<HTML><BODY style="word-wrap: break-word; -khtml-nbsp-mode: space; -khtml-line-break: after-white-space; ">Dear All:<DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>Today the official consultation opens on the registrar accreditation agreement. You can see the announcement below and also at <A href="http://www.icann.org/announcements/announcement-27jul07.htm">http://www.icann.org/announcements/announcement-27jul07.htm</A>.</DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>NOTE: There is a new section at <A href="http://www.alac.icann.org">www.alac.icann.org</A> for open public consultations and this will show up there very soon.</DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV style="text-align: center;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Arial" size="5"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 18px;"><B>ICANN Starts Consultation on How to Protect Registrants</B></SPAN></FONT></DIV><P align="center" style="text-align: center;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; "><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Arial" size="3"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">Public, stakeholder comments sought on changes to Registrar Accreditation Agreement</SPAN></FONT></P><P align="center" style="text-align: center;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 13px; margin-left: 0px; "><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Arial" size="3"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">27 July 2007</SPAN></FONT></P><P style="text-align: auto;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 13px; margin-left: 0px; "><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Arial" size="3"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><B>MARINA DEL REY, Calif.</B></SPAN></FONT><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Arial" size="3"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">: Increased protection for those registering domain names is ICANN’s goal as it launches consultations on its Registrar Accreditation Agreement (RAA) and the accreditation process for companies who register domains.</SPAN></FONT></P><P style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 13.0px 0.0px"><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Arial" size="3"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">“I called for the review of RAA and the accreditation back in March, and I’m pleased to be moving into the active consultation phase,” said Dr Paul Twomey, ICANN’s CEO and President. “The need for this review is clear. The current RAA is more than six years old. We’ve seen the number of accredited registrars grow to more than 900. And we’ve seen the incredible difficulties that can be unleashed with the collapse of a Registrar.”</SPAN></FONT></P><P style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 13.0px 0.0px"><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Arial" size="3"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">The RAA is the contract that governs the relationship between ICANN and its accredited registrars. The current version was put in place in May 2001. The same contract is in place between ICANN and each of the more than 900 accredited registrars (a directory of which can be found at </SPAN></FONT><A href="http://www.internic.net/regist.html"><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Arial" size="3"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><FONT class="Apple-style-span" color="#0000FD">http://www.internic.net/regist.html </FONT></SPAN></FONT></A><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Arial" size="3"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">).</SPAN></FONT></P><P style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 13.0px 0.0px"><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Arial" size="3"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">The consultation is looking for ideas and input on amendments to the RAA and the registrar accreditation process in order to provide additional protection to registrants. Previous discussions in the ICANN community has already helped create a number of suggestions for discussion, which are:</SPAN></FONT></P><UL><LI style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px"><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Arial" size="3"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">Incorporating provisions to govern the terms under which a registrar can be sold and continue to retain its ICANN accreditation.</SPAN></FONT></LI><LI style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px"><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Arial" size="3"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">Including additional contract enforcement tools offering more options than the current one option – terminating accreditation.</SPAN></FONT></LI><LI style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px"><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Arial" size="3"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">Addressing the responsibilities of a parent owner/manager when one or more of a “family” of registrars fails to comply with ICANN requirements.</SPAN></FONT></LI><LI style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px"><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Arial" size="3"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">Requiring registrars to escrow contact information for customers who register domain names using Whois privacy and Whois proxy services.</SPAN></FONT></LI><LI style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px"><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Arial" size="3"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">Augmenting the responsibilities placed on registrars with regard to their relationships with resellers.</SPAN></FONT></LI><LI style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px"><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Arial" size="3"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">Requiring operator skills training and testing for all ICANN-accredited Registrars.</SPAN></FONT></LI></UL><P style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 13.0px 0.0px"><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Arial" size="3"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">Details of these proposals, as well as the consultation process, are available on ICANN”s website at </SPAN></FONT><A href="http://www.icann.org/topics/raa/"><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Arial" size="3"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><FONT class="Apple-style-span" color="#0000FD">http://www.icann.org/topics/raa/</FONT></SPAN></FONT></A><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Arial" size="3"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">.</SPAN></FONT></P><P style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 13.0px 0.0px"><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Arial" size="3"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">The consultation stems from ICANN board resolutions made at the San Juan 29th International Public meeting held in June 2007. Those resolutions call for ICANN staff to solicit and consider the input of the Internet community regarding proposed changes to the RAA, registrar accreditation process, and related policies.</SPAN></FONT></P><P style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 13.0px 0.0px"><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Arial" size="3"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">A complete summary and analysis of community feedback will be made available at the end of the comment period and suggested amendments to the RAA will be posted for further comment. There will be a publicly available assessment of the impact that the input and comment had on the development of the amendments.</SPAN></FONT></P><P style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 13.0px 0.0px"><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Arial" size="3"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">“These consultations will make sure we have input from the wider community, and help us make the changes needed to protect registrants,” added Dr Twomey.</SPAN></FONT></P><P style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 13.0px 0.0px"><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Arial" size="3"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><B>About ICANN:</B></SPAN></FONT></P><P style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 13.0px 0.0px"><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Arial" size="3"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">ICANN is responsible for the global coordination of the Internet's system of unique identifiers like domain names (like .org, .museum and country codes like .uk) and the addresses used in a variety of Internet protocols that help computers reach each other over the Internet. Careful management of these resources is vital to the Internet's operation, so ICANN's global stakeholders meet regularly to develop policies that ensure the Internet's ongoing security and stability. ICANN is an internationally organized, public benefit non-profit company. For more information please visit: </SPAN></FONT><A href="http://www.icann.org/"><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Arial" size="3"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><FONT class="Apple-style-span" color="#00557D">www.icann.org</FONT></SPAN></FONT></A><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Arial" size="3"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">.</SPAN></FONT></P><DIV><BR><DIV> <SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; border-spacing: 0px 0px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: auto; -khtml-text-decorations-in-effect: none; text-indent: 0px; -apple-text-size-adjust: auto; text-transform: none; orphans: 2; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; "><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; border-spacing: 0px 0px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: auto; -khtml-text-decorations-in-effect: none; text-indent: 0px; -apple-text-size-adjust: auto; text-transform: none; orphans: 2; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; "><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; border-spacing: 0px 0px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: auto; -khtml-text-decorations-in-effect: none; text-indent: 0px; -apple-text-size-adjust: auto; text-transform: none; orphans: 2; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; "><DIV><SPAN style=""><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Arial"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; ">-- </SPAN></FONT><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Arial"><BR style="; font-family: Arial; "></FONT><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Arial"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; ">Regards,</SPAN></FONT><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Arial"><BR style="; font-family: Arial; "></FONT></SPAN><SPAN style=""><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Times"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times; "> </SPAN></FONT><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Times"><BR style="; font-family: Times; "></FONT></SPAN><DIV><SPAN style=""><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Arial"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; ">Nick Ashton-Hart</SPAN></FONT><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Arial"><BR style="; font-family: Arial; "></FONT></SPAN><SPAN style=""><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Arial" size="2"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 10px;; font-family: Arial; "><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10px; ">Director, At-Large</SPAN></SPAN></FONT></SPAN></DIV><DIV><SPAN style=""><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Arial" size="2"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 10px;; font-family: Arial; "><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10px; ">ICANN</SPAN></SPAN></FONT></SPAN></DIV><DIV><SPAN style=""><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Arial" size="2"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 10px;; font-family: Arial; "><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10px; ">PO Box 32160</SPAN></SPAN></FONT><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Arial" size="2"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 10px;; font-family: Arial; "><BR style="; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10px; "></SPAN></FONT><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Arial" size="2"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 10px;; font-family: Arial; "><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10px; ">London N4 2XY</SPAN></SPAN></FONT><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Arial" size="2"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 10px;; font-family: Arial; "><BR style="; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10px; "></SPAN></FONT><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Arial" size="2"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 10px;; font-family: Arial; "><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10px; ">United Kingdom</SPAN></SPAN></FONT><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Arial" size="2"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 10px;; font-family: Arial; "><BR style="; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10px; "></SPAN></FONT><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Arial" size="2"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 10px;; font-family: Arial; "><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10px; ">Main Tel: +44 (20) 8800-1011]</SPAN></SPAN></FONT></SPAN></DIV><DIV><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Arial" size="2"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 10px;; font-family: Arial; "><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10px; ">USA Tel: +1 (202) 657-5460</SPAN></SPAN></FONT></DIV><DIV><SPAN style=""><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Arial" size="2"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 10px;; font-family: Arial; "><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10px; ">Fax: +44 (20) 7681-3135</SPAN></SPAN></FONT><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Arial" size="2"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 10px;; font-family: Arial; "><BR style="; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10px; "></SPAN></FONT><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Arial" size="2"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 10px;; font-family: Arial; "><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10px; ">mobile: +44 (7774) 932798</SPAN></SPAN></FONT><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Arial" size="2"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 10px;; font-family: Arial; "><BR style="; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10px; "></SPAN></FONT><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Arial" size="2"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 10px;; font-family: Arial; "><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10px; ">email: </SPAN></SPAN></FONT><FONT class="Apple-style-span" color="#0000ED" face="Arial" size="2"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 10px;; color: rgb(0, 0, 237); font-family: Arial; "><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 237); font-family: Arial; font-size: 10px; "><A href="mailto:nick.ashton-hart@icann.org">nick.ashton-hart@icann.org</A></SPAN></SPAN></FONT><FONT class="Apple-style-span" color="#0000ED" face="Arial" size="2"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 10px;; color: rgb(0, 0, 237); font-family: Arial; "><BR style="; color: rgb(0, 0, 237); font-family: Arial; font-size: 10px; "></SPAN></FONT><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Arial" size="2"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 10px;; font-family: Arial; "><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10px; ">Win IM: </SPAN></SPAN></FONT><FONT class="Apple-style-span" color="#0000ED" face="Arial" size="2"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 10px;; color: rgb(0, 0, 237); font-family: Arial; "><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 237); font-family: Arial; font-size: 10px; "><A href="mailto:ashtonhart@hotmail.com">ashtonhart@hotmail.com</A></SPAN></SPAN></FONT><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Arial" size="2"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 10px;; font-family: Arial; "><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10px; "> / AIM/iSight: </SPAN></SPAN></FONT><FONT class="Apple-style-span" color="#0000ED" face="Arial" size="2"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 10px;; color: rgb(0, 0, 237); font-family: Arial; "><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 237); font-family: Arial; font-size: 10px; "><A href="mailto:nashtonhart@mac.com">nashtonhart@mac.com</A> </SPAN></SPAN></FONT><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Arial" size="2"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 10px;; font-family: Arial; "><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10px; ">/ Skype:</SPAN></SPAN></FONT><FONT class="Apple-style-span" color="#0000ED" face="Arial" size="2"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 10px;; color: rgb(0, 0, 237); font-family: Arial; "><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 237); font-family: Arial; font-size: 10px; "> nashtonhart</SPAN></SPAN></FONT></SPAN><DIV><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Arial" size="2"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 10px;; font-family: Arial; "><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10px; ">Online Bio:</SPAN></SPAN></FONT><FONT class="Apple-style-span" color="#0000ED" face="Arial" size="2"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 10px;; color: rgb(0, 0, 237); font-family: Arial; "><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 237); font-family: Arial; font-size: 10px; "> </SPAN></SPAN></FONT> <FONT class="Apple-style-span" size="2"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 10px;"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 10px; "><A href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashtonhart">https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashtonhart</A> </SPAN></SPAN></FONT> </DIV></DIV><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Arial"><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></FONT><DIV><DIV><FONT class="Apple-style-span" size="2"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 10px;"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 10px; 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