Post-Expiration Domain Name Recovery Policy Draft (fwd)

[Milton L Mueller]

Ron
Great work! Let me express my gratitude that you have taken on this work and produced what seems to be a reasonable approach to it. This is exactly the kind of specialization and growth that the NCSG will need to maintain in the future. And frankly, we will all have to trust our representatives on these detailed WGs to "do the right thing" most of the time, because not everyone will be able to carefully follow all the details. That said, a few comments/questions below

> -----Original Message-----
> Process
> 
>      * Please identify the members of your constituency who participated
> in
> developing the perspective(s) set forth below.?
> 
> 
> Ron Wickersham drafted the response.
> Reviewed by NCUC Executive committee.

I think you can say also, "reviewed by the membership"

> 
>      * Please describe the process by which your constituency arrived at
> the
> perspective(s) set forth below.
> 
> Notice of PEDNR WG was posted on the NCUC wiki for volunteers.
> The NCUC mailing list solicited volunteers and comments from members.
> Progress of PENDR WG was discussed briefly on two NCUC teleconferences.
> 
> 
> Questions
> 
> Please provide your constituency?s views on:
> 
>     1. Whether adequate opportunity exists for registrants to redeem their
> expired domain names;
> 
> Current ICANN policies endeavor to assure that expired domain names can
> be redeemed.  However, due to the complex array of registrars, and
> expecially
> resellers, these ICANN policies are not as effective as envisioned.
> 
> On the narrow question of "opportunity" it is likely that a timely request
> for restoration of an expired domain name is honored.
> 
> But there is a broader aspect which is that the registrant may be offered
> no information or incomplete information from the reseller or registrar
> handling the domain, and the policies vary widely.
> 
> 
>     2. Whether expiration-related provisions in typical registration
> agreements
> are clear and conspicuous enough;
> 
> While "typical" registration agreements (especially for the larger
> registrars) are good, it is not the case that every registrant receives
> a registration agreement.
> 
> Process are in place to assure that the Registries handle every domain in
> a uniform manner.   Expiration issues should be equally uniform, and not
> be considered in the realm of "competitive" variations.
> 
> In matters of this type, education of the Registrant has been suggested
> as the solution.  NCUC believes that education can only suceed if the
> policies around expiration are identical from any registrar or reseller.

Good point.

> Therefore the PEDNR WG would fulfill its mission if ICANN established
> minimum policies to be set out for notification when domains approach
> expiration, for procedures to be followed if the registration is not
> renewed (so that DNS changes at expiration uniformly regardless of
> registrar or reseller), and notification for restoring an expired domain
> name is uniform.
> 
> 
>     3. Whether adequate notice exists to alert registrants of upcoming
> expirations;
> 
> Most registrars provide adequate notice.
> 
> 
>     4. Whether additional measures need to be implemented to indicate that
> once a domain name enters the Auto-Renew Grace Period, it has expired
> (e.g., hold status, a notice on the site with a link to information on
> how to renew, or other options to be determined);
> 
> NCUC finds that whois information on expiration is confusing for
> registrants due to auto-renew.   It would be ideal to eliminate the
> use of the identical term at the registry whois and the registrar or
> reseller whois to indicate the status of the domain.


I do not understand what you mean by "identical term" here. 

 
> Because many domains are handled by web-hosting/email-hosting registrars
> and resellers, and these are often automated and competitively disparate
> offerings, there is little uniformity on what happens and at what speed
> changes are made to web sites and email routing when a domain expires.
> This variation makes registrant education a difficult goal.
> 
>     5. Whether to allow the transfer of a domain name during the RGP.
> 
> Read as if ICANN policy should allow, from willing registrars or
> resellers, transfer during the RGP, the answer is affirmative.  On the
> other hand, to _require_ registrars and resellers is fraught with
> difficulties.
> 
> While it is slightly out of scope of the PEDNR WG, there is a related
> issue of a registrant being able to transfer before the registration
> expires, and in some cases this is precluded by registration agreements
> that vary.   It would be good policy to require uniformity on this
> aspect of oportunity to renew with a registrar or reseller of the
> registrant's choice.