[comments-transfer] Transfer Policy Principles

["Gomes, Chuck" <cgomes@verisign.com>]

In follow-up to the sixteen transfer policy principles I posted to the
Registrars Constituency list on 27 November 2002, I would like to report
that the following registrars communicated their support on that list for
the sixteen principles:
*	Ascio (02 Dec 02
*	Bulk Register (05 Dec 02)
*	Directi (29 Nov 02)
*	Godaddy (27 Nov 02)
*	Melbourne IT (02 Dec 02)
*	NameScout (29 Nov 02)
*	Network Solutions (04 Dec 02)
*	Register.com (03 Dec 02)
*	Schlund (02 Dec 02)
*	Tucows (04 Dec 02).
Because registrar support is so critical for this issue, I would like to
encourage other registrars who are in agreement with these principles to
communicate their support as well.  Hopefully, continued registrar
cooperation on this issue combined with the work of the task force will
result in an improved transfer policy for the benefit of registrants,
registrars and registries.

For those who may not have seen the principles, here they are;

1.	Registrars should provide a unique and private email address for use
only by other registrars and the registry.
2.	Admin contact is the default authority.
3.	Registrant may overrule admin contact authority.
4.	All transfer process communications to registrants from losing and
gaining registrars should be standardized.
5.	Registrars should provide special, standardized Whois access, which
may be separate from public Whois access, to other registrars and the
registry solely for the purpose of transacting transfers.
6.	If the gaining registrar is responsible for transfer authentication
and the losing registrar's special Whois is not accessible for a
to-be-specified time; this can be grounds to allow the transfer to occur in
case of a dispute.
7.	Minimum, standardized documentation should be required of registrars
for all transfer procedure steps for use in dispute resolution.
8.	English is the mandatory default language for all registrar,
registry and registrant transfer communications.  Additionally, registrars
may communicate with registrants in other languages provided that the
principle of standardization in principle 5 above is satisfied.
9.	Only registrars may initiate disputes.  If registrants want to
initiate a dispute, it must be done through a registrar.
10.	The registry is responsible for first level dispute resolution.
11.	There will be a non-judicial second-level dispute resolution process
for appeals.
12.	Losing and gaining registrars should be required to complete
specific transfer process steps within to-be-determined and specifically
defined time periods.
13.	Only losing or gaining registrar should authenticate the transfer
request, not both.
14.	If some form of auth code is used, the same auth code must be used
for the same domain name and the same gaining registrar.
15.	If a new transfer process is adopted, the new process replaces the
old process (i.e., a registrar can't use the new process and the old process
as a follow up to restrict a transfer).
16.	Reasons for a losing registrar to deny a transfer:
		*	Evidence of fraud
		*	UDRP action
		*	Court order
		*	Non-payment for previous registration period if
transfer is requested after the expiration date or non-payment for the
current registration period if transfer is requested before the expiration
date.

Chuck Gomes
VeriSign Com Net Registry