ICANN: WHOIS Policy Review Team Draft Report

Section I: Description, Explanation, and Purpose
The WHOIS Policy Review Team, constituted under ICANN’s Affirmation of Commitments with the U.S. Department of Commerce, publishes its Draft Report and Recommendations for public comment.In addition to general comments and feedback, the Review Team seeks comment on the following issues: Acceptable timeframes for ICANN to implement the Review Team’s recommendations; Particular ICANN departments, staff or supporting organizations which ought to be tasked with particular recommendations, with some explanation; Input on all Recommendations, including Recommendation 17 in which two variations of scope are presented for the “common interface” recommendation; Input on effective and efficient mechanisms for monitoring ICANN’s progress in implementing the final Recommendations between completion of this Report and start of the next WHOIS Policy Review Team; and Additional input and notes.
Section II: Background
Over its year of work, the WHOIS Policy Review Team engaged in extensive outreach to communities within and outside of ICANN. The Report draws from the fact-finding, comments and analysis conducted by a law enforcement questionnaire circulated by the Serious Organized Crime Agency (SOCA) of the UK, a survey of international Internet users conducted by Atlanta-based User Insight, and extensive outreach to all Supporting Organizations and Advisory Committees via public comment periods, public forums and individual meetings.
Section III: Document and Resource Links
Translations of the Draft Report and Recommendations report will be provided. The full WHOIS Policy Review Team Report and Recommendations runs 90 pages, and can be found here: http://www.icann.org/en/reviews/affirmation/whois-rt-draft-final-report-05dec11-en.pdf [PDF, 1.04 MB] An Executive Summary provides an overview of the Review Team’s main findings and all recommendations: http://www.icann.org/en/reviews/affirmation/whois-rt-draft-final-report-exec-summary-05dec11-en.pdf [PDF, 297 KB] Appendices can be found here (to be published by 12 December). Please refer to the WHOIS Policy Review Team’s public wiki for more information: https://community.icann.org/display/whoisreview/WHOIS+Policy+Review+Team
Section IV: Additional Information
The Review Team also will present its Draft Report and Recommendations in upcoming Webinars (dates to be announced) and will hold a public forum at the March 2012 ICANN meeting in Costa Rica. Given that the Report and Recommendations are extensive, and carry implications for many areas of ICANN and communities within and outside of ICANN, the Public Comment period will remain open through the end of the ICANN Costa Rica meeting, until 18 March 2012. The WHOIS Policy Review Team’s Final Report and Recommendations will be published by 30 April 2012.

Comment Period Deadlines ^(*)

Open Date: 5 December 2011
Close Date: 18 March 2012

Important Information Links

(*) Comments submitted after the posted Close Date/Time are not guaranteed to be considered in any final summary, analysis, reporting, or decision-making that takes place once this period lapses.

This ICANN announcement was sourced from:
www.icann.org/en/announcements/announcement-05dec11-en.htm