ICANNWatch | .za Zone File Expatriated

.za Zone File Expatriated
posted by michael on Thursday June 13 2002, @03:08PM

In a move that may or may not have significance, the .za zone file has been expatriated for safe keeping. The media is making a big fuss about this, although I don't exactly see why, since as far as I can tell it has no technical and only minimal legal importance.

As Mike Lawrie is quoted as saying, the technical effect of this is zero. The only thing it does it protect the zone file from someone trying to use force against the machine that previously housed it. (The 'blundering copper' scenario.) Although I know little to nothing about South African law, I can't see that the legal effect of this move is that significant. It might protect the file against an attachment order, but so long as the file's owner, Mr. Lawrie, is in the jurisdiction, I'd imagine he's within the power of the state to compel him to do things to the file, including bringing it back or turning over the power to control it. Certainly a U.S. court would consider it had the power to force a person in the US to take such an action if a statute so provided.

I'd be surprised to learn that Mr. Lawrie had ceded all legal control over the zone file, since RFC 1591 says that "For top-level domains that are country codes at least the administrative contact must reside in the country involved."

So this seems like mostly a PR move to me, although I'd be interested in other views.

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