[bc-gnso] Paper on Registry/Registrar separation

["Philip Sheppard" <philip.sheppard@xxxxxx>]

For information - please see the link below.

The paper concludes that 
"The public interest in supporting competition does not support elimination of 
the current
separation of Registry and Registrar ownership. The end result would be further
consolidation of the top tier registrars, gaming of the loopholes in the 
reciprocity
provisions which will, in the very least, provide a "time to market" advantage 
for select
Registrars, among others. These changes would, in conclusion, present a severe 
negative
impact on competition among Registries and among Registrars and harm to end 
users". 

The BC has I believe not formally changed its view on R/R separation (ie 
against) but we did
presume the issue may be less relevant with the expansion of new TLDs and may 
be competition
enhancing for smaller players.  This paper argues (to my mind) persuasively 
against that
presumption.

Philip
________________________________

FYI.  Enclosed is a paper produced by PIR, NeuStar and Afilias on the 
Registry-Registrar
separation issue which reflects the dangers of the removal of the separation 
requirements.  

http://www.icann.org/correspondence/raad-to-dengate-thrush-08may09-en.pdf. 

Jeffrey J. Neuman, Esq.: NeuStar, Inc.
Vice President, Law & Policy