<div dir="ltr">First, I have to say I don't know the exact terms of the ongoing negotiations with the European Commission and wine interests, etc.<div><br></div><div>However, while it's true that we've clearly seen other cases of unwarranted USG interference in ICANN's decision-making processes (eg, .xxx), this correspondence doesn't look to me either like one of them. Any government may write to ICANN and express their position on a pending issue, remind the organization that there has not been a consensus within GAC on the said issue (if it's thought that the path being taken by ICANN is predicated on such consensus or can only make sense and be implementable if there were such consensus,) or still call the organization's attention to the fact that the decision they are contemplating may conflict with established and internationally recognized rights, etc.</div>
<div><br></div><div>Now that doesn't necessarily mean that ICANN should automatically abide by that opinion or those arguments. If the organization determines that there are solid, internationally defensible legal grounds to go ahead with the decision, they might still do just that (while responding to the said government explaining their grounds) until a legitimate obstacle is met, in accordance to their own rules and procedures which has been sanctioned by the community at one point or the other in the past.</div>
<div><br></div><div>Now, I wish this were actually how business is done, and that no one at ICANN ever gets impressed and influenced in their proceedings by the fact that the government voicing opinion or raising the flag (possibly with a statement of facts, as it sees them), so happens to be the very one that has an oversight role over the organization. Hopefully, that uncertainty (again, the trust issue) will go away after Sept. 2015 and proper mechanisms will be in place for ICANN to account effectively for their policy decisions, particularly on such potentially contentious issues.</div>
<div><br></div><div>Mawaki </div><div class="gmail_extra"><br clear="all"><div><div dir="ltr"><span style="border-collapse:separate;border-spacing:0px"><span style="border-collapse:separate;border-spacing:0px"><span style="border-collapse:separate;border-spacing:0px"><span style="border-collapse:collapse"><div>
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-------</div>Mawaki Chango, PhD</span></span></span></div><div><span style="border-collapse:separate;border-spacing:0px"><span style="border-collapse:separate;border-spacing:0px"><span style="border-collapse:collapse">Founder and Owner</span></span></span></div>
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<br><br><div class="gmail_quote">On Sat, May 24, 2014 at 2:53 PM, McTim <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:dogwallah@gmail.com" target="_blank">dogwallah@gmail.com</a>></span> wrote:<br><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex">
I read that earlier this morning while looking for something else.<br>
<br>
For all your talk of nation state sovereignty, does not the USA have<br>
the right to point out that Geographical Indicators are the purview of<br>
intergovernmental bodies and not ICANN?<br>
<br>
I see no interference here, just a statement of facts.<br>
<div><div class="h5"><br>
<br>
<br>
On Sat, May 24, 2014 at 9:06 AM, Louis Pouzin (well) <<a href="mailto:pouzin@well.com">pouzin@well.com</a>> wrote:<br>
> There is a fairy tale whereby the USG doesn't interfere with ICANN's<br>
> management. But that's for gullible people.<br>
><br>
> <a href="https://www.icann.org/en/system/files/correspondence/strickling-to-crocker-21may14-en.pdf" target="_blank">https://www.icann.org/en/system/files/correspondence/strickling-to-crocker-21may14-en.pdf</a><br>
><br>
> Sorry. USG über alles.<br>
> .<br>
> Louis<br>
><br>
><br>
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<span class="HOEnZb"><font color="#888888"><br>
<br>
<br>
--<br>
Cheers,<br>
<br>
McTim<br>
"A name indicates what we seek. An address indicates where it is. A<br>
route indicates how we get there." Jon Postel<br>
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