[registrars] Transfer Facilitation e-mail address

[Mike Lampson]

All,

The following text appears in the Inter-Registrar Transfer Policy published
on ICANN's web site, http://www.icann.org/transfers/policy-12jul04.htm

> For purposes of facilitating transfer requests, Registrars
> should provide and maintain a unique and private email
> address for use only by other Registrars and the Registry:
>
> i. This email address is for issue (sic) related to transfer
> requests and the procedures set forth in this policy only.
>
> ii. The email address should be managed to ensure messages
> are received by someone who can respond to the transfer issue.
>
> iii. Messages received at such email address must be
> responded to within a commercial reasonable timeframe not
> to exceed seven (7) calendar days.

It is not clear from this policy that such an e-mail address is mandatory
(note the use of the word "should") and who is coordinating the maintenance
and distribution of this list of e-mail addresses.

Now VeriSign has included in a recent e-mail that they require notification
of such an e-mail address (Subject: Advisory: New Transfer Policies Webinar
Schedule, dated 23-Oct-2004):

> Dedicated Registrar e-Mail Address:  The new Transfer
> Policy requires that each Registrar provide and maintain
> a unique and private e-mail address, for use only by
> other registrars and registries in addressing issues
> related to transfer requests.  We are requesting that
> all registrars provide us with this e-mail address,
> as well as the name and contact information of an
> individual who will be handling transfer issues on
> behalf of the registrar no later than 30 October 2004.

Is VeriSign "volunteering" to coordinate such a Registrar-Registry private
e-mail list?  Are they the appropriate organization to manage this?  Will
they share the list with all other Registrars and Registries?

Note that VeriSign has had a private address for Registar communication
since the SRS was invented.  That they decided to publish this address via
Whois and to "spam" this address with Transfer Notification e-mails has led
to this address becoming useless for Registar-Registry communication.

Similarly, ICANN has a distribution list that includes a *single* "official"
e-mail address for each Registrar.  This address is used by ICANN for all
official e-mail communication to a Registrar.  (ICANN will not add multiple
addresses to this list for a Registrar.  I've tried to request this in the
past.)  Unfortunately this address is not "private" either.  See this web
page: http://www.icann.org/registrars/accreditation-qualified-list.html

My opinion of this policy request is that the e-mail address published on
ICANN's web site is sufficient for inter-Registrar communication unless a
managed database is set up for maintaining a more private list.  Note that
this e-mail database should contain the address for and be accessible by all
Registrars regardless of membership in this Constituency or whether they
sponsor domains registered in the VeriSign GRS Registry.

Does anyone have any thoughts on this?

Cheers,

Mike Lampson
The Registry at Info Avenue, LLC