Hey folks,

Quick update here. You may have seen some press coverage already, but this week, a group of technologists, non-profits, policymakers, and internet governance folks filed in California to create a cooperative membership corporation, whose purpose would be to administer the .ORG domain and its revenues on behalf of global non-profits and in support of the open, multistakeholder internet. The intention of the filing body is to demonstrate to ICANN a viable, economically and technically sound alternative to private commercial ownership. The name of the new organization is the Cooperative Corporation of .ORG Registrants, or CCOR.

I've been asked to be one of the seven filing directors. The other filing directors include the Executive Director of Packet Clearing House, a non-profit internet research institute, the founding president of ICANN and a former chair of ICANN, a former Member of the European Parliament and digital rights advocate, among others. 

We believe that this co-op structure is a good alternative to the intended sale, which we believe has the potential to degrade the integrity and stability of .ORG domains. It is an opportunity for the .ORG community to create a representative governing entity, formalize stewardship of a key piece of internet infrastructure, directly guide the allocation of .ORG revenue, and improve the integrity and independence of the non-profit internet. It aligns with the same values and governance that animate our global Wikimedia communities, and our friends at organizations such as EFF, the Internet Archive, and Mozilla have played key roles in its development. The Foundation's Board of Trustees has also given their support as part of our broader commitment to the non-commercial, open internet.

I also wanted to make sure to clarify the Foundation's commitment and my own role in CCOR. The Wikimedia Foundation not funding this effort, and my participation does not entail longer-term financial or other resource support from the Foundation or movement. My own involvement would be a for limited-term: if the effort is successful, my temporary directorship would end after a period, I’ll rotate off and the co-op will elect someone new. If the effort is not successful, the corresponding responsibilities are null.

They're still working on getting the website up and will publish the articles of incorporation once they do, in case folks want to take a look for themselves.

Happy New Year!

Katherine

On Tue, Nov 26, 2019 at 7:03 AM Florence Devouard <fdevouard@gmail.com> wrote:

https://savedotorg.org



-------- Message transféré --------
Sujet : Re: .org TLD for sale?
Date : Sun, 24 Nov 2019 13:44:08 -0500
De : Samuel Klein <meta.sj-Re5JQEeQqe8AvxtiuMwx3w@public.gmane.org>
Répondre à : Wikimedia Mailing List
<wikimedia-l-RusutVdil2icGmH+5r0DM0B+6BGkLq7r@public.gmane.org>
Pour : Wikimedia Mailing List
<wikimedia-l-RusutVdil2icGmH+5r0DM0B+6BGkLq7r@public.gmane.org>
Groupes de discussion : gmane.org.wikimedia.foundation
Références :
<CABiXOEmYSu5nD0jHrvpgdYNs4M04wwY=d=_LpAchSKtQQ-r4bw@mail.gmail.com>
<CABR1GJvL1V-CPXLzBbBHotLnLCD83Ckf-x9x2beuH9y-U1K1mA@mail.gmail.com>

I wrote up a short summary.  who other than ICANN has to approve this
sale?
http://blogs.harvard.edu/sj/2019/11/23/a-tale-of-icann-and-regulatory-capture/


On Sat, Nov 23, 2019 at 6:13 PM Erik Moeller <eloquence@gmail.com> wrote:

> Thanks for sharing this, Andy. This appears to be a major governance
> failure on the part of ICANN (sadly, not for the first time). I'm glad
> Wikimedia is among the first orgs on this list.
>
> I don't think it's too late to stop this, especially as all evidence
> points to corrupt inside wheeling-and-dealing. I would normally not
> link to El Reg, but the connections Kieren has dug up deserve further
> investigation by more reputable outlets.
>
> https://www.theregister.co.uk/2019/11/20/org_registry_sale_shambles/
>
> Utterly unacceptable attempt to enclose the commons. Please do help
> continue direct attention to this.
>
> https://savedotorg.org/
>
> Warmly,
>
> Erik
>
> _______________________________________________
> Wikimedia-l mailing list, guidelines at:
> https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Mailing_lists/Guidelines and
> https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia-l
> New messages to: Wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org
> Unsubscribe: https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-l,
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 Katherine Maher (she/her)Executive Director Wikimedia Foundation 

On Sun, Nov 24, 2019 at 10:45 AM Samuel Klein <meta.sj@gmail.com> wrote:
I wrote up a short summary.  who other than ICANN has to approve this
sale?
http://blogs.harvard.edu/sj/2019/11/23/a-tale-of-icann-and-regulatory-capture/


On Sat, Nov 23, 2019 at 6:13 PM Erik Moeller <eloquence@gmail.com> wrote:

> Thanks for sharing this, Andy. This appears to be a major governance
> failure on the part of ICANN (sadly, not for the first time). I'm glad
> Wikimedia is among the first orgs on this list.
>
> I don't think it's too late to stop this, especially as all evidence
> points to corrupt inside wheeling-and-dealing. I would normally not
> link to El Reg, but the connections Kieren has dug up deserve further
> investigation by more reputable outlets.
>
> https://www.theregister.co.uk/2019/11/20/org_registry_sale_shambles/
>
> Utterly unacceptable attempt to enclose the commons. Please do help
> continue direct attention to this.
>
> https://savedotorg.org/
>
> Warmly,
>
> Erik
>
> _______________________________________________
> Wikimedia-l mailing list, guidelines at:
> https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Mailing_lists/Guidelines and
> https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia-l
> New messages to: Wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org
> Unsubscribe: https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-l,
> <mailto:wikimedia-l-request@lists.wikimedia.org?subject=unsubscribe>



--
Samuel Klein          @metasj           w:user:sj          +1 617 529 4266
_______________________________________________
Wikimedia-l mailing list, guidelines at: https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Mailing_lists/Guidelines and https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia-l
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--

Katherine Maher (she/her)

Executive Director

Wikimedia Foundation