What "charter" is that? Becky Burr says after next year, ICANN
will be a free agent.
The only limits here are those that are found in ICANN's
Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws. Of course, they can
ignore those pretty much with impunity - which they do
regularly - or simply change them.
Then you have the great and wonderful GAC - essentially
an autonomous intergovernmental body whose jurisdiction
includes almost anything, and includes making findings
in secret, and meeting with the Board in secret to "advise"
them as to their obligations under domestic and international
law.
Isn't the major power of ICANN related to control of the A root
server,
and the conditions that it can place on anyone who wants their domain
identified?
If it was impossible to replace the A root server, than this would
give ICANN the power to anything it wanted. If it is merely hard to
replace the root, then it would have considerable power, but not
unlimited.
The game plan has included transferring "ownership" of all IP
addresses and Internet names to ICANN. This is where the
flow-down regulation by contract scheme emerges.
Both of these implementations require some buy-in by existing
players. The regional IP address administrators and ISPs would
need to sign contracts with ICANN to remain in business - essentially
turning over the control of their assets to ICANN in return for a
license to register or use addresses. This is the game that has already
been played with the new "ICANN accredited DNS registrars." However,
NSI refuses to go along with the scheme.
Alternative root-servers are a way around the DNS part of the
scam....except to the extent that flow-down contract regulations
would exist.
I look at the ICANN process a little differently. It isn't really
a substitute for NSI as much as it would be a substitute for the
government.
Exactly.
I can imagine good or bad things coming from this new cyber
goverance organization. Suppose, for example, that ICANN actually
When was the last time you saw sustainable benign
autocracies void of due process?
Ralph Nader and I are meeting with Esther on Wed, and we'll be
talking about these things further.
Good luck. It's not been in evidence thusfar.
--tony
