IP: ICANN-Verisign deal must be investigated --House Commerce cmte

[David Farber <dave () farber net>]

> Date: Fri, 30 Mar 2001 10:20:41 -0500
> To: politech () politechbot com
> From: Declan McCullagh <declan () well com>
>
>
> ***********
>
>
> FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Ken Johnson or Pete Sheffield
> Friday, March 30, 2001 202-225-5735
>
>
>                                             Tauzin Calls for Review of 
> ICANN Contract Negotiations
>
> WASHINGTON (March 30) Rep. Billy Tauzin, Chairman of the Committee on 
> Energy and Commerce, today released a letter from a bipartisan group of 
> Energy and Commerce Committee members to the Department of Commerce 
> Secretary Donald Evans requesting a thorough review of the contract 
> negotiations between VeriSign and the Internet Corporation for Assigned 
> Names and Numbers ( ICANN ).
> # # #
>
>
> The Honorable Donald Evans
> Secretary
> U.S. Department of Commerce
> 14th and Constitution Avenues, NW
> Washington, DC 20230
>
> Dear Mr. Secretary:
>
> We are writing to you concerning the U.S. Commerce Department s role in 
> reviewing the recently announced renegotiation of a 1999 contract between 
> VeriSign and the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers ( ICANN ).
>
> As you know, the House Subcommittee on Telecommunications and the Internet 
> recently held an oversight hearing on ICANN s process for creating new 
> top-level domains and its role in Internet governance. That hearing raised 
> questions about ICANN s domain name selection process and whether it 
> afforded adequate due process to applicants.  We remain committed to 
> ensuring a competitive and transparent domain name system that promotes 
> the interests of the U.S. economy and global Internet policy and we are 
> eager to work with the Bush Administration toward these goals.
>
> We understand that ICANN has chosen to renegotiate its arrangement with 
> VeriSign.  Specifically, if approved by the Department of Commerce and the 
> ICANN Board, the new agreement would eliminate the 1999 requirement that 
> VeriSign divest either its retail (registrar) or wholesale (registry) 
> business.  Further, the revised agreement would provide VeriSign with an 
> additional six year term for the .com registry, with a presumption of 
> renewal, would allow VeriSign to extend the .net registry term to 2006, 
> and would require VeriSign to relinquish control of the .org registry in 2002.
>
> Without taking a position on the propriety of the revised agreement, we 
> want to ensure that any actions by ICANN support and encourage strong, 
> vibrant competition.  Accordingly, we respectfully request that the 
> Department fully analyze the competitive issues that arise as a result of 
> this agreement.  Further, as Mr. Cerf, Chairman of ICANN, said during our 
> February hearing, ICANN is a consensus development body which requires 
> that major decisions affecting the future of the Internet be done in an 
> open and transparent manner.  Therefore, we urge you to exercise your 
> oversight authority to ensure that ICANN s final decision in this matter 
> is made and implemented in a transparent fashion.
>
> Thank you for your consideration of this matter.  Please keep us apprised 
> of developments in this area.
>
>                                             Sincerely,
>
> W.J. Billy Tauzin                                                  John D. 
> Dingell
> Chairman Ranking Member
> Committee on Energy and Commerce                  Committee on Energy and 
> Commerce
>
>
> Fred Upton Edward J. Markey
> Chairman Ranking Member
> Subcommittee on Telecommunications                Subcommittee on 
> Telecommunications and
> and the 
> Internet                                                           the Internet
>
> cc:  Vinton G. Cerf, Chairman, Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and 
> Numbers
> ---
>
>
>
>
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