[gnso-pednr-dt] A Question to the Registrars on the List

["Michael D. Palage" <michael@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Hello All:

In trying to take a step back from the use of the politically charged "M" word, 
perhaps the registrars on the list could answer a couple of questions.

Question 1: A registrar's primary obligation with regard to this WG's scope of 
work is to make sure that a registrant has multiple options to renew a domain 
name and prevent unintended expirations/deletions. Yes/No

Question 2: Assuming that a registrar provides the registrant with multiple 
informed options to renew the domain name, and assuming that the registrant 
declines to exercise those rights, it is totally permissible for that registrar 
through their terms of service to take exclusive limited control of that domain 
name for potential reallocation or deletion? Yes/No

Question 3: If an ICANN domain name registration authority such as a Registrar 
is permitted to unilaterally amend the terms of service to take over a name 
that a registrant does not want at expiration, is there anything prohibiting a 
registry from amending its terms of service to provided a new registry service 
for an limited exclusive period of time? Yes/No.  If no, please explain the 
difference.

Question 4: Given a registrar network of approximately 1,000 registrars and a 
reseller network of perhaps hundreds of thousands, would it not be best to 
build in consumer/registrant safeguards that promote openness, transparency, 
and predictability at the registry level? Yes/No.  Please explain.

Best regards,

Michael