Q. Why does this matter so much - what is at risk?

Millions of nonprofits around the world rely on dot-org to help them provide critical health, infrastructure, human rights, freedom of the press, advocacy and fundraising services. Our sole focus is developing a solution for dot-org that serves the interests of the dot-org registrants and the public.

Q. What principles are involved here?

We stand behind the principle of a dot-org domain run solely in the interests of its most important stakeholder group, the world’s nonprofits.. This is the best way to ensure the long-term, stable and secure operation of dot-org.

Q. Are you against commercial Internet operations in a general sense?

No. There are many solutions suited to commercially driven Internet operations. We support a vibrant private sector Internet. The dot-org domain is a unique infrastructure that was originally intended to be run in the interests of non-commercial Internet users. We support maintaining that status.

Q. What are you asking for?

We believe that the best way to transition the dot-org domain is to undertake a full, open, deliberative, community process consistent with the best current practices of the global Internet community.

Q. Why do you believe a cooperative will help all dot-org registrants?

The co-operative model is simple and proven. It is used by some of the world’s largest top-level domains, including dot-de, the country code top-level domain for Germany. It is a proven means to ensure dot-org stability and good governance in alignment with Internet and nonprofit good practices.

Q. How would the cooperative fund common infrastructure?

The cooperative is committed to redistributing up to 25% of annual revenues to support an open Internet and key nonprofit Internet infrastructure. This includes specific commitments to the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) and to nonprofit Domain Name System Root Server Operators as well as, optionally, the Internet Governance Forum, chapters of the Internet Society, and other such deserving organizations and projects as may be serving the Internet’s users and infrastructure in a public-benefit manner.

Q. What’s to stop the CCOR from spending .ORG revenue on other purposes?

Having Article V, Prohibited Activities in the Articles, “Notwithstanding any other provision of these articles, this Corporation shall not, except to an insubstantial degree, engage in any activities or exercise any powers that are not in furtherance of the specific purposes of this Corporation” means that the CCOR is prohibited by California law from engaging in or spending .ORG revenue on other purposes. The CCOR is legally bound to prioritize distributing savings to .ORG registrants over anything outside of its other enumerated Purposes.