Domain Day ICANN and Reform

1
Domain DayICANN and Reform

• Tuesday, 5 November 2002
• Milan, Italy
• Theresa Swinehart, Counsel for International
  Legal Affairs, ICANN

2
Overview

• Key Stability Goal Get a unique and predictable
  result any time from anywhere in the world
• Presentation covers
• History and Mission of ICANN
• How ICANN Works
• ICANN Reform

3
History and Mission of ICANN
4
The Evolving Internet

• Originally primarily academic research
• Domain Name System launched in 1984
• Coordinated by one man Jon Postel
• Internet commercialized in 1992 -1994
• Web follows
• Seismic events
• Rapid changes
• Spectacular growth
• Charging for domain names
• More than a mnemonic surrogate keyword
• DN identifier --gt identity
• Cybersquatters and trademarks
• Civil libertarians
• National interests resentment of role of USG
• Too hot to handle

5
Birth of ICANN

• Public/Private Partnership
• Forum to leverage entire Internet community
• All constituencies
• Private sector, governments, technical etc
• Privatize and Internationalize
• A global Internet
• Global policies
• MOU with US Government (Dept of Commerce)
• Checklist of tasks
• A public/private partnership not a government

6
ICANN and USG

• USG White Paper new DNS policy management
  structure must promote Stability, Competition,
  Private, bottom-up coordination, Representation
• Eventual transition to centralized coordination
  functions
• ICANN and USG MoU -- Renewed in September 2002
• Captures existing relationship
• Continued focus on existing tasks, with greater
  USG commitment to assist in completion

7
Organization What does it do? Who participates?
Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) Global coordination of Internets naming and addressing systems Technology companies, ISPs, technical engineers, security experts, registries and registrars, country code registries, governmental representatives, academic institutions, civil society organizations, intellectual property interests
International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Specialized UN agency for coordination of the global telephony system Governmental representatives, telecommunications providers and equipment manufacturers
World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) Specialized UN agency to promote protection of intellectual property rights Governmental representatives, legal experts
Internet Society (ISOC) Voluntary membership association that promotes Internet for everyone, discussion of Internet issues, support for Internet Engineering Task Force Free individual membership, organizational members, local chapters
8
ICANNs Mission

• Coordinate stable operation of Internets system
  of unique identifiers
• Coordinate allocation assignment of three
  systems in particular
• Domain names (the DNS)
• Internet protocol addresses and autonomous system
  numbers
• Protocol port and parameter numbers
• Coordinates the operation and evolution of the
  DNSs root name server system.
• Coordinates policy-development as necessary to
  perform these functions

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What ICANN is NOT

• Technical Standard-Setting Body
• Internet Police Force
• Consumer Protection Agency
• Economic Development Agency
• Legislature or Court
• It does not deal with e.g., content, spam,
  commercial transactions, etc.

10
ICANN Evolution and Reform
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Evolution and Reform

• Very fast moving arena
• Natural need for some amendment of the model as
  change takes place
• Increased role for Governments through the GAC
• Outreach and regional program

12
Evolution and Reform

• Shanghai Board Meeting Adopted Bylaws
• Structural differences and Stronger
  public/private partnership
• Board of 15
• Advisory Committees Governmental Advisory
  Committee Security and Stability Advisory
  Committee Root Server System Advisory Committee
  At Large Advisory Committee Technical Liaison
  Group
• Supporting Organizations GNSO, ASO, ccNSO
• Ombudsman
• Implementation of transition and adopted bylaws
  at December ICANN Board meeting.