Letter from Rome
I am at the ICANN meeting in Rome. The big story here is
that ICANN is under attack for not sticking to its narrow
mission -- technical coordination of the DNS and IP
numbering system. People here are referring obliquely to
the VeriSign lawsuit as "recent events" (as in "in light of
recent events"). This euphemism reminds me of words used to
reference the US Civil War ("the late unpleasantness").
 http://www.circleid.com/article/510_0_1_0_C

ICANN opens Roman Forum
The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers,
technical and governance coordinator for the domain name
system, is due to launch its latest meeting in Rome today.
 http://www.demys.net/news/2004/03/02_rome.htm

ICANN and the Data Quality Act: Part V
This is the fourth part of a multi-part series reported by
ICANNfocus. This part focuses on Securing the Quality of
WHOIS Data. "Information for which ICANN has responsibility
includes the WHOIS databases. ICANN has been given specific
responsibilities for these databases under: 1) their
contract with the U.S. government's Department of Commerce
to perform the technical management of the Internet; and 2)
their Memorandum of Understanding with the Department of
Commerce."
 http://www.circleid.com/article/509_0_1_0_C

New Regime for Registration of .fr
Association Française pour le Nommage Internet en
Coopération ("AFNIC"), the domain name authority managing
the French country code top level domain, is introducing a
new regime for registration of .fr domain names. Among the
main changes, the new regime abolishes any "right to the
name". Until now an applicant for registration of a .fr
domain name must prove that the domain name reflects its
company name, business name or trade mark that is in force
in France.
 http://www.circleid.com/article/506_0_1_0_C
 http://www.demys.net/news/2004/03/02_fr.htm

VeriSign Seeks To Overhaul Oversight Board
Experts hope that VeriSign's lawsuit against the Internet
Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers will fix what it
says is a system and a culture so broken that it threatens
innovation and growth of economic development worldwide.

http://www.forbes.com/businesstech/2004/03/01/cx_ld_0301vrsn.html

Forbes.com Concurs with ICANN Study
In the above article "VeriSign Seeks To Overhaul Oversight
Board", Forbes.com mentions the Berkman Center's study,
"The End of the Experiment: How ICANN’s Foray Into Global
Internet Democracy Failed."  The study, authored by Berkman
Center Executive Director John Palfrey, explores ICANN's
use of user comments in its own governance.  The Forbes.com
article contends that the interinvolvement between ICANN
and VeriSign has, due to the ill-executed governance of
ICANN, slowed VeriSign's progress and its growth.

http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/home/home?wid=10&func=viewSubmission&sid=237

ICANN Fleshes Out Global Ambitions
The International Corporation for Assigned Names and
Numbers (ICANN) continues its tri-annual get-together in
Rome this week, as Internet enthusiasts, big-name
corporations and government entities discuss the
organization's plans to expand its presence globally.
 http://www.internetnews.com/infra/article.php/3320211

Verisign vs. ICANN: More at Stake than Sitefinder
It's easy to dismiss Verisign's antitrust suit as a ploy to
push through Sitefinder. But whether one loves Sitefinder
or hates Sitefinder, the complaint raises a much more
significant issue that won't go away even if ICANN lets
Verisign roll out Sitefinder. At the heart of Verisign's
complaint is the lack of any definable process for
decisionmaking, and its a complaint shared by others. A
settlement between Verisign and ICANN that does not create
a clear process for decisionmaking at ICANN that includes
trustworthy independent review will merely delay the
inevitable. Eventually, some other party will become just
as frustrated and again challenge ICANN -- either in U.S.
court or by enlisting the help of the U.S. Commerce
Department, non-U.S. governements, or multinational treaty
organizations. ICANN must recognize that the days of ad hoc
decision making based on realpolitick must end and give way
to stable processes that ICANN staff cannot control.
 http://www.circleid.com/article/507_0_1_0_C

Registrar stumps up anti-VeriSign fund
Go Daddy is offering to pay part of ICANN's legal fees for
defending a lawsuit from VeriSign.

http://news.zdnet.co.uk/internet/0,39020369,39147983,00.htm

GoDaddy Floats ICANN $100K for Defense
Officials at Go Daddy Software, one of the largest
registrars, are set to give the Internet Corporation for
Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) $100,000 to fund that
organization's legal battle against VeriSign.
 http://www.internetnews.com/xSP/article.php/3320891
 http://www.infoworld.com/article/04/03/03/HNgodaddy_1.html

Internet users to discuss Whois data in Rome (reg req'd)
The quarterly meeting of the internet’s governing body
ICANN began in Rome yesterday, with the issues of access to
Whois data and enabling domain name transfers top of the
agenda.

http://www.legalmediagroup.com/default.asp?Page=1&SID=13776&CH=5&CN=&CountryName=&Type=News

If ICANN can't, who can?
A lawsuit accusing a key Internet agency of stymieing
innovation could lead to fundamental changes in the way the
global network is run, threatening an already tenuous
balance between commercial and public interests online.
 http://news.com.com/2100-1038_3-5167919.html

VeriSign and Icann: Operating "protection racket"?
VeriSign is cementing its reputation as an internet villain
according to several small domain-name sellers, who are
taking the company, as well as regulator Icann, to court
over the issue of waiting.

http://www.silicon.com/networks/webwatch/0,39024667,39118816,00.htm

Formation of the Country-Code Names Supporting Organization
(ccNSO) (PDF)
In accordance with the ICANN Bylaws Article XX, Transition
Article (the Article) the ccNSO is now constituted.

http://ccnso.icann.org/announcements/ccnso-statement-01mar04.pdf

PW Registry Unveils PW Domain
The PW Registry Corporation (pwregistry.pw) said on Monday
that it plans to activate the PW top-level domain (TLD), a
domain extension devoted to "communities of shared
interests."
 http://thewhir.com/marketwatch/pw030204.cfm

The Great Three-Letter .Info/.Biz Buyout: Elequa Alters the
New Extension Landscape  
Decades ago radio and television adopted a system using
three and four letter names to identify individual
broadcast stations. They worked well because they were
short and easy to remember. In broadcasting that wise early
architectural decision has remained in place to this day.
When the Internet came along names using up to 63 letters
were allowed but only businesses with a death wish even
approached the outer limits of that range. On the web, just
as it is for those on the airwaves, shorter is usually
better.
 http://www.dnjournal.com/columns/cover030304.htm

The domain game
These days it is frequently only a matter of time before IT
markets that are born and mature in the enterprise space
spread downwards to find new pickings among SMEs. One such
case could soon be domain name management.
 http://www.pcmag.co.uk/Features/1153163

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Also see
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for an archive or to subscribe to the general news.

Sources include Quicklinks (www.qlinks.net) and BNA
Internet Law News (www.bna.com/ilaw)".


=====
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             AUSTRALIA
 email: Goldstein_David§yahoo.com.au
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