[wg-review] Congressional Hearings Resume

[Michael Sondow <msondow@iciiu.org>]

(Copied from the Politechbot list)

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January 12, 2001

 

Michael M. Roberts

President and Chief Executive Officer

Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers

4674 Admiralty Way, Ste. 330

Marina del Rey, CA 90292

 

Dear Mr. Roberts:

The Committee on Energy and Commerce is continuing its oversight of
the
Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN). As you
may
recall, the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations of the
Committee on
Commerce held a hearing on July 22, 1999, to examine the issue of
domain
name system privatization. 

In connection with our continuing review, we have been monitoring
the
process by which ICANN arrived at its decision in November to
approve seven
suffixes: .aero, .coop, .info, .museum, .name, .pro, and .biz. There
have
been a number of reports that ICANN's process to create a new
generation of
Internet domain name suffixes may be thwarting competition in the
registration and assignment of Internet domain names. As the
Committee of
jurisdiction over this issue, the Committee wants to ensure that
this
process is open and fair, and most important, successfully sparks
competition. To that end, we are gathering facts in preparation for
a
Subcommittee on Telecommunications hearing in February to examine
the
process by which ICANN selects Internet domain name suffixes.
Accordingly,
we request that you contact Chairman Tauzin's telecommunications
counsel,
Jessica Wallace, to arrange a time to jointly brief committee staff
at your
earliest convenience. 

        Sincerely,

         

        Billy Tauzin, 

        Chairman, Committee on Energy and Commerce
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