Internet Policy Day 2 - Workshop Session No. 4 Governance and domain names Prepared for CTO by Link...

Internet PolicyDay 2 - Workshop Session No. 4

Governance and domain names

Prepared for CTO by Link Centre, Witwatersrand University, South Africa

CTO / DFID Internet Policy workshop, Jamaica, 22-26 April 2002

Sessions Summary Day 1

– Session 1History and technical background– Session 2Market structure

Day 2– Session 3Interconnection, IXPs and voice-over-IP– Session 4 Governance and domain names

Day 3– Session 5The impact of telecommunications regulation– Session 6Internet specific policy issues

Day 4– Session 7Content on the Internet – Session 8E-commerce issues

Day 5– Session 9Internet tools for regulators– Session 10 Conclusion, review and evaluation


Governance processes

The purpose of this session is to examine existing processes of Internet governance and identify the role-players at each level.


Topics of Discussion The bottom

– End users– Network administrators– ISPs

The top– History: pre-ICANN– ICANN and its structures– Other players

The middle– IP address registries– Protocol organisations– Domains name registries

Global ccTLDs


Role of the end-user

What is ‘netiquette’?– Posting and formatting email– Forwarding chain letters and virus warnings– Spam: Unsolicited bulk email


Role of the network admin

Technical administration– Configures the local network: servers, routers,

etc.– May register domains and obtain IP addresses– May be responsible for keeping a system secure– Manages the mail system for the organisation

Answers abuse mail

Policy administration– What services are available?– What can and can’t users do?


Role of the ISP

Technical role– Sometimes performs the role of the network

administrator Under pressure to control flow of

information– Inconvenient content: Spam/unsolicited mail– Copyright material: MP3 music files, pirate

movies– Illegal material: Child porn, hate speech– Monitor users: Security concerns


History: pre-ICANN

IANA (1972-)– Jon Postel– Numbers

Regional registries

– Protocols Several organisations

– Domains IANA (1985+) InterNIC (1992+) Network Solutions, Inc. [NSI] (1993+) Assignment of ccTLDs


ICANN

ICANN (1998-)– US Department of Commerce role– Board of Directors decided by whom?– “At Large” members

Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers


Basic structure of ICANN

S tru c tu re o f IC A N N an d re la ted b od ies

P S O D N S O A S O A t L arg eM em b ers

R S S A C G A C

IC A N N


ICANN substructures Major substructures of ICANN

– ASO = Address Support Organisation Policy recommendations and advice relating to IP addresses

– PSO = Protocol Support Organisation Policy recommendations and advice relating to the assignment of

Internet protocol parameters.

– DNSO = Domain Names Support Organisation Policy recommendations and advice relating to domain names and the

DNS.

– RSSAC = Root Server System Advisory Committee Advises the board on issues relating to the operation and stability of

the root server system

– GAC = Government Advisory Committee Issues of concern to governments

– At Large membership Represent the interests of Internet users world-wide


Other role-players

Who else gets a say?– The Internet Society (ISOC)

Chapters in many parts of the world

– ISPs National organisations: ISPAs Regional organisations: EuroISPA, AfrISPA Global organisation: World ISPA forum

– Governments Legislation Increasing amounts of co-operation


Address organisations


Address organisations

IP address registries– Manage numbers– Historically work on a trust model– Hierarchical assignment structure

LIRs = Local Internet Registries(not country specific)

Who are they and where are they? ARIN = North America RIPE NCC = Europe (+ western Asia) APNIC = Asia/Pacific AFRINIC = Africa (currently ARIN/RIPE NCC) LACNIC = Latin America/Carribean (currently ARIN)


Assigning IP addresses

Goals of public address space distribution– Uniqueness

Each number must be assigned only once

– Aggregation Numbers must be assigned in blocks, to ensure

routability

– Conservation Assignments must be based on need -- no

stockpiling

– Registration A record must be kept for trouble-shooting purposes


Protocol organisations

P S O M em b ers

IA B

IS O C

IE TF W 3 C ITU E TS I

P S O

IC A N N


Domain organisationsD N S O S u b s tru c tu res

ccTL D R eg is tries B u s in ess

g TL D R eg is tries In te llec tu a l p rop erty

IS P an d con n ec tivity p rovid ers N on com m erc ia ld om ain n am e h o ld ers

R eg is tra rs

D N S O

IC A N N


Domain name system

Recap: How does DNS work again? Generic top-level domains (gTLDs)

– .COM, .ORG, .NET, (.EDU) Originally specific meaning, now a free-for-all One registry, many registrars

– .GOV, .MIL, .INT Special requirements


Domain name system

Country-code top-level domains (ccTLDs)– ISO 3166-A– Assigned on a first-come basis

New domains– Generic: .info, .biz– Special: .aero, .museum

“New” domains– Actually ccTLSs: .tv, .to, .nu, .ws


Domain names issues

Domains vs. Trademarks– Multiple trademarks, but only one .com domain– Legal jurisdiction unclear

Cybersquatting– Registering a domain with the intention of

reselling it Domain theft

– Stealing a domain through cunning or fraud Alternative root name servers


Domain name issues

Arbitration process– Independent arbitrators brought in– ICANN sanctioned process– WIPO = World Intellectual Property

Organisation Problems

– Weighted towards big business– Some Really Bad (tm) decisions: Corinthians– Domain hijacking: Aspen Pines


Country code top-level domains

ccTLDs administration– Who does it?– Subdomains– Policy vs. operation

Role of the government– Hands-off approach– “Emergency case” legislation– Mine! All mine!

Redelegation– In theory– In practice


Summary

Many structures are already in place for self-governance of the Internet

Some are informal (the rules of netiquette), some formal (ICANN)

Governments have not played a large role so far

Centralised control seems doomed to failure Domain names have become valuable, this

has caused lots of problems

Internet Policy Day 2 - Workshop Session No. 4 Governance and domain names Prepared for CTO by Link...

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