| \r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nStealth Threat, Hidden Agenda: \r\n\r\nICANN--The WTO of the Internet\r\n \r\n\r\nThe Globalization of Power over\r\nAccess and Content on the Internet through the\r\nControl over the Domain Name System\r\n\r\n\r\nRead the full story: http:\/\/reclaimthe.net\/icann\/wto\r\n \r\n \r\n\r\nCorporate Rule threatens to place a stranglehold\r\nover access and content on the internet. Name.Space\r\nhas taken the struggle against corporate rule head on\r\nin the courts, in the halls of Congress and in the\r\nmedia. The political and economic stakes are high\r\nand will have a lasting impact over the future of\r\nindividuals' access, free speech, privacy on the\r\ninternet.\r\n<\/p>\r\n \r\n\r\nOn the surface the issue seems mundane: adding\r\nnumber and diversity of domain name extensions (i.e.\r\n\"art.\" \"media.\" \"politics.\" \"sucks.\") to\r\nthe existing \"legacy\" domain name system (i.e. \"com.\"\r\n\"net.\" \"org.\" \"uk.\" \"au.\" \"ca.\"), which aids\r\nusers in connecting to content and resources over the\r\nnet. Behind the scenes lies the US Military and\r\nIntelligence communities and their corporate partners\r\nwho have historically reaped the gravy train of\r\n\"outsourced\" activities of the military industrial\r\ncomplex (that many call \"corporate welfare\").\r\nhttp:\/\/mediafilter.org\/caq\/internic\r\n<\/p>\r\n \r\n\r\nIn a world where globalization threatens the loss\r\nof our sovereignty and law, our Constitutional\r\nprotections are being superseded by corporate contracts,\r\nreducing the rule of law and civil society to the\r\nservice agreements you sign for things like energy\r\nand communications, as well as hospitals, transportation,\r\nand even prisons. It's where private gated communities\r\nreplace public space and where the intellectual property\r\nrights of corporations rule over the speech rights of\r\nindividuals, where those with the most money control what\r\nis allowed to be said or seen in the media and by whom.\r\n<\/p>\r\n \r\n\r\nICANN has its roots in the corporations MCI,ATT, IBM,\r\nAOL, and close ties to WIPO, INTA, MPAA and other\r\nheavyweights in the intellectual property lobby. In\r\nwhat should be a rather mundane role of keeping track\r\nof toplevel domain assignments, and repository for\r\ntechnical data pertaining to the DNS, ICANN has\r\nburrowed itself into the role of world government\r\nin cyberspace, much in the same sense as the WTO\r\nin \"corporatespace\", regulating access\r\nand content under the dictates of corporate rule\r\nas set forth by the NSA, WIPO, MPAA, and major corporate\r\ninterests in networking, telecommunications and media\r\nsuch as NSI, AOL-Time Warner, Disney, MCI Worldcom,\r\nIBM, and others who have a vested interest in monopolizing\r\ncontent and publishing over all media. When it comes to\r\nfreedom of speech and access to media, none of the above\r\nwill ever receive any awards, and in fact are well known\r\nto use lawsuits to suppress criticism, parody, and\r\nfair use. In most cases under the ICANN's controversial\r\nUniform Dispute Resolution Policy (UDRP) holders of\r\ntrademarks are highly successful in what has become known\r\nas \"reverse hijacking\" of domains, often to chill public\r\ncriticism of corporations through parody, as in the\r\nfamous \"verizonreallysucks.com\" case in which Verizon\r\nsued 2600 Magazine for violating its trademark.\r\n<\/p>\r\n \r\n\r\nWhat can one do to counteract the invisible forces\r\nof ICANN and their attempt to become the global\r\ncorporate ruler over the internet?\r\nThe possibility for substantial public pressure by\r\nindependent content producers is great since\r\nthe refusal to publish expressive TLDs is a\r\nform of censorship, and as long as the \"root\" is\r\nstill under the control of the US Government,\r\nit is subject to the First Amendment. By registering with\r\nName.Space you are establishing cause for\r\nseeking relief for the denial of your right to\r\npublish under expressive domain names with policies set\r\nindependly of ICANN and it's WTO-like practices.\r\nBy switching your DNS you are making a political\r\nchoice to vote NO against ICANN and their oppressive\r\ndesires to regulate content and access using the\r\ndomain name system. By supporting Name.Space with\r\nyour registration fees you are using your\r\neconomic power to support policies that respect\r\nyour rights to access, privacy and free speech,\r\nand building a viable alternative to the otherwise\r\ndevastating blow to our freedoms that we know\r\nas the \"corporate media\".\r\n<\/p>\r\n \r\n\r\nPut an end to corporate rule over the internet,\r\nor route around it! Switch to Name.Space!\r\n |