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Commerce Grants ICANN Another Three Years
September 18, 2003
The Commerce Department and the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) Wednesday agreed to extend their Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for three more years to transition management of the Internet domain name and numbering system (DNS) from the U.S. government to the private sector.
Commerce currently serves as the "steward" of critical elements of the DNS while ICANN is the private sector entity responsible for day-to-day management of the system. In November 1998, Commerce entered into the first MOU with ICANN and subsequently the U.S. government and ICANN have signed a series of one-year agreements.
"This agreement between ICANN and the Department of Commerce marks a major milestone in ICANN's history and the process of transition from the historical purely governmental oversight of the Internet to a public/private partnership," said ICANN Chairman Vint Cerf.
According to a Commerce Dept. statement, "While numerous issues and substantial challenges confront ICANN, the organization has made notable progress toward achieving the goals of the MOU in the start-up phase of its existence. The Department and ICANN both now seek to complete the transition of DNS management to the private sector."
ICANN President and CEO Paul Twomey said, "We look forward to working with (Commerce) to complete, within this term, the transition toward privatization that began with the first MOU five years ago. We are pleased that we were able to reach agreementon a term giving us three years to get the job done."
More details at: http://siliconvalley.internet.com/news/article.php/3079271
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