A posting on ICANN Watch by Milton Meuller draws attention to a move by regional DNS registries to develop a framework for cooperation that could become an alternative to ICANN. The registries involved are the Asia Pacific Network Information Centre, the American Registry for Internet Numbers, the Latin American and Caribbean Internet Addresses Registry, and Réseaux IP Européens. While presented as a precaution, to ensure that the regional services are not adversely affected by a shutdown of ICANN, it looks an awful alot like an attempt by the regionals to create a stronger bargaining position, or even to make ICANN more disposable. Here's how Professor Meuller puts it:
"Already reeling from widespread accusations of impotence in regard to VeriSign's reviled Sitefinder service and from attacks on its legitimacy by governments at WSIS, ICANN now finds that the Regional Internet Address Registries (RIRs) are proposing to set up an alternative structure to coordinate address space assignments in the event that ICANN 'fails.' The Draft 'Open Letter to ICANN from the Regional Address Registries' notifies ICANN of RIR plans to create a new 'Number Resource Organization' that would contract with all of the RIRs and replace the Address Supporting Organization (ASO)..."