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Dear BC Members,<br>
<br>
Please find below an ICANN announcement about a new topic open for
comment: Revised New gTLD Registry Agreement Including Additional
Public Interest Commitments Specification.<br>
<div class="moz-forward-container"><br>
Thank you,<br>
<pre class="moz-signature" cols="72">Kind Regards,
Benedetta Rossi
BC Secretariat
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="https://community.icann.org/display/gnsobc/Home">https://community.icann.org/display/gnsobc/Home</a>
<a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="http://www.bizconst.org">www.bizconst.org</a>
<a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="mailto:bc-secretariat@icann.org">bc-secretariat@icann.org</a></pre>
<br>
<div class="WordSection1">
<h1><span
style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif""
lang="EN-US">Revised New gTLD Registry Agreement Including
Additional Public Interest Commitments Specification<o:p></o:p></span></h1>
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cellspacing="3">
<tbody>
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<td colspan="2" style="padding:.75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt">
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">Comment/Reply
Periods <sup>(*)</sup><o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
<td colspan="3" rowspan="3" style="padding:.75pt .75pt
.75pt .75pt">
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">Important
Information Links<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="padding:.75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt">
<p class="MsoNormal"><strong><span
style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"">Comment
Open:</span></strong><span
style="font-size:12.0pt"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
<td style="padding:.75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt">
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">5
February 2013<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<td style="padding:.75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt">
<p class="MsoNormal"><strong><span
style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"">Comment
Close:</span></strong><span
style="font-size:12.0pt"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
<td style="padding:.75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt">
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">26
February 2013<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
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<td style="padding:.75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt">
<p class="MsoNormal"><strong><span
style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"">Close
Time (UTC):</span></strong><span
style="font-size:12.0pt"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
<td style="padding:.75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt">
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">23:59<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
<td colspan="3" style="padding:.75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt">
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><a
moz-do-not-send="true"
href="https://www.icann.org/en/news/announcements/announcement-3-05feb13-en.htm">Public
Comment Announcement</a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="padding:.75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt">
<p class="MsoNormal"><strong><span
style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"">Reply
Open:</span></strong><span
style="font-size:12.0pt"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
<td style="padding:.75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt">
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">27
February 2013<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
<td colspan="3" style="padding:.75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt">
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><a
moz-do-not-send="true"
href="mailto:comments-base-agreement-05feb13@icann.org"><span
lang="EN-US">To Submit Your Comments (Forum)</span></a></span><span
style="font-size:12.0pt" lang="EN-US"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="padding:.75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt">
<p class="MsoNormal"><strong><span
style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"">Reply
Close:</span></strong><span
style="font-size:12.0pt"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
<td style="padding:.75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt">
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">20
March 2013<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
<td colspan="3" style="padding:.75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt">
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><a
moz-do-not-send="true"
href="http://forum.icann.org/lists/comments-base-agreement-05feb13">View
Comments Submitted</a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="padding:.75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt">
<p class="MsoNormal"><strong><span
style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"">Close
Time (UTC):</span></strong><span
style="font-size:12.0pt"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
<td style="padding:.75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt">
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">23:59<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
<td colspan="3" style="padding:.75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt">
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">Report
of Public Comments<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td colspan="5" style="padding:.75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt">
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">Brief
Overview<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
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<td style="padding:.75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt">
<p class="MsoNormal"><strong><span
style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"">Originating
Organization:</span></strong><span
style="font-size:12.0pt"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
<td colspan="4" style="padding:.75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt">
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">ICANN<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="padding:.75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt">
<p class="MsoNormal"><strong><span
style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"">Categories/Tags:</span></strong><span
style="font-size:12.0pt"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
<td colspan="4" style="padding:.75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt">
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">Top-Level
Domains<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="padding:.75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt">
<p class="MsoNormal"><strong><span
style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"">Purpose
(Brief):</span></strong><span
style="font-size:12.0pt"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
<td colspan="4" style="padding:.75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt">
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"
lang="EN-US">To receive community feedback on the
revised New gTLD Registry Agreement that includes
certain updates and changes, including a Public
Interest Commitments Specification<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="padding:.75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt">
<p class="MsoNormal"><strong><span
style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"">Current
Status:</span></strong><span
style="font-size:12.0pt"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
<td colspan="4" style="padding:.75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt">
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"
lang="EN-US">The current draft of the New gTLD
Registry Agreement was published in June 2012 as
part of the New gTLD Applicant Guidebook: </span><span
style="font-size:12.0pt"><a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="http://newgtlds.icann.org/en/applicants/agb/base-agreement-specs-04jun12-en.pdf"><span
lang="EN-US">Base Agreement & Specifications</span></a></span><span
style="font-size:12.0pt" lang="EN-US"> [PDF, 917
KB]. The New gTLD Registry Agreement requires
various updates and changes, including the addition
of the Public Interest Commitments Specification.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="padding:.75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt">
<p class="MsoNormal"><strong><span
style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"">Next
Steps:</span></strong><span
style="font-size:12.0pt"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
<td colspan="4" style="padding:.75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt">
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"
lang="EN-US">ICANN staff will consider public
comments on the revised New gTLD Registry Agreement
and recommend any additional necessary changes to
the Board for approval.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="padding:.75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt">
<p class="MsoNormal"><strong><span
style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"">Staff
Contact:</span></strong><span
style="font-size:12.0pt"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
<td colspan="2" style="padding:.75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt">
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">Daniel
Halloran<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
<td style="padding:.75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt">
<p class="MsoNormal"><strong><span
style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"">Email:</span></strong><span
style="font-size:12.0pt"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
<td style="padding:.75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt">
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><a
moz-do-not-send="true"
href="mailto:daniel.halloran@icann.org?subject=More%20information%20on%20the%20Revised%20New%20gTLD%20Registry%20Agreement%20Including%20Additional%20Public%20Interest%20Commitments%20Specification%20public%20comment%20period">daniel.halloran@icann.org</a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td colspan="5" style="padding:.75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt">
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">Detailed
Information<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td colspan="5" style="padding:.75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt">
<p class="MsoNormal"><strong><span
style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif""
lang="EN-US">Section I: Description, Explanation,
and Purpose</span></strong><span
style="font-size:12.0pt" lang="EN-US"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td colspan="5" style="padding:.75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt">
<p><span
style="font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif""
lang="EN-US">The New gTLD Registry Agreement is the
contractual document between successful New gTLD
Applicants and ICANN, and will govern the rights and
obligations of new gTLD registry operators.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p><span
style="font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif""
lang="EN-US">ICANN proposes to revise the New gTLD
Registry Agreement in connection with developments
since the last posting of the Applicant Guidebook in
June 2012 and a general review of the contractual
needs of the new gTLD program. Among the proposed
changes, ICANN has added the Public Interest
Commitments Specification.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p><span
style="font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif""
lang="EN-US">The Public Interest Commitments
Specification will require operators of new gTLDs to
use only registrars that are party to the 2013
Registrar Accreditation Agreement (which is under
negotiation). The Public Interest Commitments
Specification is also a mechanism to allow registry
operators to commit to certain statements made by
the registry operator in its application for the
gTLD, as well as to specify additional public
interest commitments, in either case transforming
such commitments into binding contractual
obligations that may be enforced by ICANN through a
new dispute resolution mechanism that will be
available to any party harmed by a registry
operator's failure to comply with such public
interest commitments.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p><span
style="font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif""
lang="EN-US">Concurrent with this public comment
period on the proposed revisions to the agreement,
ICANN will also ask each applicant to submit a
TLD-specific Public Interest Commitments
Specification. ICANN will communicate directly with
applicants regarding the details of submitting
Public Interest Commitments Specification. ICANN
expects to request applicants to submit their Public
Interest Commitments Specifications by 5 March 2013,
and ICANN plans to have them all posted for public
review by 6 March 2013.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p><span
style="font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif""
lang="EN-US">The proposed revised New gTLD Registry
Agreement is now open for public comment.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td colspan="5" style="padding:.75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt">
<p class="MsoNormal"><strong><span
style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"">Section
II: Background</span></strong><span
style="font-size:12.0pt"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td colspan="5" style="padding:.75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt">
<p><span
style="font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif""
lang="EN-US">The new generic Top-Level Domain (New
gTLD) Program was developed to increase competition
and choice by introducing new gTLDs into the
Internet's addressing system. The Applicant
Guidebook (AGB) was produced to define the program
and provide instructions on the application process.
Within the AGB, Module 5 contains the draft New gTLD
Registry Agreement. This is the document that will
be entered into by successful applicants and ICANN
before proceeding to the next phase of delegation
and will contain the rights and obligations of each
New gTLD registry operator. The current version of
the New gTLD Registry Agreement, published as part
of the AGB in June 2012, requires certain updates
and changes before it can be finalized for use by
successful applicants.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p><span
style="font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif""
lang="EN-US">Each new gTLD application includes
business plans and statements of intent regarding
applicant plans for operation of the proposed new
gTLD registry. For example, some applicants stated
in their applications that they intend to implement
registration restrictions or heightened rights
protection mechanisms above those required in the
current draft of the New gTLD Registry Agreement.
Outside of community-based applications, there are
no mechanisms for requiring these plans and
objectives to be incorporated into the New gTLD
Registry Agreement. The GAC's Toronto Communiqué
provided advice to the Board of Directors of ICANN
that "it is necessary for all of these statements of
commitment and objectives to be transformed into
binding contractual commitments, subject to
compliance oversight by ICANN." In response to the
GAC, the New gTLD Program Committee of the Board has
approved a public comment period on a proposed
Public Interest Commitments Specification as a
mechanism to transform application statements into
binding contractual commitments, as well as to give
applicants the opportunity to voluntarily submit to
heightened public interest commitments. The Public
Interest Commitments Specification has been
incorporated into the revised New gTLD Registry
Agreement as Specification 11 and is being submitted
for public comments along with various other updates
and changes to the New gTLD Registry Agreement more
specifically described in the Summary of Changes,
available below.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td colspan="5" style="padding:.75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt">
<p class="MsoNormal"><strong><span
style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"">Section
III: Document and Resource Links</span></strong><span
style="font-size:12.0pt"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td colspan="5" style="padding:.75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt">
<ul type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal"
style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;mso-list:l0
level1 lfo3"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><a
moz-do-not-send="true"
href="http://newgtlds.icann.org/en/applicants/agb/base-agreement-specs-05feb13-en.pdf"><span
lang="EN-US">Revised gTLD Registry Agreement
with Public Interest Commitments Specification
2013-02-05 - clean</span></a></span><span
style="font-size:12.0pt" lang="EN-US"> [PDF, 886
KB]<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal"
style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;mso-list:l0
level1 lfo3"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><a
moz-do-not-send="true"
href="http://newgtlds.icann.org/en/applicants/agb/base-agreement-specs-redline-05feb13-en.pdf"><span
lang="EN-US">Revised gTLD Registry Agreement
with Public Interest Commitments Specification
2013-02-05 - red-lined</span></a></span><span
style="font-size:12.0pt" lang="EN-US"> [PDF, 787
KB]<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal"
style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;mso-list:l0
level1 lfo3"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><a
moz-do-not-send="true"
href="http://newgtlds.icann.org/en/applicants/agb/base-agreement-specs-summary-changes-05feb13-en.pdf"><span
lang="EN-US">Summary of Changes 2013-02-05</span></a></span><span
style="font-size:12.0pt" lang="EN-US"> [PDF, 445
KB]<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal"
style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;mso-list:l0
level1 lfo3"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"
lang="EN-US">Draft gTLD Registry Agreement
2012-06-04 version: </span><span
style="font-size:12.0pt"><a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="http://newgtlds.icann.org/en/applicants/agb/base-agreement-specs-04jun12-en.pdf"><span
lang="EN-US">Base Agreement &
Specifications</span></a></span><span
style="font-size:12.0pt" lang="EN-US"> [PDF, 917
KB]<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal"
style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;mso-list:l0
level1 lfo3"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"
lang="EN-US">ICANN Website for New Generic
Top-Level Domains Applicant Guidebook: </span><span
style="font-size:12.0pt"><a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="http://newgtlds.icann.org/en/applicants/agb"><span lang="EN-US">http://newgtlds.icann.org/en/applicants/agb</span></a></span><span
style="font-size:12.0pt" lang="EN-US"><o:p></o:p></span></li>
</ul>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td colspan="5" style="padding:.75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt">
<p class="MsoNormal"><strong><span
style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"">Section
IV: Additional Information</span></strong><span
style="font-size:12.0pt"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td colspan="5" style="padding:.75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt">
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">None<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width:91.8pt;padding:0cm 0cm 0cm 0cm"
width="153"><br>
</td>
<td style="width:95.4pt;padding:0cm 0cm 0cm 0cm"
width="159"><br>
</td>
<td style="width:1.8pt;padding:0cm 0cm 0cm 0cm" width="3"><br>
</td>
<td style="width:51.6pt;padding:0cm 0cm 0cm 0cm"
width="86"><br>
</td>
<td style="width:208.2pt;padding:0cm 0cm 0cm 0cm"
width="347"><br>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p><em><span
style="font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif""
lang="EN-US">(*) Comments submitted after the posted Close
Date/Time are not guaranteed to be considered in any final
summary, analysis, reporting, or decision-making that
takes place once this period lapses</span></em><span
style="font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif""
lang="EN-US"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt" lang="EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:12.0pt;mso-fareast-language:FR">Glen de
Saint Géry <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:12.0pt;mso-fareast-language:FR">GNSO
Secretariat <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:12.0pt;mso-fareast-language:FR"><a
moz-do-not-send="true"
href="mailto:gnso.secretariat@gnso.icann.org">gnso.secretariat@gnso.icann.org</a>
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:12.0pt;mso-fareast-language:FR"><a
moz-do-not-send="true" href="http://gnso.icann.org">http://gnso.icann.org</a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
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