[registrars] Possible Transfer Procedure Solution?

[Paul Stahura <stahura@enom.com>]

Lets call this solution "Registrar Lock".

The long term solution to our transfer problem
is for the registry to implement a mechanism such as the one
in the EPP whereby the registrant must supply
the gaining registrar with a code that must
match the code for the name at the registry. 
This verifies the identity of the registrant because
only the true registrant knows that code.  
The only mechanism in the RRP that even remotely resembles
this is "Registrar Lock".

If you recall, registrar lock can only be put on a name
by its current registrar.  It means that a name cannot
be transferred or updated with different name servers.  
The name still appears in the root and functions normally.
(registry hold is the same thing, but registry hold 
prevents the name from appearing in the root zone file).

With the .com net and org registry it is up to
each individual registrar to verify the identity
of their customers.  I have no way to verify the identity
of one of my competitor's customers.  This is the problem
with transferring names: how do I know for sure a person is the
registrant of the name he wants to transfer? Only
my competitor can truly verify the identity of a registrant
of a name that is not at eNom.  Therefore I'm suggesting
that we utilize registrar lock as the mechanism whereby
the losing registrar verifies the identity of the registrant,
and the registrant signals his willingness to accept a transfer
(instead of replying to an email).

Simply:  if the name is on registrar lock then that means
that the registrant has not authorized a transfer.  If the
registrant wishes to transfer the name, the registrant
would go to the losing registrar (who verifies the registrants
identity by whatever method they are currently using)
and take the name off lock, then to the gaining registrar 
to initiate the transfer.  
When the transfer request occurs, the losing registrar 
would know the intentions of the registrant 
because the name is not locked.

Benefits include:
1) the gaining registrar knows it did not transfer in real-time because
the transfer request is immediately denied by the registry for names on
lock.  
The gaining registrar could immediately inform the registrant
to take the name off-lock at the losing registrar in order to continue the
transfer process,  thereby improving service to all of our customers.
2) If the name is accidentally/maliciously transferred/slammed, the losing
registrar
is not as liable because the registrar gave the registrant the opportunity
to lock it.
3) It is easy for a registrar to implement

Negatives:
1) registrars must take names off-lock to change name servers
2) registrars must provide a method for registrants to lock
and unlock their names.

eNom currently utilizes this procedure.  We currently allow (ACK)
all outgoing transfer requests from the registry without question, because
we only receive transfer requests from the registry for names that the
registrant has signaled to us he/she wishes to transfer.

Paul