Dear Readers,

The JP Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy (JP-DRP) has been established as an alternative dispute resolution procedure for disputes over JP domain names. On the 20th anniversary of the adoption of the JP-DRP, a symposium was held where all concerned parties in Japan gathered. We feature the symposium in Special Article 1. The symposium was divided into two parts: The first part introduced the revised JP-DRP, which came into effect on October 1, 2020, following the computerization of JP-DRP procedures, and provided an opportunity to deepen participants’ understanding of how to further utilize said procedures. In the second part of the symposium, we introduced some of the most noteworthy cases from the JP-DRP Decision Examples Study Report, which summarized the cases reviewed in 2018-2019, and examined their current status and issues.

Now, it’s that time again this year! In Special Article 2, we cover Internet Week 2020. This year's theme is “Operation Excitement! ”. We chose this theme to highlight the spirit of finding exciting things we can do even if we have to give up some things because of the COVID-19 crisis. And we were able to hold this event thanks to the efforts of the program committee members and speakers. We hope that we can convey to you our intention to have a lot of fun even in the midst of adversity. We are looking forward to enjoying our first-ever online Internet Week with everyone involved in Internet Week 2020.

In the “Prologue to the Internet: its Technologies and Services”, the “JP29-type-robot “Nic-kun” and Dr. Netson of the Internet research institute explain the development of Social Networking Services (SNS). Let's take a look at how SNS has changed over the years as they have become an essential part of our lives.

In “Pick Out!”, in which we introduce featured articles from the JPNIC blog, we cover an article about the latest developments related to “digital cooperation”. The report on digital cooperation by the UN Secretary-General’s High-Level Panel on Digital Cooperation (HLPDC) was published on June 10, 2019. We go over how the situation has developed since then. Please visit the JPNIC blog post (https://blog.nic.ad.jp/2020/5280/") to read the full report!

“Introducing JPNIC members” focuses on a particular JPNIC member engaged in interesting activities. This time, we visited NIS Plus Co., Ltd. Their most notable point is that they conduct many social contribution activities such as developing and maintaining medical systems and systems for local governments, and act as the secretariat for the Medical Welfare Cloud Association (MeWCA). In order to do this, they have been working with their existing clients for a long time to build a trust relationship with them. But they are also keen to take on new initiatives, such as building an AI-powered curation site and doing research work for DX. What also impressed us was that their office is located in one of the most prestigious educational areas, and that it is a relaxing work environment with a grand piano and bar counter installed.

“The Internet loves you” is a corner that introduces “a person” who is active in the Internet industry. This time, we introduce Ms. Megumi Takagi, a network engineer at KADOKAWA Connected Inc. Drawing on her own experience, she worked as a network team member for Internet Week 2019 and as a member of program committee and webcasting team for Internet Week 2020. From the interview, we learned that she has been immersed in the Internet since she was a small child. She talks about her motivation and interest in the Internet industry.

In our “10 Minute Internet Course”, we explore the System for Standardized Access Disclosure (SSAD) that has been discussed within the GNSO (Generic Names Supporting Organization) of ICANN (The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers). In order to comply with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), the WHOIS service (or Registration Directory Service (RDS)) provides a limited amount of information for common inquiries. SSAD is a mechanism for disclosing more information than is available to the public, only if it is found that inquiries have a legitimate purpose (criminal investigations, intellectual property disputes over domain names, cybersecurity investigations, etc.).

In addition, you'll also find “Internet Topics,” “JPNIC Activity Reports,” “Statistics,” etc., for the past several months.

If you have any comments or feedback, please feel free to contact us at jpnic-news@nic.ad.jp. Your comments are greatly appreciated!!