Updated Proposed .MUSEUM sTLD Registry Agreement Posted for Public Comment Aug 31, 2007
An updated version of the proposed .MUSEUM sponsorship
agreement is posted today for public comment. The amendment from the previous
draft agreement is a result of significant collaboration between the registry
sponsor and community members. The updated agreement is posted today with the
intention of submitting it to the ICANN Board for approval after the 30-day
comment period.
Background
The proposed .MUSEUM sTLD registry agreement and appendices were originally
posted for public comment on 2 March 2007 (http://www.icann.org/announcements/announcement-2-02mar07.htm).
After consultation with the community an amendment was made to Appendix S of
the agreement that describes some of the duties and rights of the registry
sponsor, MuseDoma. (Amended
Proposed .MUSEUM Appendices [PDF, 141K])
During the public comment period that was open through 23 March 2007, concern
was expressed about proposed language in Part VII of Appendix S, that allowed
for up to 5,000 domain names to be directly managed by MuseDoma. This language
was created by MuseDoma recognizing that the "wildcard" capability that was
allowed in the original agreement was eliminated from this renewal agreement.
(For more on "wildcards" see, http://www.icann.org/committees/security/sac015.htm.)
On 27 March 2007, at ICANN's public meeting in Lisbon, MuseDoma and the ICANN
Registrar Constituency held a public exchange on the purpose of the proposed
language and on various forms that language might take. MuseDoma agreed to
propose language in response to the public exchange. There have been additional
telephonic conferences among some interested parties since that time.
Amendment
Original Language
Proposed Language
Sponsor may register up to 5,000 domain
names directly with the Registry Operator and keep these names under
direct management until the conclusion of its designation by ICANN
as the Sponsor for the Sponsored TLD.
Recognizing that: i) the charter of
the .MUSEUM top-level domain is sufficiently restrictive so that it
has appeal to a small, identifiable and limited community, and that
said restrictions have created conditions that substantially limit
market demand and as a result, registrar uptake; ii) MuseDoma is a
not-for-profit entity as is the community it is required to serve by
the definition of its charter; and iii) MuseDoma makes available to
its community members under certain conditions, at no cost, third-level
domain names. Therefore, MuseDoma is permitted to maintain up to 4,000
domain names directly with the Registry Operator and keep these names
under direct management for purposes stated in iii) of this Section
until the conclusion of its designation by ICANN as the Sponsor for
the Sponsored TLD.
No other changes have been made to the version of
the agreement posted on 2 March 2007. As previously reported, the proposed
agreement is for a ten-year term, and provides for:
the elimination of the wildcard;
ICANN fees based on the total number of registrations;
continuation of the existing requirements for:
compliance with consensus and temporary policies except to the extent
policy development has been delegated to the sponsoring organization;
comprehensive registry data escrow; and,
approval of new registry services and modifications to existing registry
services.
