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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:&quot;Calibri&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;;color:#1F497D"><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><a name="_MailEndCompose"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:&quot;Calibri&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;;color:#1F497D"><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></span></a></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:&quot;Calibri&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;">From:</span></b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:&quot;Calibri&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;"> Steve Crocker [mailto:steve@shinkuro.com]
<br>
<br>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1F497D">&gt;</span>The actual obligation is to meet the needs of the community, particularly the several groups that depend
<span style="color:#1F497D">&gt;</span>on the IANA publication of the unique identifiers. &nbsp;The IETF, the TLD operators, the RIRs and the root
<span style="color:#1F497D">&gt;</span>operators all pay close attention to the IANA function and all have a strong say in the performance. &nbsp;These
<span style="color:#1F497D">&gt;</span>accountability and feedback mechanisms are in place<span style="color:#1F497D"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:&quot;Calibri&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;;color:#1F497D"><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:&quot;Calibri&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;;color:#1F497D">Really? What are the accountability mechanisms by which, say, the IETF could bring the IANA-in-ICANN to account in the absence of the NTIA contract? What leverage
 does, say, a TLD operator hold over ICANN&#8217;s IANA that could correct aberrant behavior (again assuming the NTIA contract disappears)?
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:&quot;Calibri&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;;color:#1F497D"><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:&quot;Calibri&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;;color:#1F497D">We can rule out the following accountability mechanisms:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:&quot;Calibri&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;;color:#1F497D">- they cannot shift their business to another service provider.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:&quot;Calibri&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;;color:#1F497D">- they cannot sue you<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:&quot;Calibri&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;;color:#1F497D">- they cannot hire or fire staff<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:&quot;Calibri&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;;color:#1F497D">- they cannot recall the ICANN board<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:&quot;Calibri&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;;color:#1F497D">- they cannot vote in board elections<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:&quot;Calibri&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;;color:#1F497D"><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:&quot;Calibri&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;;color:#1F497D">Unless I am mistaken, none of these options exist.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:&quot;Calibri&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;;color:#1F497D"><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1F497D">&gt;</span>NTIA&#8217;s formal contract has been a visible but largely redundant overlay, and to the extent they have said
<span style="color:#1F497D">&gt;</span>anything about the performance of the IANA function, they have been reflecting input given to them from
<span style="color:#1F497D">&gt;</span>the same bodies.<o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1F497D"><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:&quot;Calibri&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;;color:#1F497D">Why would they be giving that input to NTIA, I wonder, rather than, say, the ICANN board?
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:&quot;Calibri&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;;color:#1F497D"><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></span></p>
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