A Registrar Constituency for the ICANN DNSO

[Ivan Pope <ivan@netnames.com>]

Dear Internet Community,

Following on from the ICANN meeting in Singapore and the release today of
the draft bylaw changes (http://www.icann.org/dnsobylaws.html) to allow for
the the Supporting Organisations to be formed, I would like to bring
together all parties interested in forming up the Registrar Constituency for
the DNSO. 

As there is currently no formal definition of a Registrar, it is obviously
open to all. I would expect us to form up a group to discuss what a
definition would be and to aim to be an initial constituency of the DNSO, as
set out below.

I am happy to receive direct expressions of interest for this project. I
have also set up a mailing list for it at eGroups. Depending on who turns up
we will need help to organise this constituency.You can join by sending an
e-mail to icannregistrars-subscribe@egroups.com

There is a meeting of ICANN in Berlin on May 25-27, 1999 (tentative) at
which meeting space can be arranged for constituncies in formation. I
believe this gives us a deadline to come up with a workable format.

I look forward to the discussions. Please circulate this email widely.
Thanks,
Ivan Pope
Founder and CEO, NetNames
Director, Nominet (.uk authority)

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>From http://www.icann.org/dnsobylaws.html

2.  How are the initial constituencies to be formed? 

     The assumption is that they will self-form, and will each collectively
decide on membership or participatory criteria and standards.  A
constituency-based
     organization, with no absolute limit on the number of recognized
constituencies, has an inherent tension between the size and scope of each
constituency and
     the number of constituencies.  For example, in the event that the
"commercial and business entities" constituency limits the type or size of
organizations or
     points of view that can join that constituency, there will likely be
pressure for the formation of a new constituency that provides a place for
those  excluded.  If,
     on the other hand, that constituency allows membership by any entity
that applies, it may become unwieldy and perhaps not even representative in
the way
     originally contemplated.  The staff believes that the way to deal with
this tension is to allow each constituency to make its own determinations on
these issues,
     and to deal with any extreme or inappropriate limitations on an ad hoc
basis, either in the approval process for each constituency or ultimately
through the
     recognition of additional constituencies.

Section 3:  THE CONSTITUENCIES 

     (a)  Each Constituency shall self-organize, and shall determine its own
criteria for participation, except that no individual or entity shall be
excluded from
     participation in a Constituency merely because of participation in
another Constituency.  The Board shall recognize a Constituency (including
the initial
     Constituencies described in (b) below) by a majority vote, whereby the
Constituency shall be deemed to exist for purposes of these Bylaws. 

     (b)  The initial Consituencies shall consist of (in alphabetical
order): 
       
          1.  ccTLD registries; 

          2.  commercial and business entities;

          3.  gTLD registries; 

          4.  ISP and connectivity providers; 

          5.  non-commercial domain name holders; 

          6.  registrars; and 

          7.  trademark, other intellectual property and anti-counterfeiting
interests.

----------------------------------

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Ivan Pope
ivan@netnames.com
NETNAMES * THE INTERNATIONAL INTERNET NAME REGISTRY 
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