<nettime> National Academies & DNS

[Chris Csikszentmihalyi <csiksc@rpi.edu>]

The Computer Science and Telecommunications Board (CSTB)
of the National Academies announces the launch of its study on

INTERNET SEARCHING AND THE DOMAIN NAME SYSTEM:
Technical Alternatives and Policy Implications

This project will examine the impact of technological developments
and policy changes on the domain name system and other mechanisms
that individuals rely upon to find the information that they seek on the
Internet.  The final report (to be issued in 2002) is expected to characterize
the institutions, policies, procedures, research, and development needed
to ensure that searching on the Internet remains feasible and can improve
in capability throughout the decade and will include a discussion of the
important and unresolved issues concerning trademarks.
(See below for the full project scope and roster of members of the
study committee) This study is sponsored by the U. S. Department
of Commerce and the National Science Foundation and is mandated
by the U. S. Congress through Public Law 105-305.

* First Meeting of the Project
The first committee meeting of this study will take place on
April 9-10, 2001, at the National Academies in Washington, DC.  There
will be a session open to the public on April 9 from 11:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
The panel sessions on April 9 will focus on the relevant policy context;
panelists will be asked to identify those topics that should be
emphasized in this study.  Panelists include Becky Burr
(Wilmer, Cutler & Pickering), Alan Davidson (Center for Democracy
and Technology), Michael Froomkin (University of Miami),
M. Stuart Lynn (ICANN), Steve Metalitz [invited]
(International Intellectual Property Association), David
Post (Temple University), Michael Roberts (formerly of
ICANN), Shari Steele (Electronic Frontier Foundation), and
Emerson Tiller (University of Texas); additional panelists may
also participate.  Aubrey Bush from the National Science
Foundation and representatives of the U. S. Department of Commerce
will also address the study committee.  Since space is limited for
observers, advance registration is strongly recommended; please
contact Margaret Marsh at <mmarsh@nas.edu> or 202-334-2605
to register.  Additional details concerning this first meeting or the
study may be found at the Web site of the National Academies
<www.nationalacademies.org>.  Click on "current projects"
(at the top of the screen) and search for the name of this study.

* Public Comment and Project Updates
Public comments to the study committee are welcome and may
be made at any time by sending email to <nrcisdns@nas.edu>.
CSTB will also be providing periodic updates on the project
and notices of upcoming sessions open to the public via an
e-mail list.  If you wish to receive these updates, please send
your request to <nrcisdns@nas.edu> as well.

* Project Scope
This project will examine the impact of technological developments
and policy changes on the domain name system and other mechanisms
that individuals rely upon to find the information that they seek on the
Internet.
It will assess the effect on Internet name assignment, addressing, and
searching of trends such as the continuing increase in the number of
Internet users and sites, the growth in embedded computing devices,
and the introduction of permanent personal and object identifiers.  It will
identify, describe and evaluate emerging technologies that can affect
Internet searching.  Some of the approaches to be considered are: the
addition of generic top level domains; new name assignment,
addressing and indexing schemes; new directory structures for locating
information or sites of interest; and improved user interfaces for
accessing information on the Internet.

The technologies that support finding information on the Internet are
deployed within a complex and contentious international policy context.
The "right" to use a particular domain name can often be disputed--
sometimes as an honest conflict among multiple, legitimate claimants;
sometimes by cybersquatters seeking to profit in the secondary market
for domain names; and sometimes by those who wish to post negative
information or parody a like-named organization.  Effective solutions
must consider the potentially competing interests of domain name
owners and trademark holders; the different interests of large multinational
corporations, small business owners and individuals; and public interests
such as freedom of speech and personal privacy.

This study will examine the degree to which the options offered by new
technology or new uses of existing technology can mitigate concerns
regarding trademarks and other economic or public interests, facilitate or
impede further evolution of the Internet, and affect steps being taken to
enhance competition among domain name registrars, the portability of
Internet addresses, and the stability of the Internet.  For each of the
prospective technologies, the final report is expected to characterize
institutions, policies and procedures that should be put in place
to complement it and will specify the research (if any) required to
develop it.

Additional information describing the National Academies
study process may be found at
<http://www.nationalacademies.org/about/ensuring.html>.
Additional information concerning CSTB may be found
at <www.cstb.org>.

* Committee Roster
Provisionally Approved by the National Academies

ROGER LEVIEN, Chair
Strategy & Innovation Consulting
Principal and Founder

ROBERT AUSTEIN
Vice President of Engineering
InterNetShare.com

CHRISTINE L. BORGMAN
Professor & Presidential Chair in Information Studies
Graduate School of Education & Information Studies
University of California, Los Angeles

JEAN CAMP
Assistant Professor of Public Policy
John F. Kennedy School of Government
Harvard University

TIMOTHY CASEY
Partner Resident
Fried Frank Haris Shriver and Jacobson

LESLIE DAIGLE
Executive Vice President
Rattlenote Technology Inc.

HUGH DUBBERLY
Principal
Dubberly Design Office

CHARLES H. FERGUSON
Chairman
Juice Software, Inc. and Capital Thinking, Inc.

TAMAR FRANKEL
Professor
Boston University Law School

PER-KRISTIAN HALVORSEN
Director
Solutions and Services Technology Center
Hewlett-Packard Research Labs

MARYLEE JENKINS
Partner
Robin Blecker & Daley

JOHN C. KLENSIN
Internet Architecture Vice President
AT&T

MILTON L. MUELLER
Associate Professor and Director
Graduate Program in Telecommunications and Networking Management
School of Information Studies
Syracuse University

WILLIAM RADUCHEL
Executive Vice President
AOL Time Warner

HAL R. VARIAN
Dean
School of Information Management and Systems
University of California, Berkeley

PAUL VIXIE
Chairman
Internet Software Consortium


S T A F F

ALAN INOUYE
Study Director and Senior Program Officer

CYNTHIA PATTERSON
Program Officer

MARGARET MARSH
Senior Project Assistant
-- 
Christopher P. Csikszentmihályi
Assistant Professor of Media Arts
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
DCC-135 110 8th Street
Troy, NY 12180-3590

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