<html xmlns:v="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" xmlns:w="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40">
<head>
<meta http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=us-ascii">
<meta name=Generator content="Microsoft Word 11 (filtered medium)">
<style>
<!--
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{margin:0pt;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman";}
a:link, span.MsoHyperlink
{color:blue;
text-decoration:underline;}
a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed
{color:purple;
text-decoration:underline;}
p
{mso-margin-top-alt:auto;
margin-right:0pt;
mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;
margin-left:0pt;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman";}
p.default, li.default, div.default
{margin:0pt;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
text-autospace:none;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Arial;
color:black;}
p.articleal4, li.articleal4, div.articleal4
{margin-top:0pt;
margin-right:0pt;
margin-bottom:12.0pt;
margin-left:0pt;
text-autospace:none;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Arial;}
p.articleal3, li.articleal3, div.articleal3
{margin-top:0pt;
margin-right:0pt;
margin-bottom:12.0pt;
margin-left:0pt;
text-autospace:none;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Arial;}
span.EmailStyle21
{mso-style-type:personal;
font-family:Arial;
color:windowtext;}
span.EmailStyle22
{mso-style-type:personal;
font-family:Arial;
color:navy;}
span.EmailStyle23
{mso-style-type:personal;
font-family:Arial;
color:navy;}
span.EmailStyle24
{mso-style-type:personal;
font-family:Arial;
color:navy;}
span.EmailStyle25
{mso-style-type:personal-reply;
font-family:Arial;
color:navy;}
@page Section1
{size:612.0pt 792.0pt;
margin:72.0pt 90.0pt 72.0pt 90.0pt;}
div.Section1
{page:Section1;}
/* List Definitions */
@list l0
{mso-list-id:938175625;
mso-list-template-ids:865342384;}
@list l0:level1
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:\F0B7;
mso-level-tab-stop:36.0pt;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-18.0pt;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Symbol;}
@list l1
{mso-list-id:1194881121;
mso-list-template-ids:846917616;}
@list l1:level1
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:\F0B7;
mso-level-tab-stop:36.0pt;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-18.0pt;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Symbol;}
@list l1:level2
{mso-level-tab-stop:72.0pt;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-18.0pt;}
@list l1:level3
{mso-level-tab-stop:108.0pt;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-18.0pt;}
@list l1:level4
{mso-level-tab-stop:144.0pt;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-18.0pt;}
@list l1:level5
{mso-level-tab-stop:180.0pt;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-18.0pt;}
@list l1:level6
{mso-level-tab-stop:216.0pt;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-18.0pt;}
@list l1:level7
{mso-level-tab-stop:252.0pt;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-18.0pt;}
@list l1:level8
{mso-level-tab-stop:288.0pt;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-18.0pt;}
@list l1:level9
{mso-level-tab-stop:324.0pt;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-18.0pt;}
ol
{margin-bottom:0pt;}
ul
{margin-bottom:0pt;}
-->
</style>
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapedefaults v:ext="edit" spidmax="1026" />
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapelayout v:ext="edit">
<o:idmap v:ext="edit" data="1" />
</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]-->
</head>
<body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple>
<div class=Section1>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-top:6.0pt;text-autospace:none'><font size=3
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>I may be missing
something, but it appears to me that the proposed .coop registry agreement
includes a new provision – not appearing in other ICANN sTLD registry
agreements (including the recent agreements covering .asia, .jobs, .mobi, .tel and
.travel) – that would permit .coop to seek an exemption from complying
with certain Consensus Policies with ICANN approval. The proposed contract
is silent as to who at ICANN would decide on such exemptions and by what
criteria. I’m not sure why .coop should have a special exemption
with regard to complying with Consensus Policies that more recent sTLDs don’t
enjoy. I am concerned about this precedent for the future. Are
others as well? <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=navy face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'>Here is the text of the new provision (<a
href="http://www.icann.org/tlds/agreements/coop/draft-proposed-agreement-19apr07.pdf">http://www.icann.org/tlds/agreements/coop/draft-proposed-agreement-19apr07.pdf</a><font
color=navy><span style='color:navy'>):</span></font><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-top:6.0pt;text-autospace:none'><font size=3
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>“In<font
color=black><span style='color:black'> the event that the Sponsor has a
reasonable basis to believe that the established Consensus Policy is not
relevant, or may represent an unreasonable burden to the Sponsored Community,
Sponsor shall have the right to seek an exemption from ICANN. If ICANN
declines the exemption, the Sponsor and ICANN shall utilize the process for
resolution of disputes set forth in Article 5<i><span style='font-style:italic'>.</span></i></span></font><i><span
style='font-style:italic'>”<font color=black><span style='color:black'> </span></font></span></i><font
color=navy><span style='color:navy'> Section 3.1(b)(vii)<o:p></o:p></span></font></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-top:6.0pt;text-autospace:none'><font size=3
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>I also should note that ICANN’s
announcement regarding the proposed .coop registry agreement (<a
href="http://www.icann.org/announcements/announcement-20apr07.htm">http://www.icann.org/announcements/announcement-20apr07.htm</a><font
color=navy><span style='color:navy'>)</span></font> states that: <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>“The
proposed .COOP agreement substantially follows the format of other recent sTLD
registry agreements negotiated by ICANN. The agreement is for a ten-year term,
and provides for the same set of requirements for these key terms: <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<ul type=disc>
<li class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;
mso-list:l1 level1 lfo3'><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt'>compliance with consensus and temporary policies
except to the extent policy development has been delegated to the
sponsoring organization”<o:p></o:p></span></font></li>
</ul>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-top:6.0pt;text-autospace:none'><font size=3
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>Again, unless I am
missing something, this appears to me to be inaccurate.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-top:6.0pt;text-autospace:none'><font size=3
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>Thanks.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-top:6.0pt;text-autospace:none'><font size=3
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>Jon<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
</body>
</html>