<html>
<head>
<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=Windows-1252">
</head>
<body dir="auto">
<div>Hello all,</div>
<div id="AppleMailSignature"><br>
</div>
<div id="AppleMailSignature">The State AGs of Arizona, Texas, Utah and Nevada (all Republicans) have filed suit to block the transition. The media report is below. Unclear whether it will have any impact before Saturday.</div>
<div id="AppleMailSignature"><br>
</div>
<div id="AppleMailSignature">Regards,</div>
<div id="AppleMailSignature">Keith</div>
<div id="AppleMailSignature"><br>
</div>
<div id="AppleMailSignature">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 67.9pt 0.0001pt 0in;"><b style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Brnovich sues to halt handoff of Internet oversight<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0px; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span style="line-height: normal;"> </span>By Howard Fischer Capitol Media Services<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><font color="#000000"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><a dir="ltr" href="http://azdailysun.com/news/local/brnovich-sues-to-halt-handoff-of-internet-oversight/article_8616ed0d-50b0-5238-9c59-0c86a477c1a6.html" x-apple-data-detectors="true" x-apple-data-detectors-type="link" x-apple-data-detectors-result="0">http://azdailysun.com/news/local/brnovich-sues-to-halt-handoff-of-internet-oversight/article_8616ed0d-50b0-5238-9c59-0c86a477c1a6.html</a> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0px; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><a href="http://azdailysun.com/news/local/brnovich-sues-to-halt-handoff-of-internet-oversight/article_8616ed0d-50b0-5238-9c59-0c86a477c1a6.html#comments" title="0 comments"><span style="text-decoration: none; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><font color="#000000"> 0</font></span></a></p>
<div style="border-style: solid none none; border-top-color: windowtext; border-top-width: 1pt; padding: 1pt 0in 0in;">
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: center; border: none; padding: 0in;">
</p>
</div>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 16.3pt; line-height: 18.35pt;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">PHOENIX -- Saying the move will harm First Amendment rights, Attorney General Mark Brnovich late Wednesday asked a federal judge
to block or at least delay Sunday's proposed handover by the federal government of the agency in charge of coordinating Internet names and addresses.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 16.3pt; line-height: 18.35pt;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The lawsuit comes barely 48 hours before the Department of Commerce and the National Telecommunications and Information Administration
are slated to turn over the reins of a little-known organization responsible for assigning Internet domain names and addresses. Brnovich, in his lawsuit joined by three other attorneys general, listed a series of harms he said could befall not just government
agencies like his but the ability of U.S. citizens to post their views for all the world to see, including the effective censorship of some Internet voices by making them impossible to find.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 16.3pt; line-height: 18.35pt;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">He acknowledged, though, that it could be difficult to get a federal judge to act fast enough.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 16.3pt; line-height: 18.35pt;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">At the heart of the legal spat is Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 16.3pt; line-height: 18.35pt;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">In essence what ICANN does is assure that each web site has its own unique multi-digit address. As the Internet developed, it
also allowed for unique domain names so someone could go to"<a dir="ltr" href="http://Arizona.gov" x-apple-data-detectors="true" x-apple-data-detectors-type="link" x-apple-data-detectors-result="3">http://Arizona.gov</a>" instead of having to remember "159.87.85.253"
which is the official address.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 16.3pt; line-height: 18.35pt;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Finally, it decides on appropriate suffixes for names, like .com, .gov and .org, specific suffixes for individual countries like
.at for Austria, as well as authorizing new suffixes like .xxx for adult sites.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 16.3pt; line-height: 18.35pt;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">While ICANN has operated under contract with the federal government, that is set to expire at the end of the day Saturday. At
that point, control would go to an international consortium of business, public interest groups and governments.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 16.3pt; line-height: 18.35pt;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Congress has debated the advisability of the U.S. government losing control but has yet to approve any legislation. It also has
become a political issue with even Donald Trump wading in against the transfer.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 16.3pt; line-height: 18.35pt;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">But with time running out, Brnovich is making a federal case of it, literally.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 16.3pt; line-height: 18.35pt;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Part of the lawsuit is based on the contention that the authority to oversee ICANN is a "property right.''<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 16.3pt; line-height: 18.35pt;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">"Absent congressional permission, government officials may not release or otherwise dispose of government property,'' he argues.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 16.3pt; line-height: 18.35pt;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">But Brnovich said there are bigger concerns for individuals.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 16.3pt; line-height: 18.35pt;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">He said Commerce Department oversight ensures "accountability'' that the system is fairly administered. Brnovich said an international
organization, one potentially under the influence of terrorist states, could make changes that would undermine all that.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 16.3pt; line-height: 18.35pt;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">"We all want the Internet to be free of state control,'' he said. "You could end up in a situation where you could have other
third parties controlling the Internet.''<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 16.3pt; line-height: 18.35pt;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">For example, he said the key to people having access to publish information on the Internet lies with that "root zone file,''
the list of unique addresses. It is that, coupled with the attached name, that ensures others can find the site.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 16.3pt; line-height: 18.35pt;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">"Without inclusion in the root zone file, a person wishing to speak on the Internet could publish content, but that content would
be near-impossible to find and the speaker would be virtually deprived of any audience that could hear the speech,'' Brnovich is arguing to the federal court.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 16.3pt; line-height: 18.35pt;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">He also said it amounts to requiring people to get a license to use the Internet from a group that would have "unbridled discretion''
of who gets one. And that, he said, becomes "prior restraint that may result in censorship.''<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 16.3pt; line-height: 18.35pt;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Brnovich acknowledged to Capitol Media Services that he is working on the premise that the United States government would do a
better job protecting the Internet than a new international group. But the attorney general said there is reason to be wary.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 16.3pt; line-height: 18.35pt;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">"If you like what the United Nations has done for peace in the world, that's what you can expect an international organization
will do for the Internet,'' he said. He specifically mentioned the kind of resolutions that are passed by the U.N. Security Council, resolutions that sometimes are stopped only by the fact the United States exercises veto power.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 16.3pt; line-height: 18.35pt;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">That still leaves the question of timing, with Brnovich and AGs from Texas, Nevada and Utah seeking federal court action between
now and Sunday.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 16.3pt; line-height: 18.35pt;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Brnovich acknowledged that he and the others have known for months about the handover plans. But he said they were hoping that
Congress would have acted by now.</span></p>
</div>
<div><br>
On Sep 29, 2016, at 3:18 PM, Lynn St.Amour <<a href="mailto:Lynn@lstamour.org">Lynn@LStAmour.org</a>> wrote:<br>
<br>
</div>
<blockquote type="cite">
<div><span>Thank you Alissa,</span><br>
<span></span><br>
<span>I fully support the letter, and am happy to have been a part of this team. It has been a long road, and at the end it is both a large step and a small step. Congratulations to all! Great working with everyone</span><br>
<span></span><br>
<span>Warm regards,</span><br>
<span></span><br>
<span>Lynn</span><br>
<span></span><br>
<blockquote type="cite"><span>On Sep 28, 2016, at 2:31 PM, Alissa Cooper <<a href="mailto:alissa@cooperw.in">alissa@cooperw.in</a>> wrote:</span><br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite"><span></span><br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite"><span>Hi all,</span><br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite"><span></span><br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite"><span>Ive prepared the attached statement for posting to the ICG web site in the event that the NTIA contract expires on Friday. The expiration is still not 100% guaranteed, but I thought it would be good to be ready if it happens.
Please send feedback/edits if you have them. I will also share this with the ICG comms group for feedback.</span><br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite"><span></span><br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite"><span>Youll note the final paragraph says the following:</span><br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite"><span></span><br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite"><span>"With the expiration of the IANA functions contract, the ICGs work is complete and the ICG will formally conclude its existence as a group. The ICG web site will remain archived at
<a href="http://ianacg.org">http://ianacg.org</a> for future reference.</span><br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite"><span></span><br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite"><span>If the contract expires on Friday, I think we can officially declare our work to be complete. Patrik, Mohamed, and I will work with the secretariat to wrap up any loose ends.</span><br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite"><span></span><br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite"><span>Thanks,</span><br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite"><span>Alissa</span><br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite"><span></span><br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite"><span><Sept30-approval-v1.docx>_______________________________________________</span><br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite"><span>Internal-cg mailing list</span><br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite"><span><a href="mailto:Internal-cg@mm.ianacg.org">Internal-cg@mm.ianacg.org</a></span><br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite"><span><a href="http://mm.ianacg.org/mailman/listinfo/internal-cg_ianacg.org">http://mm.ianacg.org/mailman/listinfo/internal-cg_ianacg.org</a></span><br>
</blockquote>
<span></span><br>
<span></span><br>
<span>_______________________________________________</span><br>
<span>Internal-cg mailing list</span><br>
<span><a href="mailto:Internal-cg@mm.ianacg.org">Internal-cg@mm.ianacg.org</a></span><br>
<span><a href="http://mm.ianacg.org/mailman/listinfo/internal-cg_ianacg.org">http://mm.ianacg.org/mailman/listinfo/internal-cg_ianacg.org</a></span><br>
</div>
</blockquote>
</body>
</html>