17 October 2013
Registry Operators (ROs) and applicants who have been invited to Contracting may request an exemption from the requirements of the "Registry Operator Code of Conduct," as set forth in Specification 9 of the Registry Agreement. In order to qualify, an RO must demonstrate to ICANN's satisfaction that it meets certain criteria as outlined in the Process.
ICANN has worked with the community to establish a formal process for requesting an exemption to the Code of Conduct.
Review the Process and Forms
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Code of Conduct Exemption Process & Forms [PDF, 118 KB]
A Registry Operator Code of Conduct exemption request may be submitted to ICANN any time after an applicant has been invited to Contracting, including after the Registry Agreement has been signed. To request an exemption, the Code of Conduct Exemption Request Form must be completed and submitted to ICANN at newgtld@icann.org. The request must be accompanied by the RO's registration policies.
In determining whether an applicant qualifies for an exemption, ICANN may solicit additional information from the RO and/or publish the applicant's request for public comment.