[council] RE: [pdp-pcceg-feb06] FW: PDP Feb 06: Draft Agenda 10 August

[Bret Fausett]

> I am informed that there has been a long running discussion 
> dating back to the beginning of ICANN and that there is a 
> disparity of opinion regarding the relationship between the 
> policy issues and specific contractual agreements.  

ICANN starting pushing this idea that 'contracts aren't policy' back when it
tried to sell the community on the first ICANN-Network Solutions contract.
Since that time, the "disparity of opinion" has been between Joe Sims,
trying to sell a series of unpalatable NetSol-Verisign contracts to the
community, and everyone else. The fact that the disparity has been
"long-running" is more an indicator of the legal staff's recalcitrance than
a sign of a legitimate dispute among equal factions in the stakeholder
community. The "new" ICANN has the opportunity to break this cycle and bring
some sense to the debate. 

    -- Bret