According to a taped interview with the CEO of ICANN Fadi Chehade at the Asia-Pacific Regional IGF in Seoul, ICANN is looking to “Become an International Organization and indicted that ICANN would consider setting up a legal structure in Switzerland which to some means that ICANN maybe looking to move jurisdictions from the United States to Switzerland.
ICANN currently is based on California and incorporated under the laws the state of California and the United States.
ICANN also has non-profit status under United States tax law.
Fadi’s remarks begin at 48:50 and end at 1:12:50 of the video
This is Fadi’s quote at 57:45:
“You heard me announce recently in Durban that ICANN, for the first time, is setting up a legal structure in Switzerland. That means that ICANN is going to seek to become an International Organization that is serving the world, not just as a private corporation in California. These are important fundamental steps that we are exploring in order for ICANN to take a new global posture.”
A move from the United States to Switzerland might be troubling to new gTLD applicants who plunked down $185,000 a piece to apply for a new gTLD with ICANN a US based corporation.
Here is the full video:
Guess we should brush up on Swiss contract law
Isn’t it just neutral
)):
What ever is in their bank accounts is nobody elses business once they register in Switzerland. The same goes for any limited version of accounts that they may or may not wish to make public.
“A move from the United States to Switzerland might be troubling to new gTLD applicants who plunked down $185,000 a piece to apply for a new gTLD with ICANN a US based corporation.”
Why ‘troubling’ ?