Nominet to debate the future of .uk

The Nominet registry is hoping to remain free from government intervention

Nominet, the registry for over eight million .uk domain names, is to hold an extraordinary general meeting on 24 February in London to discuss proposed changes to its constitution.

The move follows a governance review of the internet body in July 2009, which made several suggestions designed to enable it to continue running as an independent body free from government interference.

The meeting will discuss several proposed changes, including a revision of the current board members to ensure that they best represent the interests of all stakeholders, and new powers allowing the board to set prices for the registration and renewal of domains.

Nominet chief executive Lesley Cowley urged members to vote in favour of the proposals, and said it is in their interests to adopt the changes being suggested.

"If the .uk domain name industry is to remain self-regulated, it must prove that it is balanced to cater for the needs of all stakeholders, and governed according to best practice standards," she said.

The meeting will also discuss the Digital Economy Bill, currently being debated in the House of Lords, which includes reserve powers to regulate the domain name industry under section 18 of the proposed legislation.

However, the government made it clear that if Nominet members implement the changes being put forward at the meeting, it is confident that the registry can serve the wider public interest without the need for intervention.

Nominet's approach has received support from Google vice president Vint Cerf.

"I am able to lend strong support to the governance changes proposed for Nominet, as it appears to me they will produce a more agile and public-oriented institution," he said.