Advisory Regarding the .us TLD

The Department of Commerce/ National
Telecommunications and Information Administration
issued a "sources sought" notice of an intention
to
procure centralized management and coordination of
registry, registrar (where specified), database, and
information services for the usTLD. The notice
requests interested parties to provide information
about their technical capability by June 22, 2007. 

"This synopsis is for Sources Sought, which may or may
not result in a Solicitation and does not constitute a
commitment on the part of the Government to purchase
or acquire systems or services.     The Government
will not pay for data or time expended in response to
this synopsis and is not to be construed as a
commitment by the Government to issue a request for
proposal or award a contract as a result of this
synopsis.     This synopsis is for Sources Sought and
planning purposes.

The U. S. Department of Commerce (DoC), National
Telecommunications and Information Administration
(NTIA), is committed to preserving the stability and
security of the Internet domain name and addressing
system (DNS).     NTIA has ensured the stability and
security of the DNS country code top-level domain for
the United States (usTLD or .us domain) by supervising
administration of the usTLD for the benefit of the
nation's Internet community.

     Therefore, in accordance with Federal Acquisition
Regulations (FAR) Part 12, Acquisition of Commercial
Items, DoC intends to procure the services of a
Contractor to manage, maintain, and operate the usTLD
under NTIA's supervision.     
The DoC seeks to acquire centralized management and
coordination of registry, registrar (where specified),
database, and information services for the usTLD. 

The usTLD provides a locus for registering domain
names and serving the Internet community in the United
States.     As such, DoC intends the usTLD be
available to a wide range of registrants.

     Accordingly, the DoC seeks proposals to achieve
the following objectives:     

1.) Ensure that procedures and an accountability
framework for the delegation and the administration of
the usTLD support a more robust, certain, and reliable
DNS.     

2.)     Promote increased use of the usTLD, including
kids.us, by the Internet community of the United
States (including small businesses, consumers,
not-for-profit organizations, and state and local
governments), with a residence or bona fide presence
in the United States by introducing enhanced technical
and other services, disseminating information about
the usTLD, and improving registration and customer
services.     

3.)     Create a centrally administered and
efficiently managed structure that ensures registrant
and consumer confidence, and infrastructure stability
by coordinating delegations and implementing other
appropriate functions.     

4.)     Create a stable and flexible usTLD environment
that advances and encourages innovation and that will
meet the future demands of potential registrants.     

5.)     Ensure continued stability of the entire DNS
and the usTLD, particularly during transition from the
current management structure to the Contractor's
proposed structure and to any successor Contractor's
structure.     

6.)     Manage the usTLD consistent with the Internet
Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers' (ICANN)
technical management of the DNS.     

7.)     Adequately protect intellectual property in
the usTLD and as developments in the expanded and the
locality usTLD space may necessitate. In the event of
further expansion of the usTLD space, the Contractor
shall implement a "sunrise period" for qualified
trademark owners to pre-register their trademarks as
domain names prior to the wider registration for
non-trademark owners and a dispute resolution
procedure to address "cybersquatting" conflicts
between trademarks and domain names in the usTLD.     

8.)     Establish and maintain consistent
communication between the Contracting Officer's
Technical Representative (COTR), the Contractor, and
ICANN.     The Contractor shall represent the usTLD in
the ICANN Country Code Names Supporting Organization
(ccNSO) and contribute to ICANN's operating costs as
ICANN may apportion to the usTLD.       

9.)     Promote robust competition within the usTLD,
including registration services, to ensure greater
choice and improved services for usTLD users.

All responsible sources must submit a written
narrative statement of capability including detailed
technical information and other technical literature
sufficient to permit agency analysis.

       Additionally, the purpose of the above request
is for the Government to determine the submitter's
capabilities and qualifications to meet the
requirement.       

Affirmative responses must be received Friday, June
22, 2007 by 12:00 p.m. Noon Eastern Standard Time."   
   

Please submit any and all written responses to Kalika
Boulware, Contract Specialist via email to
kalika.m.boulware[at]noaa.gov 

http://www2.fbo.gov/spg/DOC/NOAA/AGAMD/P
RNTIA9110-7-12841/SynopsisR.html


 
____________________________________________________________
________________________
Looking for earth-friendly autos? 
Browse Top Cars by "Green Rating" at Yahoo! Autos'
Green Center.
http://autos.yah
oo.com/green_center/

Danny and all,

  Well, well, well, seems like maybe DOC is not satisfied
with who's
managing .us.  However I am not surprised if they are not,
that
they are not, as I was opposed to Nulevel/NuStar getting
the
nod in the first place as I had serious concerns regarding
the
credibility of Nulevel/NuStar Sr. Management and stated
same
on this very GA mailing list forum at the time given some
their outrageously illogical and technically incorrect
statements
at that time.

  My *guess* is that DOC is concerned, and rightly so that
complying with the Data Retention Act is not tenable
with Nulevel/NuStar managing .us and recent information
regarding some over 5 million missing eMails amongst other
missing data associated directly with .us ccTLD is why
DOC is earnestly looking for a replacement.  Of course
if ask directly if this is part of the reason for seeking
a new registry managment organization, they would deny
any such notion.

  Secondly, .us is not a very secure registry, and given
DOC's failing grade from the GAO recently which included
significant deficiencies in security, again it is my
*guess*
that now that cat  is out of the bag as it were, this is
yet
another more serious reason DOC has put out this advisory.
And you can bet dollars to donuts that some yet to be
reported
or known ID theft has occurred.  I hope I am wrong.  But if
not
there is going to be a squealing of significant volume as
many
states AG's, judges, law enforcement personnel, ect. may be
the likely victims.


Danny Younger wrote:

> The Department of Commerce/ National
> Telecommunications and Information Administration
> issued a "sources sought" notice of an
intention to
> procure centralized management and coordination of
> registry, registrar (where specified), database, and
> information services for the usTLD. The notice
> requests interested parties to provide information
> about their technical capability by June 22, 2007.
>
> "This synopsis is for Sources Sought, which may or
may
> not result in a Solicitation and does not constitute a
> commitment on the part of the Government to purchase
> or acquire systems or services.     The Government
> will not pay for data or time expended in response to
> this synopsis and is not to be construed as a
> commitment by the Government to issue a request for
> proposal or award a contract as a result of this
> synopsis.     This synopsis is for Sources Sought and
> planning purposes.
>
> The U. S. Department of Commerce (DoC), National
> Telecommunications and Information Administration
> (NTIA), is committed to preserving the stability and
> security of the Internet domain name and addressing
> system (DNS).     NTIA has ensured the stability and
> security of the DNS country code top-level domain for
> the United States (usTLD or .us domain) by supervising
> administration of the usTLD for the benefit of the
> nation's Internet community.
>
>      Therefore, in accordance with Federal Acquisition
> Regulations (FAR) Part 12, Acquisition of Commercial
> Items, DoC intends to procure the services of a
> Contractor to manage, maintain, and operate the usTLD
> under NTIA's supervision.
> The DoC seeks to acquire centralized management and
> coordination of registry, registrar (where specified),
> database, and information services for the usTLD.
>
> The usTLD provides a locus for registering domain
> names and serving the Internet community in the United
> States.     As such, DoC intends the usTLD be
> available to a wide range of registrants.
>
>      Accordingly, the DoC seeks proposals to achieve
> the following objectives:
>
> 1.) Ensure that procedures and an accountability
> framework for the delegation and the administration of
> the usTLD support a more robust, certain, and reliable
> DNS.
>
> 2.)     Promote increased use of the usTLD, including
> kids.us, by the Internet community of the United
> States (including small businesses, consumers,
> not-for-profit organizations, and state and local
> governments), with a residence or bona fide presence
> in the United States by introducing enhanced technical
> and other services, disseminating information about
> the usTLD, and improving registration and customer
> services.
>
> 3.)     Create a centrally administered and
> efficiently managed structure that ensures registrant
> and consumer confidence, and infrastructure stability
> by coordinating delegations and implementing other
> appropriate functions.
>
> 4.)     Create a stable and flexible usTLD environment
> that advances and encourages innovation and that will
> meet the future demands of potential registrants.
>
> 5.)     Ensure continued stability of the entire DNS
> and the usTLD, particularly during transition from the
> current management structure to the Contractor's
> proposed structure and to any successor Contractor's
> structure.
>
> 6.)     Manage the usTLD consistent with the Internet
> Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers' (ICANN)
> technical management of the DNS.
>
> 7.)     Adequately protect intellectual property in
> the usTLD and as developments in the expanded and the
> locality usTLD space may necessitate. In the event of
> further expansion of the usTLD space, the Contractor
> shall implement a "sunrise period" for
qualified
> trademark owners to pre-register their trademarks as
> domain names prior to the wider registration for
> non-trademark owners and a dispute resolution
> procedure to address "cybersquatting"
conflicts
> between trademarks and domain names in the usTLD.
>
> 8.)     Establish and maintain consistent
> communication between the Contracting Officer's
> Technical Representative (COTR), the Contractor, and
> ICANN.     The Contractor shall represent the usTLD in
> the ICANN Country Code Names Supporting Organization
> (ccNSO) and contribute to ICANN's operating costs as
> ICANN may apportion to the usTLD.
>
> 9.)     Promote robust competition within the usTLD,
> including registration services, to ensure greater
> choice and improved services for usTLD users.
>
> All responsible sources must submit a written
> narrative statement of capability including detailed
> technical information and other technical literature
> sufficient to permit agency analysis.
>
>        Additionally, the purpose of the above request
> is for the Government to determine the submitter's
> capabilities and qualifications to meet the
> requirement.
>
> Affirmative responses must be received Friday, June
> 22, 2007 by 12:00 p.m. Noon Eastern Standard
Time."
>
>
> Please submit any and all written responses to Kalika
> Boulware, Contract Specialist via email to
> kalika.m.boulware[at]noaa.gov
>
> http://www2.fbo.gov/spg/DOC/NOAA/AGAMD/P
RNTIA9110-7-12841/SynopsisR.html
>
>
>
____________________________________________________________
________________________
> Looking for earth-friendly autos?
> Browse Top Cars by "Green Rating" at Yahoo!
Autos' Green Center.
> http://autos.yah
oo.com/green_center/

Regards,

--
Jeffrey A. Williams
Spokesman for INEGroup LLA. - (Over 134k
members/stakeholders strong!)
"Obedience of the law is the greatest freedom" -
   Abraham Lincoln

"Credit should go with the performance of duty and not
with what is
very often the accident of glory" - Theodore Roosevelt

"If the probability be called P; the injury, L; and the
burden, B;
liability depends upon whether B is less than L multiplied
by
P: i.e., whether B is less than PL."
United States v. Carroll Towing  (159 F.2d 169 [2d Cir.
1947]
============================================================
===
Updated 1/26/04
CSO/DIR. Internet Network Eng. SR. Eng. Network data
security
IDNS. div. of Information Network Eng.  INEG. INC.
ABA member in good standing member ID 01257402
E-Mail jwkckid1ix.netcom.com
 Registered Email addr with the USPS
Contact Number: 214-244-4827

Danny Younger wrote:
> The Department of Commerce/ National
> Telecommunications and Information Administration
> issued a "sources sought" notice of an
intention to
> procure centralized management and coordination of
> registry, registrar (where specified), database, and
> information services for the usTLD.

 From the "synopsis" I do not see that NTIA has
indicated that is has a 
statutory basis upon which it can base any authority to run
.us, much 
less to contract-out for its management.

I did not see any reference to the full non-synopsis as
perhaps it 
answers that question.

However, given that the Congress' GAO has *twice* failed to
find any 
source of authority for NTIA in these matters, the absence
of an answer 
would not be surprising.

A lack of authority would potentially render null and void
all of NTIA's 
agreements including those it has with ICANN, Verisign, and
others.

		--karl--

Karl and all,

  I believe your technically correct, however it is or was
assumed
DOC/NTIA has the relevant authority via the administrative
branch
of government which is constitutionally empowered.  Congress
has
oversight which has been little used/exercised non the less
considered
in this administration or the previous administration each
for entirely
different reasons of course...

Karl Auerbach wrote:

> Danny Younger wrote:
> > The Department of Commerce/ National
> > Telecommunications and Information Administration
> > issued a "sources sought" notice of an
intention to
> > procure centralized management and coordination
of
> > registry, registrar (where specified), database,
and
> > information services for the usTLD.
>
>  From the "synopsis" I do not see that NTIA
has indicated that is has a
> statutory basis upon which it can base any authority to
run .us, much
> less to contract-out for its management.
>
> I did not see any reference to the full non-synopsis as
perhaps it
> answers that question.
>
> However, given that the Congress' GAO has *twice*
failed to find any
> source of authority for NTIA in these matters, the
absence of an answer
> would not be surprising.
>
> A lack of authority would potentially render null and
void all of NTIA's
> agreements including those it has with ICANN, Verisign,
and others.
>
>                 --karl--

Regards,

--
Jeffrey A. Williams
Spokesman for INEGroup LLA. - (Over 134k
members/stakeholders strong!)
"Obedience of the law is the greatest freedom" -
   Abraham Lincoln

"Credit should go with the performance of duty and not
with what is
very often the accident of glory" - Theodore Roosevelt

"If the probability be called P; the injury, L; and the
burden, B;
liability depends upon whether B is less than L multiplied
by
P: i.e., whether B is less than PL."
United States v. Carroll Towing  (159 F.2d 169 [2d Cir.
1947]
============================================================
===
Updated 1/26/04
CSO/DIR. Internet Network Eng. SR. Eng. Network data
security
IDNS. div. of Information Network Eng.  INEG. INC.
ABA member in good standing member ID 01257402
E-Mail jwkckid1ix.netcom.com
 Registered Email addr with the USPS
Contact Number: 214-244-4827