There is also this article 
<http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20120301/02042717920/why-isnt-icann-speaking-out-against-icedoj-domain-seizures.shtml> 
[tech dirt] that is very interesting, that goes along the one that you 
referenced below 
<http://blog2.easydns.org/2012/02/29/verisign-seizes-com-domain-registered-via-foreign-registrar-on-behalf-of-us-authorities/> 
[blog easyDNS] (and that is well worth highlighting a second time for 
this crowd).

This goes straight to the heart of ICANN's legitimacy. It goes to who 
they cater to, who they don't oppose, to the limit of its autonomy, what 
perception of itself it conveys through its actions and inactions, etc.

I don't pretend to have a ready diplomatic/political fix that ICANN can 
just roll-out as a guide going forward. But it seems to me that its 
political choices, prudent and wise as they may seem to the ones in 
charge (or the ones preparing Dan's one-pagers), are unfortunately the 
hallmark of a lack of identity and the signs of a sure downfall.

No new type of political body like ICANN can survive without making its 
bed. Somehow, somewhere. How it manages itself now, marvelously 
noncommittally,  only serves at alienating stakeholders that could 
otherwise turn out to support it. And it never gets anything to show for 
it from the ones that it punctually accommodate.

I see this as a very important Board-level long term issue, that needs 
strong leadership and attention. The users (writ large) will not 
tolerate ICANN if it cannot provide consistency and predictability, that 
is, an identity.

Nicolas

On 3/1/2012 8:17 AM, Adam Peake wrote:
> Is this new, or just more of what ICE has been doing before.  I don't
> remember if Verisign's been used in this way before.  Clip from the
> blog post (link below)
>
> "We all know that with some US-based Registrars (*cough* Godaddy
> *cough*), all it takes is a badge out of a box of crackerjacks and you
> have the authority to fax in a takedown request which has a good shot
> at being honoured. We also know that some non-US registrars, it takes
> a lot more "due process-iness" to get a domain taken down.
>
> But now, none of that matters, because in this case the State of
> Maryland simply issued a warrant to .com operator Verisign, (who is
> headquartered in California) who then duly updated the rootzone for
> .com with two new NS records for bodog.com which now redirect the
> domain to the takedown page."
>
>
> Adam
>
>
> ---------- Forwarded message ----------
> From: michael gurstein<[log in to unmask]>
> Date: Thu, Mar 1, 2012 at 9:47 PM
> Subject: [governance] Verisign seizes .com domain registered via
> foreign Registrar on behalf of US Authorities
> To: [log in to unmask]
>
>
> http://blog2.easydns.org/2012/02/29/verisign-seizes-com-domain-registered-vi
> a-foreign-registrar-on-behalf-of-us-authorities/
>
>
>
>
> ____________________________________________________________
> You received this message as a subscriber on the list:
>      [log in to unmask]
> To be removed from the list, visit:
>      http://www.igcaucus.org/unsubscribing
>
> For all other list information and functions, see:
>      http://lists.igcaucus.org/info/governance
> To edit your profile and to find the IGC's charter, see:
>      http://www.igcaucus.org/
>
> Translate this email: http://translate.google.com/translate_t