[registrars] ICANN response to reconsideration requests of Verisign and Dotster regarding the WLS service

["Bruce Tonkin" <Bruce.Tonkin@melbourneit.com.au>]

Hello All,

I note that there is a special meeting of the ICANN Board on 2 June
2003.
http://www.icann.org/minutes/background-02jun03.htm

On the agenda are two reconsideration requests:
- a response to Dotsters request surrounding the WLS
http://www.icann.org/committees/reconsideration/rc02-5.htm

- a response to Verisign's request surrounding the WLS
http://www.icann.org/committees/reconsideration/rc02-6.htm

The logic makes interesting reading - especially the response to Dotster
regarding the need of ICANN to use consensus to change policy.

Here is a quote:
"Dotster is correct that the Board's decision to revise VeriSign's
registry agreements to allow it to offer the WLS through accredited
registrars was not made according to the procedures stated in subsection
4.3.1 of Dotster's registrar accreditation agreement for the creation of
"consensus policies" as defined there. But nothing in the registrar
accreditation agreement requires ICANN to make all of its policies
according to the "consensus policy" mechanism defined in that agreement.

Instead, the contractual role of the "consensus policies" under the
registrar accreditation agreement is to provide ICANN with an
alternative to require registrars to implement policies developed
through the ICANN process. Under subsection 4.1 of the registrar
accreditation agreement, registrars agree to comply with new or revised
specifications developed during the term of the agreement, provided they
are established according to a consensus policy process described in
subsection 4.3 and on topics prescribed in subsection 4.1.2.2 In
contrast to Dotster's contention that the registrar accreditation
agreement requires all of ICANN's policies to be created using the
procedures stated in subsection 4.3.1, the registrar accreditation
agreement makes it very clear that the consensus-policy mechanism is
only one way of defining additional obligations for registrars. See
subsection 4.2 ("specifications and policies may be established").3
"


Regards,
Bruce Tonkin
Melbourne IT