[pdp-pcceg-feb06] Rapporteur Group: Working Materials

[Liz Williams <liz.williams@xxxxxxxxx>]

Colleagues

In time for today's meeting, please see below some materials which  
will help you.  All the members of the group have received these  
materials before through the PDP Feb 06 mailing list archive.

http://forum.icann.org/lists/pdp-pcceg-feb06/msg00285.html --  Annex  
3 "Background Information on ICANN gTLD Registry Agreements (from Dan  
Halloran)

http://forum.icann.org/lists/pdp-pcceg-feb06/msg00297.html -- Draft  
Comparison Table for ICANN Registry Agreements (from Dan Halloran)

I have also attached an updated Excel spreadsheet from Dan Halloran  
-- do not print it out as it's an enormous file but it is useful to  
see things in tabulated format.

Attachment: draft-comparison-of-icann-registry-agreements-20061009.xls
Description: Binary data

Finally, a small list of proposed expert questions which have  
filtered through to me over the last several months.  They will be of  
interest to both groups.

From Mawaki Chango -- NCUC

> ToR-1: Registry Agreement Renewal
>
> In the context of exploring the range of the various renewal  
> standards possible in comparable or related industries: What are  
> the existing standards and the (best) practices?  in terms of
> different business models, economics and policy.
>
> Presumptive renewal: Is it possible to reconciliate this option  
> with the objective of continuously ensuring that registries will do  
> their best to provide the best service at the best price possible  
> for the
> end user? Are there any instruments and practices to achieve this?
>
> Are there practices and procedures that are, or can be,  
> generalizable and institutionalized to ensure the rebid process  
> provide the opportunity to improve the registry services without  
> necessarily taking from them the agreement (unless there are crime,  
> breach of contract, repeated failure, etc.)? What are the  
> shortcomings of that type of rebid (any secondary effects?), do the  
> advantages outweigh those? How credible such process will be if it  
> becomes a common practice in the ICANN/registry industry?
>
> We may need expert material (or advice) of comparative study of the  
> TLD industry with other ICT industries: - structure of the  
> industry;- level of investment; - cost-benefit analysis including  
> analysis of return on investment

From Alistair Dixon -- BC

Should contracts be perpetually renewable or each time they expire  
should they be fully retendered?
Which of these options provides the best balance between promoting  
competition and investment?
Is it appropriate to apply price controls to these sorts of contracts?
What should the nature of those controls be?  Or is it sufficient  
just to rely solely on the ability to substitute to other domain  
names to keep prices at an efficient level?

Kind regards and speak to you tonight.

Liz

.....................................................

Liz Williams
Senior Policy Counselor
ICANN - Brussels
+32 2 234 7874 tel
+32 2 234 7848 fax
+32 497 07 4243 mob