Re: [ICANN-EU] US Government's ultimate control.

[Marc Schneiders <marc@venster.nl>]

On Fri, 29 Sep 2000, Jeanette Hofmann wrote:

[Alf Hansen wrote:]
> > I think it is in the interest of the Global Internet Community that the
> > US Government refuses to give away the ultimate control of ICANN until
> > ICANN has proven to be a stable operational organisation owned by the
> > Global Internet Community.
> > 
> > Agree?
> 
> No, I don't agree. First because it is in the interest of the global 
> community to avoid monopolies of all kind. Monopolies always provoke 
> abuse. As things stands, the USG forms a monopoly. No control & no 
> objection possible by anyone. 

Well, I may be very wrong, but aren't all US government institutions
ultimately controlled by the US electorate? 

Whatever one may think of the US electoral system both in theory and
practice, it is in place and will remain in place. We cannot be so sure
about ICANN in this respect, witness the tampering with the atlarge
directors (I mean the number and the study about abolishing it).

I would like to have some more certainty/clarity about the future of
atlarge before I would say that ICANN is more controlable than the US
government.

> Second, there are no unbiased players on the Net. The USG's 
> approach toward the Net depends, among other things, on domestic 
> policies (e.g. the election to come), economic interests and a striving 
> for international power. Thus, I have no faith whatsoever in the USG's 
> decisions on the Net's infrastructure. 

My faith in ICANN is not unshaken either, and with cause. It is very
heavily tied up with IP and TM lobbies, which also have economic
interests, in fact *only* economic interests... I'd rather deal with an
entity that has also political interests.

> Besides, what make you think that the USG is willing to hand over its 
> authority to ICANN?

Well obviously not *its* authority :-)

Is there some survey which shows what is still in the hands of the US
government and what is already under the authority of ICANN? Is e.g. the
UDRP approved by some US gov. organisation, or only by ICANN? Can the US
gov. block the introduction of new gTLDs? Etc.

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 Marc Schneiders --- http://bodacious-tatas.org: no not what you think
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