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Executive Summary
Pages 1-18

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From page 1...
... The report is addressed to the technologists, policy makers, and others whose decisions will affect the future of the DNS and Internet navigation aids and services. The specific conclusions and recommendations of the Committee on Internet Navigation and the Domain Name System appear throughout this summary in boldface type.
From page 2...
... However, the continued successful operation of the DNS is not assured; many forces, driven by a variety of factors, are challenging the DNS's future. Required and desirable technologies to increase security and enable the use of non-Roman scripts for domain names are not being incorporated into the technical system as quickly as many would like.
From page 3...
... The need for further diversification of the location of root name servers and personnel should be carefully analyzed in the light of possible dangers, both natural and human in origin. Message Alteration In response to the threat of alteration of messages being transmitted among name servers, the technical community has developed DNS Security Extensions (DNSSEC)
From page 4...
... It can thus be thought of as a core service, which although not absolutely necessary, is extremely useful in giving a relatively user-friendly face to Internet resources, and for enabling access to those resources even when their Internet addresses change. Moreover, it is a deeply embedded and ubiquitous service that enables other services and functions, including most aids to Internet navigation.
From page 5...
... Many of the governance issues that concern governments -- control of spam and uses of the Internet for illegal purposes; resolving the disparities between developed and developing countries in Internet usage; protection of privacy, freedom of expression, and intellectual property other than domain names; and the facilitation and regulation of e-commerce -- have little or nothing to do with the DNS per se. The DNS would not be an effective vehicle for addressing such issues.
From page 6...
... After a troubled start, it has introduced several innovations to the institutional framework of the DNS, including competition among registrars and an arbitral process for resolving disputes over domain names, the Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy. In 2003 it had to undertake a major reform of its own organization, stimulated by dissatisfaction with its operation under its initial structure.
From page 7...
... Root Name Server Operators No greater oversight of the root name server operators will be necessary so long as they continue to operate effectively and reliably and to improve the DNS's security, stability, and capability. The effective daily operation of the root, and therefore the DNS, lies in the hands of the operators of the 13 critical root name servers.
From page 8...
... Although direct management or oversight may be neither necessary nor feasible, with continued growth in the Internet and demands on the DNS, a more formal process of coordination of the root name server operators with ICANN's facilitation will become desirable so as to ensure rapid response to persistent security needs and to other challenges. The present independent funding arrangements for the root name servers are advantageous and should continue, because the multiplicity of sources contributes to the resilience, autonomy, and diversity of the root name server system.
From page 9...
... However, an abrupt increase (significantly beyond this rate) in the number of gTLDs could have technical, operational, economic, and service consequences that could affect domain name registrants, registries, registrars, and Internet users.
From page 10...
... Second, many ccTLDs resented ICANN's major role in deciding on delegations and redelegations -- essentially a policy role that they felt would be better performed locally. They also believed that their position as one constituency within ICANN's initial Domain Names Supporting Organization, whose other constituen
From page 11...
... Furthermore, in April 2005 ICANN's Governmental Advisory Committee issued a revision of its "Principles for the Delegation and Administration of Country Code Top Level Domains" to address many of the concerns expressed about them. If the creation of the ccNSO does not result in increased participation by the ccTLDs in ICANN policy making, then ICANN may find itself subject to increasing pressures to constrain its role to that of gTLD management and root zone file record keeping and to turn ccTLD oversight over to some other organization.
From page 12...
... TLDs and other DNS operators that do not have agreements with ICANN should voluntarily agree to adhere to published technical standards and to consult the technical community and conduct public review processes before introducing new services that could have a detrimental effect on the DNS or on other services that depend on the DNS. Dispute Resolution Challenges Arbitral domain name dispute resolution processes, rather than national courts, should continue to be encouraged as the initial and primary vehicle for resolving most disputes associated with the rights to domain names.
From page 13...
... Under the current funding structure, the revenue for panelists depends on the volume of cases, creating incentives either for haste or for marketing strategies and tactics to attract cases by defining lucrative niches. Internationalization Challenges Continuing and increased attention to internationalized domain names (IDNs)
From page 14...
... Moreover, the institutional framework of those technical systems is an open market, with many, generally commercial, competitors offering navigation services, and specialized non-commercial services focused on non-profit resource providers and seekers. Finding and accessing a desired resource via the Internet poses challenges that are substantially different from the challenges in navigating to resources in non-digital, non-networked environments.
From page 15...
... But only a third of searchers say they could not live without search engines; about half say that, although they like using search engines, they could go back to other ways of finding information. As the material accessible through the Internet continues its rapid increase in volume and variety and as its societal importance grows, Internet navigation aids and services are likely to be challenged to deliver more precise responses, in more convenient forms, to more diverse questions, from more users with widely varying skills.
From page 16...
... The major search services currently identify the results whose presentation in response to specified search terms is paid for by advertisers (socalled sponsored links or sponsored search listings) and set them off from the direct results of more neutral search algorithms.
From page 17...
... Since competition in the market for Internet navigation services promotes innovation, supports consumer choice, and prevents undue control over the location of and access to the diverse resources available via the Internet, public policies should support the competitive marketplace that has emerged and avoid actions that damage it. Potential rulings in some jurisdictions could substantially reduce the abilty of search engines to sell keywords using the current automated methods.
From page 18...
... Despite the differences in the way in which they developed, the relationship between the DNS technical system and Internet navigation aids and services is strong and fundamental -- the DNS has served as the stable core on which the incremental evolution of the different navigation aids and services has depended. The development of navigation services is likely to continue to relieve some of the commercial pressures on the DNS as users become increasingly comfortable with using them as their primary means to navigate the Internet, but both the Domain Name System and Internet navigation aids and services will be significant elements of the Internet for the foreseeable future.


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