On 28-29 September, the CENTR Legal & Regulatory Working Group held its 51st meeting in Gdansk, Poland. The meeting was attended by 31 lawyers representing 21 registries.
The discussions focused on registry Terms and Conditions, alternative dispute resolution mechanisms (arbitration in particular) and privacy-related subjects.
One of the main challenges for the legal teams is to adapt the Terms and Conditions on a regular basis to reflect changes in the legal environment and registration policies adapted to accommodate those changes. CENTR members discussed how these new Terms and Conditions can be brought to the attention of the registrants and to what level registrants need to accept those changes.
The Polish registry NASK has built up a significant experience with Alternative Dispute Resolution and has close links with an arbitration centre that has the knowledge and reputation that is needed to handle domain related cases efficiently and fairly. Other members also shared their experience and customer feedback on these mechanisms. In all cases, that feedback was very positive and showed that the time to get to a decision – which is typically much faster than via a court – is a key element in the choice for ADR.
With the upcoming implementation of the General Data Protection Regulation, all registries are gearing up to ensure compliance. Following a fascinating discussion (including on the "right to be forgotten"), it was decided that CENTR would start a project that will help its members identifying what aspects of their data processing and data trails they will need to look into.
Thanks again to NASK for hosting us: this was an outstanding meeting and the Polish hospitality was truly appreciated!
