LawMeme has not been following all the twists and turns of the recent battles involving ICANN, but they are legion (i.e., getting rid of at-large representation, having to renegotiate their contract with the US Dept. of Commerce, etc.). We recommend ICANN Watch and ICANN.blog for all the gory details. Here though, a quick summary of recent events:
Greplaw, among others, reports on a recent interview with Esther Dyson in which she makes mild criticisms about ICANN and worries that the ITU will take it over (Dyson on ICANN Doomsday Scenario);
The Washington Post reported that a number of ICANN address registers have signed a letter supporting ICANN (Internet Address Retailers Join Debate Over ICANN Future). According to a spokesman for the signatories, "ICANN is about protecting competition and not about protecting individual competitors." Could have fooled me.;
ICANN Watch brings news that the ".us" registrar has begun retroactively cancelling domain names that contain the "seven dirty words" such as FuckCensorship.us (.US Registry Deleting Domain Names Retroactively!!);
And, my personal favorite:
From ICANN.blog, a posting that justifiably analogizes recent statements by ICANN's director and outside counsel to the ravings of Captain Queeg from The Caine Mutiny (Who Stole ICANN's Strawberries?). [Softspot for analogies to the Caine Mutiny from your days at Annapolis? - Ed. Yep, had to discuss the movie/book many times.]