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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif";color:windowtext">From:</span></b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif";color:windowtext"> governance-request@lists.igcaucus.org [mailto:governance-request@lists.igcaucus.org]
<b>On Behalf Of </b>Dominique Lacroix<br>
<b>Sent:</b> Saturday, September 01, 2012 10:13 AM<br>
<b>To:</b> governance@lists.igcaucus.org<br>
<b>Subject:</b> Re: [governance] Big Porn v. Big Web Ruling Could Spell Trouble for ICANN / was Re: new gTLDs<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">Le 01/09/12 15:50, Chaitanya Dhareshwar a écrit :<o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">Indeed ICANN *IS* doing a splendid job in terms of a clean simple non-bureaucratic process for the public.
<o:p></o:p></p>
</blockquote>
<p class="MsoNormal">Yes, of course<span style="font-size:7.5pt">, </span>dear Chaitanya.<br>
But, as in every activity, the world needs to know what sort of organization it is.<br>
A US private one, submitted to commercial laws?<br>
An international quasi-public organization, immune vis-a-vis commercial laws?<br>
An American agency, working for the American nation interests through the world?<span style="color:#1F497D"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D">MM:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D">It is a California "nonprofit public benefit" corporation" (or at least, it is pretending to be one, until such time as it really pisses someone off and they
challenge its nonprofit status). <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D">Which means quite a bit to a California lawyer, and is meaningless to Indians, Chinese, Europeans and many, many others. For those who read English, the California
public benefit corporation law is not that difficult to decipher; however, fully understanding the case law and interpretations around it would take some work.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D">However, as I have emphasized again and again, California Corp. law does not dictate what policies ICANN makes, it only structures the organizational form of
the corporation that runs the policy development process. As legal frameworks go, it could be better or it could be worse. As such, those who insist that it would be more legitimate and accountable under international law are almost certainly mistaken, given
that governments and international law would give the corporation all kinds of immunities that would actually insulate it from certain forms of legal accountability and public input. Not to mention the severe geopolitics that would be involved in getting 150
governments to agree on anything. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D">So to answer your specific questions:
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D">It is a US private corporation, incorporated under
<b><i>nonprofit</i></b> law in California, not commercial law. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D">I would say that it is ALSO an international organization, in that it is expressly charged with a global coordination role, but it is NOT immune from antitrust
law -- it is illegal to collude to constrain trade whether or not you are a 'commercial' corporation. E.g., a nonprofit association of soybean producers could be subject to antitrust law.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D">ICANN itself is
<b><i>not</i></b> working for American national interests throughout the world, but because of the remaining tethers to the Commerce Department, it is subject to more pressure from the US government than other governments. But it is important to understand
that ICANN itself would prefer not to be tied to the USG via the IANA contract. ICANN's staff and CEO have made this clear in numerous filings and comments. Further, ICANN embodies a policy preference that is supported by the US - and many other governments
- to keep the Internet relatively insulated from national governments. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D">Hope that answers your questions.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D">Disclaimer: the foregoing words were meant to be an accurate description of ICANN's legal status. Nothing in the foregoing should be construed as a defense
of US hegemony, support for the Vietnam war, support for any ICANN decision or board member, Big Pharma, the RIAA, obesity, Chuck Norris or Clint Eastwood.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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