Japan's country code to be operated by ICANN

Japan's country-code top-level domain (ccTLD) is to be operated by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN). The owner of '.jp' is only the second to agree to recognize ICANN's authority as internet policymaker - the first being the owner of Australia's '.au' - since an international working group of ccTLD owners voted in June 2001 to withdraw from ICANN because they sought a greater role in ICANN's Domain Name Supporting Organization.

The announcement quotes ICANN President Stuart Lynn as saying that the '.jp' agreement recognizes the need for ICANN's policies to ensure stability and interoperability on the Internet.

However, the announcement also notes that the agreement was struck with Jun Murai, one of ICANN's 19 directors and head of the Japanese Network Information Centre, owner of the '.jp' ccTLD. A deal struck with an ICANN director hardly indicates that ICANN is making progress healing the rift with ccTLD owners.

Douglas Wood and Linda Goldstein, Hall Dickler Kent Goldstein & Wood LLP, New York