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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>
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