[CCWG-ACCT] Answers to some common questions being encountered by the ICANN staff

[John Curran]

On Sep 14, 2016, at 9:20 AM, Raoul Plommer <plommer at gmail.com> wrote:
> 
> I think we're doing Ted Cruz et al a favor by not correcting them by somebody from the ICANN board, in the media. Why not phone a journalist and arrange an interview with one of the papers that published Ted Cruz's drivel?

Already done by ICANN’s General Counsel, in the Wall Street Journal
(same publication that carries the Crovitz's editorial column which led
to so much publicity on this matter.) 

 <http://www.wsj.com/articles/the-icann-move-has-long-been-u-s-policy-1473612839 <http://www.wsj.com/articles/the-icann-move-has-long-been-u-s-policy-1473612839>>

/John

===

The Icann Move Has Long Been U.S. Policy
Icann’s multistakeholder model has been supported by all presidential administrations since 1998.
Sept. 11, 2016 12:54 p.m. ET
L. Gordon Crovitz’s “An Internet Giveaway to the U.N. <http://www.wsj.com/articles/an-internet-giveaway-to-the-u-n-1472421165>” (Information Age, Aug. 29) is premised on errors of fact. The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (Icann) does not enjoy an “antitrust exemption.” Icann isn’t and never has been exempted from antitrust laws. In 1998 the Commerce Department stated that the nonprofit organization to be created to fulfill the U.S. government’s directive to privatize the domain name system (Icann) would be subject to antitrust laws: “Applicable antitrust law will provide accountability to and protection for the international internet community.” If Commerce’s stewardship of the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority functions are transitioned to the internet community, Icann will have no mandate, need or reason to seek to be overseen by another governmental group for protection.

Icann’s multistakeholder model has been supported by all presidential administrations since 1998. Icann’s antitrust status has never changed. Icann has not been granted an antitrust exemption by any of its contracts with the National Telecommunications and Information Administration. No ruling in Icann’s favor has ever cited an antitrust exemption as the rationale.

This article disregards the diligent work of the Icann community, including U.S. businesses, academia, technical experts, end users and civil society, which developed a plan for the transition that specifically ensures that the role of the Commerce Department isn’t replaced by another government or intergovernmental organization.

John Jeffrey

General Counsel and Secretary

Icann

Los Angeles




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