information ICANN - Relief for Registrants in Response to COVID-19

[kamcreation]

In a blog post today ICANN updated that its invoking section 3.7.5.1 Registrar Accreditation Agreement. This is the second occasion, previously ICANN invoked it in 2017 during Hurricane Maria.

Basically this clause permits registrars to temporarily forebear from cancelling domain name registrations that were unable to be renewed as a result of a natural disaster.

We have received several inquiries from our contracted parties about steps that ICANN org could take to help mitigate issues in the domain name industry ecosystem in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. These include concerns about the ability of registrants to renew their domain names in a timely manner given current circumstances.

To ease this burden, ICANN org will be invoking section 3.7.5.1 of the 2013 Registrar Accreditation Agreement for the second time. This clause permits registrars to temporarily forebear from cancelling domain name registrations that were unable to be renewed as a result of a natural disaster.

The COVID-19 pandemic once again highlights the potential need for a policy initiative to protect registrants when they are unable to renew their domains as a result of natural disasters or other extraordinary circumstances. In the interim, we encourage contracted parties to take these circumstances into consideration when reviewing renewal delinquencies.

Contracted parties have also reached out with questions related to our ongoing business operations during this pandemic, including the availability of staff and key services. While most of ICANN org's staff is now working remotely, I can assure you that we are working hard to ensure operations carry on as normally as possible. We remain committed to delivering outstanding support to our contracted parties, vendors, and others in the domain name industry ecosystem in a timely manner.

In addition, we heard from many of our service providers and vendors, who have outlined their respective strategies for responding to COVID-19. I am confident that our contracted parties are also taking steps to mitigate potential risks and continue providing service.

If you have questions, I encourage you to reach out through standard channels, including via the Naming Services portal for contracted parties, or by sending an email to [email protected].

ICANN org will continue to evaluate additional methods of supporting registrants, contracted parties, and the community. Please take the necessary steps to stay safe, and help slow the spread of this global pandemic.

Source
https://www.icann.org/news/blog/relief-for-registrants-in-response-to-covid-19


How are the registrars going to differentiate between users who are genuinely affected by COVID19 and unable to renew due to the current pandemic and the regular drops? So lets wait and see how the registrars respond.

 

[WhoaDomain.com]

I'd rather ICANN remove the current "cap" preventing domainers from transferring domains to other registrars. I've been informed certain registrars due to Verisign can't offer transfer promos because that registrar needs to show they are "rockin and rollin" as far as domain registrations and domain transfers before Verisign can allow registrars to give a promo. So it's not the registrars fault but the quota expected of all registrars by Verisign.

For many the issue isn't redemptions but the option to avoid redemption AND save money during this crisis i.e. Transfers at a cheap price.

wait and see I guess.

Someone should start a poll on that one.

 

[branding]

For many the issue isn't redemptions but the option to avoid redemption AND save money during this crisis i.e. Transfers at a cheap price.

I agree here but I also think it's important to factor in people being preoccupied with other things besides renewing/transferring their domains.

I have been manually renewing close to 600 domains lately for clients that I know for sure should not have been dropping.

I'm taking the hit so it's good to know ICANN is working on it.

The only downside I see in waiving restorage fees is how we should handle expired auctions. What if I buy a domain and the current owner can renew it afterwards and get it back?

There's no way to know (as of yet, as far as I know) how registrars will handle this. Crazy times.

 

[WhoaDomain.com]

I agree here but I also think it's important to factor in people being preoccupied with other things besides renewing/transferring their domains.

I have been manually renewing close to 600 domains lately for clients that I know for sure should not have been dropping.

I'm taking the hit so it's good to know ICANN is working on it.

The only downside I see in waiving restorage fees is how we should handle expired auctions. What if I buy a domain and the current owner can renew it afterwards and get it back?

There's no way to know (as of yet, as far as I know) how registrars will handle this. Crazy times.

I think if promos happened. many of these people who choose to take advantage of the this ICANN thing instead of worrying it will "work" can renew domains cheaply.

This 3.7.5.1 Registrar Accreditation Agreement is great for domainers but when you think about it this will mean registrars for at least a month or however many months this will take into effect will not have an income and they can't do anything about it?

To avoid this, why not give a promo for transfers and renewals?

I personally would rather pay to transfer or renew so long as it's cheap but at the same time the registrars don't go broke and they can make some money.

money now is money now not money later or maybe later.

How long will this 3.7.5.1 Registrar Accreditation Agreement be for? a month? 2 months? or after coronavirus is over and everything is back to normal?

imagine 3 months of no renewals just because domainers will take advantage of the situation because they can? That can't be good for a registrar. but people transferring domains to them IS good for a registrar even if it's not full price.

but I guess many registrars will take advantage of this pandemic and wait and see domains expire and don't get renewed and get sent to expired auctions to their benefit.

 

[zehadkhan]

Covid-19 is a dangerous virus. That why we are keep at home and keep safe everyone.