Committee For Fair Play From ICANN And DOC Greetings:
I
am a real person and I sent the Mike Johnson information because everybody should
know what is going on with Verisign and its buddies at National Telecommunications
Information Agency, the Department of Commerce and ICANN. We don't want or
intend to politicize this forum.
However, none of us can remain in the dark to
the harm that is being done in the name of competition and improvement for our industry
and the Internet. We understand why NSI dumped us off the posting last
night and now want everyone to know that we are taking steps to be everywhere so
we will be heard on this.
We are not asking anyone for anything in our effort to
obtain a fair chance for everyone who chooses to compete against Verisign, and for
ICANN and the Department of Commerce to do the right thing in fully investigating
every instance of abuse by the dominant Verisign. There are documents available
now that prove Verisign has cheated and is abusing its position of dominance. This
information will be turned over to the Department of Justice this week with a request
for a formal antitrust investigation.
We have asked Congresspersons
to insist that a fair investigation be undertaken to determine how ICANN and the
Department of Commerce can be fair and independent for this industry, and remain
a dependent of Verisign. The potential for conflicts of interest and interrelated
personnel offers pregnant possibilities that wrongful conduct might never be fully
and fairly investigated by these bodies from here on.
Some of us are lawyers and
former NSI employees with friends inside Verisign who were outraged after learning
of the details in the Mike Johnson litigation. We spoke to Mike Johnson today
and learned that he has been provided assistance in preparing his recent filing,
and despite Verisign's executives and employees being told yesterday
not to render such assistance to him, access to information needed to support his
Complaint is assured. Copies of the Johnson lawsuit was placed on the internal Verisign
computers and printed and distributed to its employees even after Stratton yanked
off the posted materials from both the external and internal server. The truth
won't be quietly and easily silenced by Verisign because of its despicable conduct
described in the recent lawsuit.
There is no question that Verisign still is violating
laws, and this is not a simple personnel matter as claimed by someone willing to
remain blind to the realities we face living in this society. Having this lucrative
government contract carries with it the responsibility to obey the laws designed
to protect minorities and to give them a fair chance for promotion and retained employment
security free of discrimination.
Since this grievous conduct is obviously
not deemed to be an important matter for Verisign and its buddies at ICANN and the
Department of Commerce, we are announcing our support to make sure every newspaper
and publication, and each relevant organization we can find, knows of this litigation
against Verisign, and to organize whatever support we can to force ICANN and the
Department of Commerce, the White House, and Congress to investigate and explain
why there is no investigation to these horrendous facts and proofs. We can't
let ICANN BOD and DOC ignore its respoinsibilities to call them as they are and take
the appropriate actions to even replace Verisign with another entity more willing
to comply with all laws.
There can be no serious reason advanced why Verisign's
behavior disclosed to ICANN and the Department of Commerce before the final negotiations
were signed off last Friday was not disclosed to all Members of this House Commerce
Committee before they voted approving this new transaction. The odor from this
silence must be quickly investigated to reassure everyone that ICANN's independent
role is still viable. We will be asking Congressmen Dingel and Markey to continue
asking questions, as they voice the same concerns as others in the Senate who are
now beginning to look at this situation. More than a whiff of fresh air is needed.
Sincerely,
Flip
Leven