ICANN Wants Immunity

rprins writes "In what is perhaps a reaction to recent Homeland Security demands, a strategic report by ICANN suggests that it should take on the model of a private international organization (PDF). That would make ICANN immune from US law and regulations. However, it's unlikely that the Bush administration would grant ICANN these privileges. So the organization might opt to relocate to Switzerland where such privileges are easier to attain."

Red Cross????

[micronicos]

Surely the model would have to be something like the WTO not the IRC?

For better or worse ICANN deals with a system carrying billions of 'all currencies' over the world.

But relocating to Switzerland would be soooooooooo cool!

Re:Moving to Switzerland?

[shaitand]

It'll just be another war on a vague concept. Added to the War on Terror, and the War on Drugs, we'll have the War on the Internet.

Re:terrible news

[XSforMe]

"please name one example of a law that has changed to this effect."

Laws do not need to change in order for freedom of expression to be reduced or even wiped out. The political mood in the last 5 years has turned downright repressive; people in power will not hesitate to use their resources against you in case you dare express opinions against the current US political agenda.

Man arrested for wearing an antiwar shirt [cnn.com]
Man arrested after addressing Cheyney on the Iraq war [exuberance.com]
Man arrested for handling toilet paper with Bush Face on it [indymedia.org]
Man arrested for dressing up and waving a fake gun [libertylounge.net]
Killed GI's mother arrested [cbsnews.com]

Re:Another organization that wants to be above the

[mi]

Internet is common a good of a billion people worldwide

All thanks to America's benevolence, business sense, and good design. These people's usage of the Internet in no way diminishes America's right to do, what it pleases with it, though...

is our privilege, not some kind of favor we are doing.

Ha-ha!.. So, if one builds a playground for his kids, and allows other kids to come and play too (for their and his own kids' benefit), he loses the right to control that playground — while keeping "the privilege" of the upkeep?

I understand, how envy and similar emotions may make it difficult for foreigners to squeeze some gratitude towards America out of themselves. But for an American to do the same is incomprehensible. So good at seeing the other side, they lose sight of their own...

By the way, the World Wide Web, nowadays the Internet's most important part, was invented in... duh, Switzerland (CERN)

A common myth maintained by anti-American zealots uncomfortable with America's claiming credit for anything, however rightfully...

The idea itself [wikipedia.org] was rather obvious to anyone "skilled in the field" and known (especially in America — ha-ha!) since before computers. As we know it today, it wouldn't have taken off without the Internet (duh) — although various BBS-es were early prototypes. What Tim Berners-Lee [wikipedia.org] wrote at CERN [wikipedia.org] would never have become "the Internet's most important part" without a product usable by a non-scientist [wikipedia.org].

Nor was it a browser in today's sence of the word, but rather more like a Wiki — tied to a single database (more like CERN's own BBS). He did not "invent it", he put forward one of the first (and very limited) implementations. For earlier ones see Xanadu [wikipedia.org] and NLS [wikipedia.org] — both, incidentally, by Americans (the latter, even, by the dreaded American Military!).

I'm still glad CERN exists, of course, but there is no denying, that its contribution to WWW is dwarfed by those of NCSA [wikipedia.org] and other American organizations.