Re: un backing itu iahc etc . etc.

[Tony Rutkowski <tony@netmagic.com>]

Michael,

>This doesn't sound quite right. Certain IAHC members were appointed 
>by ITU, WIPO, and INTA which would suggest that those organizations
>sanction the activities of the IAHC and to some extent the appointees
>of those organizations are there to represent the interests of the
>organization. Obviously this does not mean that the IAHC is producing

It doesn't quite work like that (speaking as a former senior
official in one of these organizations.)

The ITU and WIPO are intergovernmental organizations that make
decisions through their plenary bodies - including decisions related
to cooperation with other bodies.  (INTA is a private professional 
association in the trademark field.)  The secretariats of WIPO
and ITU - indeed even the Secretaries General - have very 
circumscribed roles, and the staff definitely don't represent the 
organizations except where there has been explicit authorization 
by a plenary body; nor does participation by the staff in external 
activities imply anything more than participating in any other
professional or industry activity of interest.


>I don't see anything of the sort on their home page. And the name
>"ad hoc" committee suggests otherwise. 

The home page plainly flogs the institutions allegedly
represented rather than the individuals.  It's both
misleading and diminishes the role of the individual
participants - which is where the real stature of the
groups should lie.


>Quite frankly Tony, the choices are quite clear and there are two.
>One is to support the work of the IAHC which is working towards a 
>compromise solution. As you Americans are now discovering in Bosnia,
>such peacemakers are often vilified by all the factions they are trying
>to help. The alternate solution, of course, is war. Your concept of
>a council of corporations running the worlds domain name registries
>cannot succeed as long as there are strong forces opposed to them
>like the Alternic and related groups. As long as neither faction pushes
>too hard the peacemakers will find a compromise that will work reasonably

A sensitive matter - well expressed.  On the other hand, I'd submit
there are more than two choices and they're not clear.  Certainly
a "council of corporations" approach is not viable, and not one
which I've ever advocated.  My only plea has been for a solution
that joins all the diverse Internet communities that in fact exist
today, although breaking down the barriers and distrust is going
to require more openness and flexibility than has been apparent.
This process and others undertaken by other parties are steps
toward some kind of reconciliation.


cheers,
--Tony