From rogerc@us.ibm.com Sat Oct 10 12:51:16 1998
From: Roger Cochetti <rogerc@us.ibm.com>
To: <zita@ISI.EDU>, <landweber@aol.com>, <Joe_sims@jonesday.com>,
        <postel@ISI.EDU>, <mmr@darwin.ptvy.ca.us>
Subject: FYI: IBM COMMENT ON DOMAIN NAME PROPOSAL
Date: Sat, 10 Oct 1998 15:47:09 -0400
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain
Content-Length: 3339

FYI

Internet Address: RogerC@US.IBM.COM
Program Director-Policy & Business Planning, IBM Internet Division

---------------------- Forwarded by Roger Cochetti/Washington/IBM on 10/10/98
03:49 PM ---------------------------
To: DNSPOLICY@NTIA.DOC.GOV@ internet

From: John Patrick/Somers/IBM @ ibmus

Subject: IBM COMMENT ON DOMAIN NAME PROPOSAL


COMMENTS BY IBM CORPORATION ON PRIVATE SECTOR PROPOSAL FOR NEW DOMAIN NAME
CORPORATION

IBM is pleased to provide comments on the above subject, pursuant to the
Department of Commerce's September 29, 1997 press release and its notice on the
above subject posted at the Web site of the National Telecommunications
Information Administration (NTIA). ( Web site "http://www.ntia.doc.gov").

For the past three years, a variety of efforts have been undertaken both within
the private sector and among governmental representatives, to establish a
permanent, private sector organization that would succeed the United States
Government, and organizations selected by it, in managing the central
administrative functions of the Internet.  These functions include the
management of:  the allocation of IP addresses; the top-level domain name
space; the network of root servers; and the numbering of Internet protocols.

In order for the Internet to realize its potential as a global network of
networks that supports commercial, educational, cultural, and social functions,
it is essential that its central administrative functions be managed by an
organization that is both international in character and unambiguous in the
private sector.  It is also essential that these and related Internet
administrative functions continue to operate smoothly and seamlessly even as we
proceed through a period of fundamental organizational change in how they are
managed.  Finally, it is essential that any plan that emerges enjoy the widest
possible support from the Internet community and that it be designed to give
due respect to intellectual property and other rights that lie at the foundatio
n of a successful Internet.  For these reasons, IBM has followed the
discussions over the creation of a new Internet management organization with
great care and made continuous contributions to those discussions.  Most
recently, we have followed closely and contributed directly to the immediate
private sector efforts to develop a specific and workable plan.

IBM believes that the proposal for the establishment of a Internet Corporation
for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) submitted by Jon Postel on behalf of
IANA on October 2, 1998 represents a workable and viable plan for the new
Internet management organization that is needed.  While no single proposal in
this area would ever enjoy unanimous support in the private sector, we believe
this plan enjoys the widest possible global support. Inevitably, that means
that there are some provisions of this proposal that do not reflect IBM's
preferences.  Nonetheless, taken as a whole, the proposal for an ICANN,
including its Interim Board of Directors, represents a major step forward in
Internet self-governance.

We intend to support the proposal for the creation of ICANN in every way
possible, and we would encourage the U.S. Government and the governments of
other countries to do so as well.

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