Welcome to the summer edition of Nominet News. As you will see, we have made a few changes, with topical articles from industry commentators as well as an update on Nominet’s latest news. We are interested to hear what you think of the new look newsletter, and if there is anything else you would like to see. Follow the link (right) to have your say in the reader poll.

The hot topic of the season so far has, without a doubt, been the evolution of Internet Governance. The newly-formed Internet Governance Forum (IGF) will be holding its first ever meeting in Athens in October. Established at the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS), this annual event will debate a range of issues related to Internet Governance including free flow of information, security, and the cost and availability of Internet access in all nations. The IGF is designed to promote dialogue between all stakeholders, Internet users, governments, industry and the private sector.

The format and agenda of the meeting has been shaped by the IGF Advisory Group, which held its first meeting last month. The group involves 46 individuals representing government, private sector, academia and civil society from around the world. Amongst the members selected by the United Nations Secretary General, Kofi Annan, to join the IGF Advisory Board is Nominet’s very own Emily Taylor, Director of Legal and Policy. We all look forward to her update later in the year.

Security on the Internet, a key focus for the IGF, is also the subject of this issue’s guest article by Paul Gartside at McAfee. Paul takes a look at the increased costs and complexities of phishing and its prevention. At Nominet we take the issue of people who have used our customer data fraudulently very seriously and take legal action where appropriate (e.g. the conviction of Peter Francis-Macrae). Also, the issue of phishing is scheduled for discussion starting from September in the work plan of Nominet’s Policy Advisory Board.

We also have a piece from David Taylor of Lovells giving the history of the introduction of the .eu TLD; comment on the sunrise and dispute resolution process; and presenting some interesting stats concerning its introduction.

Nominet has recently had much cause to celebrate. We are celebrating our 10 year anniversary and have passed the 5 million milestone in .uk domain name registrations. We have also just exchanged letters with ICANN to define the working framework between us. This will create a more stable relationship between the two organisations and ensure that the .uk domain name space is represented in the global Internet arena. You can read more about this and my thoughts on the ICANN conference in Marrakech below.

A lot has happened recently, at a speed that is characteristic of the fast-paced Internet industry and (some may say unfortunately!) there is no sign of a summer slow down!

Lesley Cowley

This entry was posted in July, 2006.
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