[registrars] Public comment period on WHOIS TF final report untill 14 August

[Ken Stubbs <kstubbs@digitel.net>]

 

Registrar Constituency:

 FYI - Aug 14th is the deadline for public comments on the WHOIS Task Force's recommendations, prior to submission to the ICANN Board.

 

If anyone has specific comments questions on any of the recommendations below, best you get "on the record" ASAP...

 

Ken Stubbs

 

 

For your  reference, here are some  key recommendations for this document:

1.   Accuracy of the data contained in the WHOIS database

The Task Force believes that the approach of actually enforcing the existing contractual provisions is the essential first step toward improving  WHOIS data accuracy in the gTLD environment.

The Task Force believes that a method of graduated sanctions or enforcements against parties who breach the requirement to provide accurate information and to maintain an accurate Whois database,  potentially as a combination of policy and financial penalties, should be considered, in order to facilitate the actual enforcement of the current policy with respect to WHOIS data accuracy.

 

If enforcement of current contractual provisions  does not lead to an improvement of WHOIS data accuracy, then more substantial changes to the RAA itself or the establishment of consensus policies (as necessary) should be considered.

2.   Uniformity of data formats and elements across various TLDs and registrars, including ccTLDs

The Task Force believes that the questions of uniform data formats and uniformity of data elements need to be discussed and handled separately.

The present Task Force believes that the use of such a uniform data format across gTLD and ccTLD environments should be evaluated.

The Task Force believes that WHOIS data elements should be uniform across all gTLDs.

The Task Force believes that this topic should be the subject of separate deliberations.  These deliberations should take into account specific aspects of  the TLD environments, as well as the value of  accountability and transparency across the domain name system.    Public interest concerns should be taken into account in an appropriate manner. The  objective should be to identify the best way to make progress toward the goal of the uniformity that all  users of the system clearly desire.

3.    Better searchability

To facilitate the restoration of full searchability of Whois databases [see (1) and (2) above], ICANN should explore both enforcing the  mandate to  registrars and registries to provide (or to cooperate in the provision of) such complete  WHOIS search service, and a market-based approach based on bulk access to WHOIS data.

With respect to the more advanced services described in (3) above, the Task Force does not recommend any policy changes. The Task Force suggests that ICANN explore how best to swiftly develop and  implement a plan for cross-registry Whois services, including through  third party services, based on bulk access to WHOIS data.

4.     Better protection of data subjects from marketing use of the data contained in the WHOIS database

Based on these results, the Task Force recommends a review of the current bulk access provisions of the Registrar Accreditation Agreement.  In particular, the following possible changes  should be examined more closely:

·         The policy could attempt to ensure that protection mechanisms can’t be circumvented by third parties selling indirect access to bulk data.  This could, for instance, be accomplished by changing “may require” in section 3.3.6.5 to “shall require.”  It could also be accomplished by requiring bulk access  users to impose conditions on the use of their products and services which are similar to the ones in ICANN’s policy.

·         Sections 3.3.6.3 (prohibition of use of bulk access data for marketing purposes) and 3.3.6.6 (opt-out provision) could be simplified,  unified, and extended to include contact data of organizational entities. Marketing use of registrants’ data outside existing business relationships could depend on the registrant’s prior agreement (“opt-in”).

 

----- Original Message -----

From: "DNSO Secretariat" <DNSO.secretariat@dnso.org>

To: <nc-whois@dnso.org>

Sent: Wednesday, July 17, 2002 5:26 AM

Subject: [nc-whois] Public comment period on WHOIS TF final report untill 14 August

>
> [ To: ga@dnso.org, announce@dnso.org ]
> [ To: council@dnso.org; liaison7c@dnso.org]
> [ To: nc-whois@dnso.org]
>
>
> http://www.dnso.org/dnso/notes/whoisTF/
>
>
> ICANN/DNSO
>
>    Call for comments on final report of WHOIS Task Force
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> 17 July  2002
> http://www.dnso.org/dnso/2001calendardnso.html
> 2001/06/11 DNSO Names Council Whois Survey.
>
> On 26 June 2002, the WHOIS Task Force submitted its final report to
> the Names Council at the Bucharest meeting
> http://www.dnso.org/dnso/notes/20020626.NCbucharest-WhoisTF-final.ppt
> The full report can be found at:
> http://www.dnso.org/dnso/notes/whoisTF/
>
>
> The Task Force Final Report is open for 4 weeks for public comments,
> starting today 17 July 2002, ending 14 August  2002.
>
> All comments should be sent to
> comments-whois@dnso.org
>
> no later than 14 August 2002.
>
> The archives for comments on the Transfer TF Report on the WLS proposal
> are on line at:
>
>    * http://www.dnso.org/dnso/dnsocomments/comments-whois/Arc00/
>
> The full archives of the WHOIS Task Force are on line at:
>
>    * http://www.dnso.org/clubpublic/nc-whois/Arc00/
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>            Information from: © DNSO Secretariat
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