[pdp-pcceg-feb06] Pricing Materials

["Nevett, Jonathon" <jnevett@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Dan:

Per your request on the GNSO PDP-Feb 06 Task Force call today, it would
be helpful to the Task Force to have any information regarding registry
pricing issues that may have been prepared by staff and/or by the .biz,
.org, or .info registries.  Per the Preliminary Report and the
Secretary's Notice from the 9/25 Board meeting, it appears that the
registries may have responded to the Board's request for more
information ("various board members expressed concerns about whether the
issues raised in the public comments had been appropriately responded to
by the registries.").  Similarly, as you know, the Board requested that
the registries respond in further detail on the pricing issues by 10
October 2006 (the "Board specifically expressed a desire to see
communications from each of the registries responding to the public
comments").  

We have divided the Task Force into two sub-groups.  I am part of the
sub-group that is examining potential ICANN policies regarding registry
price controls.  The comments raised by the community, as well as any
response, will help inform the subgroup.  Therefore, it would be a great
help to the work of the Task Force if you would provide as soon as
practicable any communications from any registry related to price
controls, price differentiation, or any other pricing issues, as well as
any related staff summaries/analysis not already mentioned below or any
general materials that you may have related to these topics.  Thanks.

Best, 

Jon

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Discussion of the pending .BIZ, .INFO, .ORG and .ASIA Registry
Agreements

John Jeffrey presented the current status of negotiations and the board
engaged in an active discussion regarding: 1) the comments regarding the
delay of the registry agreements until the pdp-feb06 is completed, and
2) the comments regarding requests for limitations on price increases
during renewal, as opposed to differential pricing for individual
registrations. After some Board level discussion on these points,
various board members expressed concerns about whether the issues raised
in the public comments had been appropriately responded to by the
registries. 

The Board discussed a "sense of the board" that additional information
was required for the Board to fully consider the agreements, and the
Board specifically expressed a desire to see communications from each of
the registries responding to the public comments that had been received
during the public comment period. The Board agreed that if they received
the responses before October 10th, that they would discuss the pending
agreements again during their next scheduled board meeting on 18 October
2006. The Secretary was instructed to provide notice to each of the
registries regarding the Board's request for additional information.

The Meeting was adjourned at 2:53 PM.

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9 September 2006 Board Meeting -

On 9 September 2006, ICANN staff provided a summary to the board of the
public comments received and there was a discussion of the proposed
agreement changes regarding both the additional pricing limitation term,
and the proposed changes relating to DNSSec. The Board requested that
staff publicly post the summary of the public comments to ensure that
those making the comments were comfortable with the summary of those
comments. The summary of the comments was posted at
http://www.icann.org/announcements/comments-summary-07sep06.htm. The
actual comments for .BIZ, .INFO and .ORG were posted at
http://www.icann.org/announcements/announcement-2-28jul06.htm. The
actual comments for .ASIA were posted at
http://www.icann.org/announcements/announcement-28jul06.htm.

There was an emphasis in the Board discussion on comments received
regarding the requests for pricing limitations, renewal terms and
requests to delay the decision until the results of the pdp-feb06 were
completed. No decisions were made by the Board on these issues during
the 9 September Meeting. The Board agreed to consider these agreements
again during its next board meeting.

25 September 2006 Board Meeting - 

An additional special board meeting was added to the Board's Calendar
for 25 September, and the Board met a second time during that month.
Other urgent board business took up a majority of the time on the call.
During the later portions of the Board Meeting, Staff and Board again
discussed the public comments including 1) the comments regarding the
delay of the registry agreements until the pdp-feb06 is completed, and
2) comments regarding requests for limitations on price increases during
renewal, as opposed to differential pricing for individual
registrations. After some Board level discussion on these points,
various board members expressed concerns about whether the issues raised
in the public comments had been appropriately responded to by the
registries.

Board's Request for Additional Information - 

There was a "sense of the board" that additional information was
required for the Board to fully consider the agreements, and they Board
specifically expressed a desire to see communications from each of the
registries responding to the public comments that had been received
during the public comment period. The Board agreed that if they received
the responses before October 10th, that they would discuss the pending
agreements again during their next scheduled board meeting on 18 October
2006. 

In my role as Board Secretary, I was asked to communicate the Board's
request for your responses to the recent round of public comments.
Please provide such responses by 10 October 2006 at 2PM PDT California
to ensure that these materials are provided to the Board in time for the
Board to discuss these agreements. If you have any questions, please
contact me.

Best Regards,

John Jeffrey

General Counsel & Secretary

ICANN