In another unpredicted development the entire community of ICANN stakeholders has sent a joint letter to CEO Fadi Chehade and the ICANN Board that strongly questions the “Enhancing ICANN Accountability and Governance – Process and Next Steps” document published by ICANN staff on August 14th over widespread community objections. Signatories to the August 26th letter (text below) include the GNSO …
DC Constituencies Start to Coalesce on Principles for the IANA Transition and Enhanced ICANN Accountability
It is now being broadly acknowledged that, as expressed unanimously by all GNSO constituencies at the recent ICANN London meeting, “as part of the IANA transition, the multi-stakeholder community has the opportunity and responsibility to propose meaningful accountability structures that go beyond just the IANA-specific accountability issues”. In a July 22nd Keynote Address at the American Enterprise Institute, NTIA …
Is ICANN’s .IR Response at Odds with the ACPA and ICE Domain Seizures?
An initial review of ICANN’s response to litigation seeking it to turn over control of the ccTLDs of Iran, Syria and North Korea led to the conclusion that it had opened a “legal can of worms”. A few more just wriggled out, and they threaten the basic assumption that underlies the U.S. statute governing cybersquatting and the practices engaged in …
ICANN Seeks to Hire Registrant Advocate – While Seeking Volunteers for Second Round New gTLDs Discussion Group
Two recent ICANN announcements caught our eye because of their relevance to domain investors. The first was ICANN’s placement of a notice that it was seeking to hire its first ever Registrant Services Director-Consumer Advocate. The Job Description states that the position “involves participation in a number of cross-organizational projects in areas such as registrant rights, contract interpretations and compliance, …
GNSO Constituencies Issue Unanimous Joint Statement on ICANN Accountability
In an unprecedented development, all stakeholder groups and constituencies comprising ICANN”s Generic Names Supporting Organization (GNSO) unanimously endorsed a joint statement in support of the creation of an independent accountability mechanism “that provides meaningful review and adequate redress for those harmed by ICANN action or inaction in contravention of an agreed upon compact with the community”. The statement was read …
ICANN 50 Kicks Off in London
“The temperature in the room is warm and I suspect it will get a whole lot warmer before we are through.” So stated ICANN Board Chairman Steve Crocker at the beginning of the Board’s interaction with the GNSO Council on the afternoon of Sunday, June 22nd. Yet that dialogue never got beyond lukewarm. Both Crocker and CEO Fadi Chehade made …
Senate Appropriators Add IANA Transition Language as House Requests GAO Study and Civil Society Groups Oppose Shimkus Amendment
The Senate Appropriations Committee just reported out on June 5th its version of the Commerce-Justice-State Departments Appropriations bill for FY 15. In the course of its deliberations it added a consensus amendment on the IANA transition offered by Sen. Mike Johanns (R-NE). The amendment reads: 1. Amendment proposed by Senator Johanns On page 24 of the report, in the …
Second House Amendment Ups the Stakes on IANA Transition
The House of Representatives has passed another measure related to the proposed IANA functions transition, and has again attached it to “must pass” legislation. This move ups the ante and may well be the final straw that compels the Senate Commerce Committee to hold its own oversight hearing on the IANA transition proposal. On May 30th the House adopted the …
DOTCOM Act Passes House as Rubio Leads Senate Call for IANA Oversight Hearings
The Shimkus Amendment to the $601 billion National Defense Authorization Act (HR 4435) passed the House of Representatives yesterday on a mostly partisan vote of 245 – 177. While all 228 Republicans present and voting supported the amendment only 17 Democrats voted “aye”, with 177 in opposition. Final passage on the entire bill was a bipartisan vote of 325-98. The …
House Committees Taking Aim at IANA Transition Proposal
In an unanticipated move a third Committee of the US House of Representatives has weighed in with concerns regarding the NTIA’s proposed transition of the US role as counterparty to ICANN’s IANA functions contract to one with the “global multistakeholder community”. On May 13th the House Armed Services Committee Report for HR 4435, the Defense Authorization bill, was released. It …