Independent Review Panel

The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (“ICANN”) has outlined specific processes, within its Bylaws, to reinforce transparency and its accountability to stakeholders and the public. ICANN's Board Governance Committee (“BGC”) is responsible for reviewing requests for reconsideration from any person or entity that has been materially affected by any ICANN staff action or inaction if such affected person or entity believes the action contradicts established ICANN policies, or by any Board actions or inactions that such affected person or entity believes has been taken without consideration of material information. ICANN’s Bylaws also provide for independent third-party review of Board actions alleged to be inconsistent with its Articles of Incorporation or Bylaws. Prior to submitting such a request, ICANN urges aggrieved parties to enter into a voluntary period of cooperative engagement with ICANN for the purpose of resolving or narrowing the issues that are contemplated to be brought in an Independent Review Process (“IRP”).

Dot Registry, LLC (“Dot Registry”) submitted reconsideration requests to the BGC relating to its applications for the top-level domains .INC, .LLC and .LLP, which the BGC denied. After ICANN failed to participate in a period of cooperative engagement with Dot Registry, Dot Registry commenced an IRP against ICANN pursuant to Section 3 of Article IV of ICANN’s Bylaws in order to obtain independent third-party review of ICANN’s handling and treatment of certain Community Priority Evaluations of Dot Registry’s applications performed by the Economist Intelligence Unit. The IRP is being administered by the International Centre for Dispute Resolution (“ICDR”).

The submissions of both parties and orders issued in the IRP to date are posted below. ICANN is required to promptly publish the pleadings, claims and declarations relating to the IRP on its website, pursuant to Section 3(19) of Article IV of its Bylaws. ICANN publishes these documents at https://www.icann.org/resources/pages/dot-registry-v-icann-2014-09-25-en.