Bruce Tonkin, chair of the GNSO Council, posted the following note to the Whois TF earlier today.  It contains a segment on the GAC Communique on Whois.  Very obscure, but clearly there is a controversy going on in the GAC.... Kathy

 

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Hello All,

I have extracted the following section from the GAC Communiqué presented at the ICANN Board Public Forum on Thursday 29 June 2006.

Regards,
Bruce Tonkin



II. WHOIS and New gTLDs

The GAC Working Group on GNSO issues continued its focus on the development
of GAC Principles applicable to the WHOIS database and to the introduction of
new gTLDs, with the intention of sharing a stabilized draft with the community in
Sao Paulo and to enable the GAC to provide guidance to the ICANN Board.

Consistent with the GAC's commitment to providing information and advice on
the range of public policy aspects of WHOIS data, representatives from Consumer
Protection Agencies in three GAC members, OPTA in the Netherlands, MIC in
Japan, and the FTC in the U.S. who made presentations during an open session
with the GNSO outlining their respective perspectives and concerns regarding the
accuracy and timely access to WHOIS data.

Some of them and some GAC members also expressed concerns regarding the
implications for enforcement of laws of the recent GNSO Council decision on a
definition on the purpose of WHOIS data. Some GAC members expressed
concerns that formulation 2 would also not provide an appropriate definition for
the purposes of WHOIS.

The GAC appreciates the interpretation of the GNSO Council Chair that
formulation 1 does not imply that a decision has been taken to remove any data
from public access.

The GAC believes therefore that the final definition of the purpose of WHOIS data
needs to reflect the public policy concerns expressed by GAC members. The GAC
is intending to produce policy advice on the purpose and use of WHOIS in the
form of principles for the Sao Paulo meeting.