Rights:

COMMERCE AND DEVELOPMENT:  Domain registrants have the right to register multiple domain names, to develop them or not develop them (analogous to the options available to land owners), earn revenue from them, and sell them for a profit.  Domain registrants have the right to pay competitive prices for domain registrations, not prices based on unregulated monopoly power (e.g. for a given extension).

DIRECT NAVIGATION: Domain registrants have the right to have a domain name that is typed by a user into a web browser’s address bar continue to resolve to that domain name.

DOMAIN HIJACKING: Domain registrants have the right to register and use generic domains without attempts by trademark holders to over-reach trademark rights and hijack those domains.

DOMAIN THEFT: Domain registrants have the right to secure domain registration without theft.  In the event that a domain is stolen, the rightful domain registrant has the right to timely, thorough investigation and action by the appropriate registrar(s) and/or registry to investigate the theft and ensure that the stolen domain is returned to the rightful registrant.

Responsibilities:

TRADEMARK INFRINGEMENT: Domain registrants have the responsibility to avoid registering domains in bad faith that infringe on trademarks.

FREELOADING: Domain registrants have the responsibility to pay registration costs and to avoid registering domains for short periods of time to get money from them without paying for them (known as “domain tasting” or “domain kiting”).

COMMON DECENCY:  Domain registrants have the moral responsibility to avoid registration of domains in a manner that is likely to expose children to adult and/or harmful material.  Also, while domain registrants have considerable latitude in what domains they can register and common decency can not be codified, domain registrants who voluntarily support this code should exercise a higher level of moral responsibility by avoiding registration of domains with the primary purpose of personally profiting from specific events of tragedy or human suffering.  Registration of domains associated with such events for free distribution to non-profit parties or other genuine charitable purposes can serve the public good.