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<p>Hi Milton,</p>
<p>I would agree that Congressional intervention, e.g., by way of
legislation, is not something to be sought. I also agree that
some of the questions in the 3 Senator + 1 Congresswoman letter
were very good!</p>
<p>Best, Kathy<br>
</p>
<div class="moz-cite-prefix">On 1/9/2020 11:52 AM, Mueller, Milton L
wrote:<br>
</div>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1F497D">Kathy<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1F497D"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1F497D">The
letter itself is not bad. Actually it poses a number of good
points which we have pushed for (e.g., content neutrality).
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1F497D"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1F497D">While
U.S. congress critters have a right to ask questions, we
have to be careful about what capacity they are asking in.
Insofar as some parties involved are asking for
Congressional intervention, a letter from a group of
congressional representatives is not a simple matter of them
expressing their opinions and concerns, it could be part of
a potentially legislative or regulatory process. That does
not seem to be the case in this instance, but be aware of
crossing that line.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1F497D"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1F497D">Dr.
Milton L Mueller<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1F497D">Georgia
Institute of Technology<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1F497D">School
of Public Policy<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1F497D"><img
style="width:2.3333in;height:.9305in" id="Picture_x0020_1"
src="cid:part1.FB54DEFC.A6AD6E07@dnrc.tech"
alt="IGP_logo_gold block" class="" width="224" height="89"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1F497D"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1F497D"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1F497D"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1F497D"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1F497D"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<div>
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1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in">
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">From:</span></b><span
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">
Kathy Kleiman <a class="moz-txt-link-rfc2396E" href="mailto:kathy@dnrc.tech"><kathy@dnrc.tech></a>
<br>
<b>Sent:</b> Wednesday, January 8, 2020 3:56 PM<br>
<b>To:</b> Mueller, Milton L <a class="moz-txt-link-rfc2396E" href="mailto:milton@gatech.edu"><milton@gatech.edu></a>;
<a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="mailto:NCSG-DISCUSS@LISTSERV.SYR.EDU">NCSG-DISCUSS@LISTSERV.SYR.EDU</a><br>
<b>Subject:</b> Re: Letter from Senators+ on .ORG Sale<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</div>
</div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Hi Milton, <o:p></o:p></p>
<p>Happy New Year to you and All! These are busy days with many
deadlines. Apologies for the delay in responding to your
important email below -- and tx to all who have weighed in.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p>To your statement that we "went through the IANA transition
to liberate DNS governance from a single jurisdiction" and
your question am I "comfortable with asking the US Congress to
get involved in this" -- I respond:<o:p></o:p></p>
<p>--> We did go through a transition to ensure that the US
Government would no longer be the oversight and veto mechanism
of ICANN. Now the US Government is no longer "first among
equals," but one of many groups and governments.<i> In a
process that impacts 10 million .ORG registrants, and the
speech of millions of organizations and individuals, do I
think that three Senators and a Congresswomen (including
ones with a known interest and expertise in technology
oversight and one representing Silicon Valley since 1993)
should be stopped from sharing their questions? </i>No,
everyone has a right to be part of the discussion and many are
weighing in!<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The eloquent NCSG letter which you (Milton)
largely penned highlights the commitments made by ICANN, ISOC
and PIR at the delegation of .ORG in 2002 which must be
honored--
<a
href="https://www.internetgovernance.org/2019/12/11/icann-told-to-make-ethos-capital-conform-to-original-org-rfp-criteria/"
moz-do-not-send="true">
https://www.internetgovernance.org/2019/12/11/icann-told-to-make-ethos-capital-conform-to-original-org-rfp-criteria/</a><o:p></o:p></p>
<p>The SaveDotOrg Petition echoes many of the concerns voiced in
the NCSG letter and was sent to ICANN by NCSG member EFF --
<a
href="https://www.icann.org/en/system/files/correspondence/cohn-et-al-to-botterman-et-al-17dec19-en.pdf"
moz-do-not-send="true">
https://www.icann.org/en/system/files/correspondence/cohn-et-al-to-botterman-et-al-17dec19-en.pdf</a><o:p></o:p></p>
<p>The UN Special Rapporteur on the Promotion and Protection of
the Right of Freedom of Opinion and Expression and the UN
Special Rapporteur on the Rights to Freedom of Peaceful
Assembly and of Association are asking very important
questions of ICANN --
<a
href="https://freedex.org/wp-content/blogs.dir/2015/files/2019/12/OL-OTH-20.12.19-60.2019-ICANN.pdf"
moz-do-not-send="true">
https://freedex.org/wp-content/blogs.dir/2015/files/2019/12/OL-OTH-20.12.19-60.2019-ICANN.pdf
<br>
</a><o:p></o:p></p>
<p>And the letter you mentioned, from Senators Wyden, Warren,
Blumenthal and Congresswoman Eshoo, raises similarly important
questions to ISOC, PIR, and Ethos --
<a
href="https://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases/wyden-blumenthal-warren-and-eshoo-question-sale-of-org-domains-to-private-equity-firm"
moz-do-not-send="true">
https://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases/wyden-blumenthal-warren-and-eshoo-question-sale-of-org-domains-to-private-equity-firm</a><o:p></o:p></p>
<p>***<o:p></o:p></p>
<p>Further, as you know, the ICANN Board and ICANN Staff did not
use the ICANN Multistakeholder Model in dramatically changing
the terms of the .ORG contract this past summer (and the
rights of the 10 million .org registrants -- which include
virtually all of us on this list). Via private contract,
ICANN ran roughshod over the Multikstakeholder process and
extended the Uniform Rapid Suspension to .ORG (a domain name
dispute policy never intended for legacy names or the
complexities of noncommercial/commercial disputes) and allowed
the create of private rules of content -- the type in which
Jon Nevett, former co-founder of Donuts and now President of
PIR, delights. These terms are a danger to all .ORG
registrants, particularly longtime organizations with
well-established websites which criticize and critique
governments and corporation. ICANN Staff ignored comment
during the preparation of this contract -- under the guise
that "it's a private contract and they negotiate any terms
they want" -- and then ignored 3200+ comments opposing the new
.ORG agreement. I'm not sure ICANN is paying much attention,
if any, to the Multistakeholder process.
<o:p></o:p></p>
<p>So do I believe that organizations, individuals, UN
representatives and even Senators and Congresswomen. have the
right to raise their voices and join those asking questions of
ICANN, ISOC, PIR and Ethos, absolutely. Frankly, I think the
whole world should be raising their voices!<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Best, Kathy<o:p></o:p></p>
<p>On 1/3/2020 8:41 PM, Mueller, Milton L wrote:<o:p></o:p></p>
<blockquote style="margin-top:5.0pt;margin-bottom:5.0pt">
<pre>Kathy,<o:p></o:p></pre>
<pre>I am not at all comfortable with asking the U.S. Congress to get involved in this. <o:p></o:p></pre>
<pre>Are you? When Access Now called for Congress to get involved it was clearly due to their lack of experience and knowledge of the IG/ICANN space. We went through the IANA transition to liberate DNS governance from a single jurisdiction. If we call them back in then what do we say when the IPR interests ask for legislation regarding Whois? <o:p></o:p></pre>
<pre><o:p> </o:p></pre>
<pre>--MM<o:p></o:p></pre>
<pre><o:p> </o:p></pre>
<pre>-----Original Message-----<o:p></o:p></pre>
<pre>From: NCSG-Discuss <a href="mailto:NCSG-DISCUSS@LISTSERV.SYR.EDU" moz-do-not-send="true"><NCSG-DISCUSS@LISTSERV.SYR.EDU></a> On Behalf Of Kathy Kleiman<o:p></o:p></pre>
<pre>Sent: Thursday, December 26, 2019 8:38 AM<o:p></o:p></pre>
<pre>To: <a href="mailto:NCSG-DISCUSS@LISTSERV.SYR.EDU" moz-do-not-send="true">NCSG-DISCUSS@LISTSERV.SYR.EDU</a><o:p></o:p></pre>
<pre>Subject: Letter from Senators+ on .ORG Sale<o:p></o:p></pre>
<pre><o:p> </o:p></pre>
<pre>Hi All,<o:p></o:p></pre>
<pre><o:p> </o:p></pre>
<pre>Happy New Year!! I don't think this has been posted on this list yet. On 12/23, U.S. Senators Ron Wyden, Elizabeth Warren and Richard Blumenthal, with Representative Anna Eshoo wrote a letter to PIR, Ethos Capital and ISOC questioning whether nonprofit groups, free speech and internet users would be harmed selling control of .ORG domains to a private equity firm. It's a good letter that shows their staff did some in depth research.<o:p></o:p></pre>
<pre><o:p> </o:p></pre>
<pre>Overview webpage: <o:p></o:p></pre>
<pre><a href="https://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases/wyden-blumenthal-warren-and-eshoo-question-sale-of-org-domains-to-private-equity-firm" moz-do-not-send="true">https://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases/wyden-blumenthal-warren-and-eshoo-question-sale-of-org-domains-to-private-equity-firm</a> <o:p></o:p></pre>
<pre><o:p> </o:p></pre>
<pre><o:p> </o:p></pre>
<pre>Letter itself:<o:p></o:p></pre>
<pre><a href="https://www.wyden.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/122319%20RW%20Letter%20to%20PIR%20ISOC%20Ethos.pdf" moz-do-not-send="true">https://www.wyden.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/122319%20RW%20Letter%20to%20PIR%20ISOC%20Ethos.pdf</a><o:p></o:p></pre>
<pre><o:p> </o:p></pre>
<pre>Best,<o:p></o:p></pre>
<pre>Kathy (Kleiman)<o:p></o:p></pre>
</blockquote>
<pre>-- <o:p></o:p></pre>
<pre>Kathy Kleiman<o:p></o:p></pre>
<pre>President, Domain Name Rights Coalition<o:p></o:p></pre>
</div>
</blockquote>
<pre class="moz-signature" cols="72">--
Kathy Kleiman
President, Domain Name Rights Coalition
</pre>
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