Re: [gnso-vi-feb10] a starter-list of Harms

[Eric Brunner-Williams <ebw@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Alan,

Another area of possible RSP control over the choice an RO makes is
access to ICANN as an RO.

On Tuesday, at noon, David Maher will close the RySG meeting so that
three RSPs with RO status may meet with the ICANN Board and Staff.

This situation exists at every ICANN meeting, and discussions of
"contract", the rational for closed meetings, includes discussion of
functional definitions and performance, subjects on which ROs have
only indirect knowledge of or control over.

At present only CORE is excluded as a gTLD RSP not also an RO. In the
future the exclusion will affect all ROs selecting RSPs not already an RO.

Absent a substantive RSP-ICANN channel of communications, the
concealment of functional and performance areas of discussion between
ICANN and those gTLD RSPs also having RO status tending to create
competitive advantage is an area of concern.

Eric