Best Practice Guidelines for ccTLD Managers
A draft created by the ccTLD Best Practice WG in an
attempt to find consensus around the IATLD draft and CENTR draft
Acknowledgement
WG Leader: Sue Leader of .nz
Members: Yann Kwok, .mu, Gennady
Pritsker, IATLD, Jefsey Morfin, .tp, Brian Longwe, .ke,
Ramon Morales, register.com, Ramesh
Nadarajah, .my, Maureen Cubberley, .ca, George S. Daniel, ag, Fay Howard,
CENTR, Andile Ngcaba, .za, Bill Haigh, .pn, Naomasa Maruyama, .jp, Willie
Black, .uk, Morton Taragin, .il, Albert Wang, .tw, Peter Dengate Thrush, .nz,
Peter de Blanc, of .vi,
Elisabeth Porteneuve, .fr
Last updated: November 14, 2000, Marina del Rey,
Venice Room, Time: 10:30 – 13:00
Version 1.1 (Rough)
ccTLD
Managers recognize the desirability of Conforming to Best Practice and
undertake to work towards compliance.
The Domain
Name System structure contains a hierarchy of names. The root, or highest
level, of the system is unnamed. Top Level Domains (TLDs) are divided into
classes, ccTLDs and gTLDs, based on rules that have evolved over time. ccTLDs -
country code Top Level Domains - are associated with
countries
and territories. gTLDs are (with some exceptions) generic and global in nature.
To date,
ccTLDs have been assigned to countries and territories using the ISO-3166 list,
on the basis that ISO has a procedure for determining which entities should and
should not be on that list. Historically, the IANA maintain a list of the ccTLD
managers.
A list of
current TLD assignments and names of the ccTLD Managers may be accessed at http://www.iana.org/cctld/cctld.htm
1. Objectives of this document
To
describe current and desirable best practice guidelines for cctld Registry
Managers.
2. Definitions
ccTLD - A
country code top level domain in the top level of the global domain name
system, assigned according to the two-letter codes in the ISO 3166 standard
codes for the representation of names of countries or territories.
ccTLD
Registry - The entity which records names as domain names in a register of
domain names for the country-code top level domain name, according to policies
and rules, and following procedures, established with the Local Internet
Community (see below).
ccTLD
Manager - A company, organisation or individual managing a ccTLD Registry.
Registrant
- A company, organisation or individual for whom a name has been registered as
a domain name in the ccTLD domain name register.
ICANN -
Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers.
IANA -
Internet Assigned Numbers Authority.
Local
Internet Community - The Internet industry and users and the government and
authorities of the state or territory with which the ccTLD is associated. The
definition of the Local Internet Community may vary from one country/territory
to another, and is essentially a matter for the community in a given
country/territory to decide. The definition of the Local Internet Community
should be documented, available for public inspection, and transparent to the
local community.
Global
Internet Community – The Internet industry and users worldwide, including
governmental and supra-national organizations.
3. Best Practice
3.1 Status
and Responsibilities
The
primary duty of the ccTLD Manager is one of Public Service and to manage and
operate the ccTLD Registry in the interest of and in consultation with the
Local Internet Community, mindful of the interests of the Global Internet
Community.
A ccTLD
Manager is a trustee for the delegated domain, and has a duty to serve the
community it represents as well as the global Internet community. Concerns
about "rights" and "ownership" of
top-level
domains are inappropriate. It is appropriate to be concerned about
"responsibilities" and "service" to the community. The
ccTLD manager should be judged on his or her performance, and the extent to
which it satisfies the needs of the Local and Global Internet communities.
ccTLD
Managers are entrusted with the management of the TLD Registry. The ccTLD
Manager and Registry are not responsible for any alleged or actual violations
of intellectual property or other rights, merely as a consequence of listing a
domain name in the ccTLD register.
***No
intellectual or other property rights in the country code accrue to a ccTLD
Manager as a result of the act of delegation of the responsibility for a ccTLD
Registry. ccTLD Managers may have rights to the intellectual and other property
developed by them as a by-product of managing the ccTLD Registry, subsequent to
the delegation of such responsibility.*****
In the
absence of pre-existing arrangements with the Local Internet Community and
consistent with the requirement to best serve the interests of the Local
Internet Community, the ccTLD Manager should be resident in the territory of
the ccTLD or, if the Manager is a corporation, the ccTLD Manager should be
incorporated there.
The ccTLD
Manager should recognize that a ccTLD Registry is a special function and,
resulting from this, has a special position which should not be abused.
3.2
Process to Define the Local Internet Community
A ccTLD
Manager should design and organize a process to define the Local Internet
Community with a mechanism to review and update the definition. This process should be transparent,
*documented* and be made available for public inspection.
3.3
Registration Policies
3.3.1 The
ccTLD Manager must register domain names in an efficient and timely manner
following policies rules and procedures that have been established and published
in a transparent manner, in consultation with the Local Internet Community.
3.3.2
ccTLD registries should ensure standard agreements exist for Registrants
setting out the expectations and obligations of each party. Conditions of
registration should obligate registrants to supply accurate and complete
contact information at the time of registration, and to keep it current.
3.3.3
Registries should ensure the provision of a mean for updating registrants
details in the registry database.
3.3.4
ccTLD registries should collect, store or otherwise process the necessary
information in such a manner to ensure that the Registrant can be
authenticated.
3.3.5
ccTLD Managers should be equitable and fair to all eligible registrants that
request domain names. Policies and
procedures may vary from country to country due to local customs, cultural
values, local policies and objectives, law and regulations. The definition
should be documented, available for public inspection, and transparent to the
Local Internet Community. The
policies and procedures for the use of the domain should be made available for
public inspection.
3.3.6
ccTLD Managers should have a consistently applied policy on privacy, and that
policy should be published.
3.3.7
ccTLD Managers should define and publish their domain name dispute resolution
policies and procedures, in consultation with the Local Internet Community.
Mechanisms should be established by the ccTLD Manager to handle fairly and
independently any such disputes arising between registrants, or other parties,
and the ccTLD Manager. Making judgments in relation to disputes between third
parties and domain name registrants is outside the scope of the ccTLD Manager’s
duties.
3.4
Operational Requirements
3.4.1
ccTLD Managers are responsible for the operation or supervision of DNS service
for the ccTLD, including management of registry database, providing access to
update the registration details, generation of the zone files and management of
nameservers.
3.4.2
Technical Operations
3.4.2.1 Data
Security: ccTLD Managers should ensure that all Registry data is reasonably
secured against damage or loss using as resources permit the most appropriate
technology.
3.4.2.2
The ccTLD domain name service should be continuously available. At a minimum,
the ccTLD manager must provide nameservers with 24-hour Internet Protocol (IP)
connectivity to the Internet, 365 days per year, and operate the database with
accuracy, robustness, resilience, and reliability. (See RFC 1591 and ICP-1).
3.4.2.3 ccTLD
Managers should keep the IANA advised of any changes to the information
concerning the domain that is maintained in the IANA's register database, and
should respond to requests for information from the IANA relating to the status
and technical operations of the domain in a timely manner.
3.4.2.4 ccTLD Managers must protect the integrity of its zone(s) and must make arrangements to assure continued operation of the registry, and continued resolution of names within the ccTLD's zone(s).
3.4.2.5
Subcontracting of Operations. Unless otherwise agreed with the Local Internet
Community, a ccTLD Manager may contract out any or all of the operations and
administration of a ccTLD Registry, provided that ccTLD Manager contractually
obliges the sub-contractor to comply with the
requirements
of this and any other documents that may be agreed from time to time.
3.5
Financial Matters
3.5.1
ccTLD registries shall not be limited as to business model.
3.5.2
ccTLD Managers should price its services at such levels as to not unreasonably
limit the registration of domain names.
3.5.3
Governing Law
ccTLD
Managers should operate under the law of the country or territory where they
are located.
ccTLD
managers, consistent with its financial capabilities, should participate in
appropriate local and international fora on Internet technology, policy, and
governance.