- Category: (replace this text with one of the following categories: Administration/Budget, Board, ccTLD, gTLD, IP, ICANN Structure, International Agreement, Root Zone)
- Topic: (replace this text with a keywords from title) Recommendation of the Reconsideration Committee
- Board meeting date: 10 February 2000
- Resolution number: 00.10, 00.11
- URL for Board minutes/resolution: http://www.icann.org/en/minutes/minutes-10feb00.htm
- Status: (replace this text with: Completed, Ongoing, Suspended).
Summary (replace this text with the a one-sentence summary of the resolution)
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Mr. McLaughlin reported that the Reconsideration Committee has adopted recommendations on two requests for reconsideration presenting similar issues. On Request for Reconsideration 99-3, the committee adopted the following recommendation:[RC 99-3] The Reconsideration Committee recommends that the Board deny Reconsideration Request 99-3.
The request asks the Board to reconsider its decision to block registration of ?.com and ~.com. Because the ICANN Board has made no decisions relating to whether or not those domain names can be registered, there is no decision that can be reconsidered.
Since the implementation of the Internet domain-name system in the 1980s, the specifications published and implemented by the Internet community have not permitted labels making up domain names to have characters other than letters, numbers, and internal hyphens. Througout this period, the specifications for the format of domain names have been well-known throughout the Internet technical community. They have been set forth in several RFCs, including RFC 1035 (published in 1987) <ftp://ftp.isi.edu/in-notes/rfc1035.txt> and RFC 1123 (published in 1989) <ftp://ftp.isi.edu/in-notes/rfc1123.txt>. The commonly accepted specifications are reflected in the functional specification for the Shared Registry System, through which competitive registrar services were introduced in the .com/.net/.org top-level domains last year, which requires that labels contain letters, digits, or internal hyphens. The use of domain names in a noncompliant format presents interoperability problems. Among other things, domain names that violate this format have the potential of causing software written in reliance on these formats to malfunction, and several instances of actual malfunctions have been identified.
The Reconsideration Committee finds the domain names identified in Reconsideration Request 99-3 to be incompatible with the functional specifications contained in the Shared Registry System. Any proposed change in those specifications should be advanced through the appropriate Internet standards-development organization, in this case the IETF.
After discussion, the following motion was duly made, seconded, and adopted unanimously by the Board:Denial of the requests for reconsideration submitted by Bruce Perelman and Russ Smith.
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RESOLVED [00.10] that, for the reasons set forth in the Reconsideration Committee's Recommendation RC 99-3, the Board denies the request for reconsideration submitted by Bruce Perelman on September 4, 1999. At this point in the call, Director Crew joined the meeting.
On Request for Reconsideration No. RESOLVED [00.11] that, for the reasons set forth in the Reconsideration Committee's Recommendation RC 00-1, the committee adopted the following recommendation:[RC 00-1] The Reconsideration Committee recommends that Reconsideration Request 00-1 (submitted on Board denies the request for reconsideration submitted by Russ Smith on January 6 and 7 January, 2000, by Russ Smith) be denied. Mr. Smith requests ICANN to reconsider "the revocation of domains ending in a '-' ..."
Mr. Smith appears to be operating under the mistaken impression that ICANN made a decision to revoke those names.
ICANN does not have the ability to cancel or revoke specific domain names; rather, ICANN has the power to enforce the terms of its agreements with registries and registrars, which may require the cancellation of registrations performed by mistake. Nevertheless, the Committee notes that ICANN staff did indeed advise NSI-Registry and several ICANN-accredited registrars (1) that the registration of trailing-hyphen names would violate the specification for the Shared Registry System and (2) that the various agreements among NSI, ICANN, the U.S. Department of Commerce, and the ICANN-accredited registrars require that all registered names must comply with the format specified in the registry's functional specification. In view of the ICANN staff's advice, the Reconsideration Committee will treat Mr. Smith's reconsideration request as a request to reconsider the staff's advice to NSI-Registry and the affected registrars.
The Committee notes the explanation of the ICANN staff in its Comment Concerning Trailing-Hyphen Domain Names, posted 7 January 2000:"Since the implementation of the Internet domain-name system in the 1980s, the specifications published and implemented by the Internet community have not permitted labels making up domain names to have trailing hyphens (e.g., "example-.com"). Througout this period, the specifications for the format of domain names have been well-known throughout the Internet technical community. They have been set forth in several RFCs, including RFC 1035 (published in 1987) <ftp://ftp.isi.edu/in-notes/rfc1035.txt> and RFC 1123 (published in 1989) <ftp://ftp.isi.edu/in-notes/rfc1123.txt>. The commonly accepted specifications are reflected in the functional specification for the Shared Registry System <http://www.ietf.org/internet-drafts/draft-hollenbeck-rrp-00.txt>, through which competitive registrar services were introduced in the .com/.net/.org top-level domains last year, which requires that labels end with letters or digits, not hyphens.
"In the past several weeks, however, over 800 domain names with labels containing trailing hyphens were registered by mistake in the .com/.net/.org registry. These names do not conform to the functional specification under which the .com/.net/.org registry is operated. The registry software in use before January 3, 2000, however, permitted registrars to enter these malformatted names into the registry, and some registrars' software similarly failed to screen out requests to register these names. Promptly upon learning that these names had been registered, the registry operator (NSI-Registry) <http://www.nsiregistry.com/> revised the software to reject additional requests to register names of this format.
"ICANN supports these corrections to maintain the stability of the Internet. At the ICANN annual meeting on November 4, 1999, the ICANN Board approved a package of agreements among NSI, ICANN, the United States Department of Commerce, and the ICANN-accredited registrars <.
Implementation Actions
- None
- Responsible entity: None
- Due date: None specified
- Completion date: Not applicable
Other Related Resolutions
- TBD
Additional Information
- The resolution does not address funding for the items identified therein.
- ICANN's Reconsideration Policy, set forth in Article IV, §2 of the ICANN Bylaws, is available here: http://www.icann.org/en/general/bylaws.htm#IV
- Request for Reconsideration filed by Bruce Perelman on 4 September 1999 is available here: http://www.icann.org/en/committees/reconsideration/99-3-request-4sept99.htm
- Recommendation of the Reconsideration Committee regarding Bruce Perelman's request, dated 27 January 2000, is available here: http://www.icann.org/en/committees/reconsideration/rc99-3.htm
- Request 00-1 (part a) for Reconsideration filed by Russ Smith on 6 January 2000 is available here: http://www.icann.org/en/committees/reconsideration/smith-request1-6jan00.htm
- Request 00-1 (part b) for Reconsideration filed by Russ Smith on 6 January 2000 is available here:http://www.icann.org/
...
"The use of domain names in this noncompliant format presents interoperability problems. The documented format is well-known throughout the Internet technical community. Among other things, domain names that violate this format have the potential of causing software written in reliance on these formats to malfunction, and several instances of actual malfunctions have been identified.
...
- en/committees/reconsideration/smith-request2-6jan00.htm
- Request 00-1 (part c) for Reconsideration filed by Russ Smith on 7 January 2000 is available here: http://www.icann.org/
...
"After consultation among ICANN, NSI-Registry, and the registrars involved, notices have been given to the registering parties that these names were accepted and registered by mistake and will be cancelled. These cancellations reflect implementation of longstanding policy, rather than adoption of any new policy. ICANN commends NSI-Registry and the registrars involved for working constructively within the competitive framework adopted at the March and November 1999 ICANN meetings to effectively and promptly address this challenge to Internet stability. This sort of commitment to stability and competition will continue and expand the many public benefits the Internet has brought."
The Committee has reviewed the relevant agreements, RFCs, and functional specifications and concludes that the ICANN staff was correct in its advice that the registration of domain names containing trailing hyphens contravenes the specification for the Shared Registry System, the elements of which are binding on NSI-Registry and the ICANN-accredited registrars.
The Committee has further examined the various allegations and claims made by Mr. Smith in his reconsideration request and finds them to be without merit.
Accordingly, the Committee recommends that the Board deny Mr. Smith's request for reconsideration, as well as his request for a temporary stay.
The following motion was duly made, seconded, and adopted unanimously by the Board:RESOLVED [00.11] that, for the reasons set forth in the Reconsideration Committee's Recommendation RC 00-1, the Board denies the request for reconsideration submitted by Russ Smith on January 6 and 7, 2000.
Mr. McLaughlin reported that the Reconsideration Committee has three pending requests and expects to have other recommendations ready for Board action in time for the Board's next meeting on March 10, 2000.
Implementation Actions
- (replace this text with specific Action Item)
- Responsible entity: (replace this text with the responsible entity: ICANN department, ICANN Community Structure, Board, U.S. Department of Commerce)
- Due date: (replace this text with Due Date)
- Completion date: (replace this text with Date action was implemented)
- (replace this text with specific Action Item)
- Responsible entity: (replace this text with the responsible entity: ICANN department, ICANN Community Structure, Board, U.S. Department of Commerce)
- Due date: (replace this text with Due Date)
- Completion date: (replace this text with Date action was implemented)
Other Related Resolutions
- (replace this text with links to related resolutions)
Additional Information
- (replace this text with any additional notes related to this resolution, i.e. funding considerations)en/committees/reconsideration/smith-request3-7jan00.htm
- Recommendation of the Reconsideration Committee regarding Russ Smith's request, dated 27 January 2000, is available here: http://www.icann.org/en/committees/reconsideration/rc00-1.htm
- Letter from Russ Smith to Reconsideration Committee, dated 27 January 2000, is available here: http://www.icann.org/en/committees/reconsideration/smith-letter-27jan00.htm
- Response of the Reconsideration Committee, dated 4 April 2000, to Russ Smith's letter is available here: http://www.icann.org/en/committees/reconsideration/committee-response-24apr00.htm
Explanatory text does not modify or override Resolutions. See Board Resolutions Page for more information.