Section I: Description, Explanation, and Purpose ICANN Staff requests community feedback concerning implementation plans [PDF, 876 KB] for three specific Accountability and Transparency Review Team (ATRT) recommendations (#15, 16, and 17) that affect the way ICANN publishes and manages Public Comments. These ATRT recommendations, which comprise Phase II of the Public Comments Improvement program, address: Stratification : Categorize topics to assist the community understand the subject matter and inform a participation decision. Prioritization : Assist community members in determining the importance or urgency of a solicitation by providing key information. Comment/Reply Cycles : Structure the community’s input process into an initial period for submitting new comments followed by a separate reply period during which community respondents would be able to address and rebut arguments raised in opposing parties’ previous comments. A fourth area involving Technical Forum Improvements is also incorporated into this solicitation. A Focus Group was organized in July 2011 to provide input concerning various implementation scenarios related to the topics mentioned above. The Focus Group held its deliberations in ICANN’s Wiki environment from 20 July 2011 through 19 August 2011. A summary report [PDF, 162 KB] of the group’s activities has been prepared and the Wiki space in which the Focus Group worked is accessible for viewing at: https://community.icann.org/x/74MKAQ . The attached report [PDF, 148 KB] addresses the four enhancement areas each in a separate section that incorporates Staff implementation recommendations, Focus Group input where applicable, and additional questions to stimulate community feedback concerning these processes. Note : As an initial test of this concept, the comment forum on this paper will introduce a Reply Cycle. At the conclusion of the initial comment period (30 September) and assuming that on-topic submissions have been received, the comment period will be extended for an additional 15 days (15 October). During this extension, contributors are asked to address any additional submissions to previously posted comments. For each such reply, it will be helpful to everyone for the contributor to cite the original poster’s name, comment date, and any particular text that is pertinent. At the conclusion of the full comment period, ICANN plans to seek feedback concerning the process and what changes or enhancements might make it more useful and productive. A consolidated report of the forum submissions will incorporate both the initial comment and subsequent reply periods. Section II: Background The Accountability and Transparency Review Team (ATRT) submitted a report to the ICANN Board on 31 December 2010 containing 27 recommendations, three of which (#15, 16, and 17) address improvements concerning how Public Comments are announced, published, and managed. At its 24 June 2011 meeting, ICANN Board accepted the implementation plans developed by ICANN Staff regarding these recommendations. These plans were organized into two major phases based upon complexity and the ability to effectuate short-term improvements. A set of Phase I activities was implemented effective 30 June 2011. In that first phase, Staff completely redesigned web pages, added new navigation menus, streamlined Announcement and Public Comment Box formats, and introduced an “Upcoming Topics” feature. Staff also created internal document templates to facilitate publication and ensure presentation consistency. We also added new standardized data fields across all solicitations (e.g., Originating Organization, Purpose, Current Status, Next Steps) and clarified opening and closing dates and times. Phase II of this initiative addresses enhancements involving: Stratification, Prioritization, Comment/Reply Cycles, and Technical Forum Improvements. Please see the attached report [PDF, 148 KB] for further information on each of these improvement areas. Section III: Document and Resource Links The following documents and reference links are provided to assist community members in contributing to this solicitation: Main Report: Public Comments Proposed Process Enhancements-Phase II [PDF, 148 KB] Board Action on, and Implementation of, the Accountability & Transparency Review Team Final Report June 2011 [PDF, 876 KB] Public Comment Focus Group Report [PDF, 162 KB] Public Comment Focus Group Wiki Forum Comment Period Deadlines Open Date: 31 August 2011 Close Date: Comments : 30 Sep 2011 Replies : 15 Oct 2011 (see note in Section I) Important Information Links Public Comment Box To Submit Your Comments (Forum) View Comments Submitted This ICANN announcement was sourced from: www.icann.org/en/announcements/announcement-31aug11-en.htm

A Latin American law firm has established a division for policy advice and regulation of TLDs along with domain name issues and IP numbers in general. The practise was established by Iriarte & Asociados , based in Peru, but with wide connections throughout Latin America and the world more generally. Its principle, Erick Iriarte, has had a long engagement with domain names including being the General Manager of LACTLD (ccTLDs Association of Latin American), as well as a member of the Multi-Stakeholder Advisory Group of the Internet Governance Forum, a member of Team Accountability and Transparency Review of ICANN, web editor of LatinoamerICANN Project and consultant for several ccTLDs in LAC. This new division will focus on ccTLDs and gTLDs assist directly in both the development of policies, Delegation Dispute Resolution and relationship with governments, private sector and civil society. In the same way, this division will generate reports on international trends in the different areas related to TLDs (internet governance, intellectual property, dispute resolution, law enforcement, among other topics). This division arose from the experience in Project LatinoamerICANN , the experience of active participation of Alfa-Redi in regional areas and global Internet governance and professional experience in the field of intellectual property, particularly a special dispute resolution of domain names. One of the first challenges that this division will face is the process of new gTLDs to ICANN and its implications, especially in regard to intellectual property and trademark law. As new trends in the international dialogue on the ownership of domain names. The law firm Iriarte & Asociados is a group of lawyers specialising in the interrelation between law and the Information Society, being the areas of policy and regulatory framework for information society, our main strength, along with the so-called right of new technologies and intellectual property. More Information: web: www.iriartelaw.com email: contacto@iriartelaw.com twitter: @ ialaw

Abstract: The Internet is emphatically not a government free zone. A central part is ICANN, the institution which regulates the ‘root’ of the internet (the domain name system and internet protocol addresses). This a fundamental element of the architecture of the Internet. We would be, literally, lost without it. In a sense, the code of the Internet, its protocols and languages are regulation – they control how the system behaves. ICANN is the regulator who regulates that ‘regulation.’ Principles of global administrative law can, once suitably modified for the context, suggest the most effective reforms. ICANN displays features characteristic of a hybrid public-private regulator. Authority is formally delegated by the US, but importance is placed on the acceptance of ICANN as legitimate by the wider community (including technical experts). It is formed as a corporation, and regulates on a contractual basis. However, it is charged (legally) with pursuing the global public interest due to the way in which it was set up as a non-profit organization, and is essentially a monopoly. Institutional design has been approached from the start, and through successive reforms, with democratic norms in mind. However, there has historically been capture by powerful interests – due to the accountability deficit, in particular. In order to pursue reform effectively, ICANN should focus on transparency, giving reasons, and strengthened review. To be successful however, requires strong backing from all states and an ‘entrepreneur’ type Board with the expertise, interest, and focus on GAL ideas, and genuine representatives to form a coalition to push for reform effectively. Counter-intuitively, a crisis of legitimacy created by criticism that ICANN is unaccountable might strengthen the force of democratic norms in its design, as NGOs and others are empowered to demand reform. To download and read this research paper in full, see: ssrn.com/abstract=1632885

A screenshot from Intermedia’s website shows its email interface (WEB HOST INDUSTRY REVIEW) – Web hosting provider Intermedia ( www.intermedia.net ) announced on Thursday that compliance templates for the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act are now available as part of its email encryption service.  According to the government website , the act protects the privacy of individually identifiable health information and sets national standards for the security of electronic protected health information.

A screenshot from Intermedia’s website shows its email interface (WEB HOST INDUSTRY REVIEW) – Web hosting provider Intermedia ( www.intermedia.net ) announced on Thursday that compliance templates for the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act are now available as part of its email encryption service.  According to the government website , the act protects the privacy of individually identifiable health information and sets national standards for the security of electronic protected health information. Intermedia says healthcare firms can use its templates to encrypt protected health information, or “any personal health information that can be linked to a specific individual and includes any part of the patient’s medical record or payment history.” This additional feature has been introduced recently after Intermedia partnered with Mozy to create a new online backup service for small- and medium-sized enterprises.

Former ICANN staffer and now consultant Kieren McCarthy has posted a guide to the ICANN San Francisco meeting currently underway. The guide lists the most important issues to be discussed in the meeting that ends this Friday. The guide discusses issues, and why they are important, such as new gTLDs, the .XXX sponsored Top Level Domain, Accountability and Transparency, domain transfer policies and new GNSO constituencies

An image of Brian Cute, CEO of The Public Interest Registry (WEB HOST INDUSTRY REVIEW) — The Public Interest Registry ( www.pir.org ), the company managing the .org domain name, announced on Friday it has named Brian Cute as the company’s new CEO. The company says that Cute will assume his leadership position on February 1. Cute has more than 12 years of experience in the Internet and communications industry