[governance] ICANN/Verisign new agreement on root transition -important

[Ian Peter]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: karen banks [mailto:karenb at gn.apc.org] 
> Sent: Wednesday, 26 October 2005 9:44 PM
> To: Milton Mueller; ian.peter at ianpeter.com; governance at lists.cpsr.org
> Subject: Re: [governance] ICANN/Verisign new agreement on 
> root transition -important
> 
> hi
> 
> >You're right, this is important.
> 
> yes, i assume so - but give me the journalist pitch on why ;)
> 
> karen
> 

Without knowing everything about this, the gist is here:

"c. Work together to establish a timetable for the completion of the
transition to ICANN of the coordination and management of the ARPA TLD, and
the root zone system, in particular to enable ICANN to edit, sign and
publish the root and ARPA zones commencing in 2005 and completing by 2006,
with the understanding that this requires the cooperation and readiness of
the full family of root server system operators;"

"e. To work together to present a joint approach on c and d above to the US
Department of Commerce for joint discussion, planning and implementation,
including appropriate contractual amendments, as necessary, by the three
parties"

This indicates the end of Verisign as a partner in root zone authorisation
processes, puts a new relationship between ICANN and rootops on the table
(interesting in itself but likely to resolve amicably), and, most
importantly for governance discussions, also puts on the table for review
the current contract as regards root zone authorisation by USG. 

Perhaps, given the changes, the contract for root zone authorisation becomes
unnecessary and is not replaced. (it was always a silly piece of history
more to due with Veisign/ICANN battles and historic arrangements rather than
any political imperative) 

I believe there is a strong chance that the authorisation function could
simply disappear along with the triumvirate agreement, in favour of some
more generalised expression of control via ICANN/USG MOU.

It provides an opportunity for an "out" on the vexed root zone authorisation
function, without USG disappearing altogether from an oversight function (in
future exercised only via MOU).  


Ian Peter


> > >>> <ian.peter at ianpeter.com> 10/25/2005 7:16 PM >>>
> >posted at
> >http://www.icann.org/tlds/agreements/verisign/root-server-man
> agement-tr
> >ansition-agreement-oct05.pdf
> 
> 

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