponsored top-level domain". Vint Cerf responded indicating that he believed that the definition of "sponsored" could be debated but that it is self-defining.
Veni Markovski indicated on the record that hoped that ICANN will be able to introduce as many top-level domains as possible and as fast as possible, but that sponsored top-level domains take up too much time to establish, but that as a policy he is always in favor of new top-level domains.
Paul Twomey indicated the following on the record:
First of all, I would like to note that the applicant has done a lot of communications and a lot of interactions with the CC and other communities of the geographic region and also with the governments of the geographic region. That has been part of the cause for delay here, but I think it also has, with the feedback that they have received through that process, has been an important part of our moving forward and proceeding here, at least as far as I'm concerned. So I think that's an important point, and I thank the applicant for their perseverance and understanding in that process.
The second point, just to put it on the record, is while I note what some of my fellow directors have said about sponsored top-level domains, at least as it applies to dot Asia, I would make the observation that it is pointed out to myself on regular basis from some of the existing sponsored top-level domains how important and how valuable they find this sponsored type structure for top-level domain is for particular types of structured communities.
And I do think that there is some value in that, and I hope we don't lose sight that, in certain circumstances, there has seen to be value in such a structure.
Whereas, on 4 December 5, 2005, the board authorized the President and General Counsel to enter into negotiations relating to proposed commercial and technical terms for the .ASIA sponsored top-level domain (sTLD) with the applicant, DotAsia Organisation Limited,
Whereas, on 18 July, 2006, ICANN announced that negotiations with the applicant for the .ASIA sponsored top-level domain had been successfully completed, and posted the proposed .ASIA sponsored TLD registry agreement on the ICANN website,
Whereas, the Board has determined that approval of the agreement, and delegation of a .ASIA sponsored top-level domain to DotAsia Organisation Limited would be beneficial for ICANN and the Internet community,
Resolved (06.___), the proposed agreement with DotAsia Organisation Limited concerning the .ASIA sTLD is approved, and the President is authorized to take such actions as appropriate to implement the agreement.
The Board voted 13-0 in favor of this resolution.
Implementation Actions
- Execute Registry Agreement
- Responsible entity: ICANN Staff
- Due date: None specified
- Completion date: 6 December 2006
Other Related Resolutions
- Resolution 01.74 - Board directs President to form and chair New TLD Evaluation Process Planning Task Force (NTEPPTF): http://www.icann.org/en/minutes/prelim-report-04jun01.htm
- Resolution 02.97, 02.97A - Board accepts NTEPPTF report and directs President to produce plan for action for approval by Board at October 2002 meeting in Shanghai, China: http://www.icann.org/en/minutes/prelim-report-23aug02.htm
- Resolutions 02.150, 02.151, and 02.152: Board authorizes President to implement NTEPPTF recommendations in Action Plan, requests GNSO to provide recommendation on structure of generic tol level namespace, and directs President to develop draft Request for Proposals: http://www.icann.org/en/minutes/prelim-report-15dec02.htm#AnnualMeetingoftheTransitionBoard
- Resolution 03.112 and 03.113 - Board invites public comment on draft request for proposals for sTLDs; requests President to provide to Board detailed plan and schedule for development of appropriate long-term policy for introduction of new gTLDs: http://www.icann.org/en/minutes/prelim-report-26jun03.htm
- Resolutions 03.166, 03.167, and 03.168 - Board calls for the development of process and policy for streamlining introduction of new gTLDs as specified in ICANNs MoU with the U.S. Department of Commerce: http://www.icann.org/en/announcements/advisory-31oct03.htm
- Resolutions 03.169, 03.170, and 03.171 - Board resolves to negotiate agreement reflecting commercial and technical terms upon completion of sTLD selection, resolves that selection process and implementation for sTLDs will be evaluated, and directs President to finalize and post open Request for Proposals for limited number of new sTLDs: http://www.icann.org/en/announcements/advisory-31oct03.htm
- Board authorization to enter negotiations regarding proposed commercial and technical terms for .ASIA sponsored top-level domain: http://www.icann.org/en/minutes/minutes-03may05.htm
- Other resolutions TBD.
Additional Information
- .ASIA Registry Agreement: http://www.icann.org/en/tlds/agreements/asia/
- To review public comments submitted on the 2003 round, refer to: http://forum.icann.org/mtg-cmts/stld-rfp-comments/general/index.html
- To review the Status Reports on the 2003 round, refer to: http://www.icann.org/en/tlds/stld-apps-19mar04/PostsTLDStatusRpt.pdf
- 15 December 2003 - New sTLD Application: http://www.icann.org/en/tlds/new-stld-rfp/new-stld-application-parta-15dec03.htm
- 24 June 2003 - Request for Proposals, Establishment of new sTLDs (Draft for Public Comment): http://www.icann.org/en/tlds/new-stld-rfp/new-stld-rfp-24jun03.htm
- 19 March 2004 - Status Report on sTLD Evaluation Process: http://www.icann.org/en/tlds/stld-apps-19mar04/stld-status-report.pdf
- Some analysis of the sTLD program is available in Staff's 24 September 2004 report on a strategy for introducing New gTLDs, at http://www.icann.org/en/tlds/new-gtld-strategy.pdf, and additional information can be found in the documentation of the New gTLD program, at http://www.icann.org/en/topics/new-gtlds/related-en.htm.
- The resolution does not address funding for the items identified therein.
Explanatory text does not modify or override Resolutions. See Board Resolutions Page for more information.
