The Ireland NCP (National Contact Point for the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises) released their initial assessment on the dispute between Crypto Currency Resolution Trust (CCRT) and Chagos Refugees Group
UK (CRG UK) against Afilias Ltd., 101domain GRS Ltd. and Internet Computer Bureau Limited.
I first wrote about it back in 2015, and then again in July of 2020. Fortune came out with another article, the provocative title of, ‘Colonialism’ and crypto claims: Why the .io domain name extension faces an uncertain future“
Here is the complaint:
The complaint seeks the following reliefs:
• An accounting of payments made to the British Indian Ocean Territory
(BIOT) or the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FDCO) by
ICB
• Payment of royalties claimed to be due to the Chagossian people
• Payment of a “fair percentage” of the acquisition price paid for the .io ccTLD
• An interim agreement between ICB and the Chagossian people including an
annual payment schedule of royalties, a disbursement schedule of funds owed
and provision for a Chagossian director on the board of ICB
• Afilias and ICB to “cease and desist from enabling criminal activities that
damage the reputation and value of ccTLD .io” by working with the
complainants to eradicate cryptocurrency-based crime carried out using the .io
ccTLD
• An evaluation of cryptocurrency crime issues and support in engaging with
the BIOT administration in seizing assets used in crime in order to reimburse
victims
• Support for the creation of a “crypto crime super fund” to be established by
the cryptocurrency industry
• Failing the above, the complaint calls on Afilias to “divest from BIOT and
transfer constructive ownership of ICB to the Complainants in exchange for
the goodwill engendered and cancellation of obligations”.
It looks like the Ireland NCP would like to continue to have both parties talk and come to some kind of amicable solution.
They wrote:
The Ireland NCP decides, based on the information provided by the Notifier and the
Companies, that grounds exist for further consideration of the complaint. Both
parties have submitted information to the NCP which it considers material and
substantiated. The Ireland NCP believes that there are significant differences in
perspective between the parties and, therefore, organising dialog between them
could contribute to a resolution of the issues. The Ireland NCP will therefore offer its
good offices to facilitate a discussion of those claims. The Ireland NCP is obliged to
set out the reasons for this decision in some detail in the interests of transparency and
accountability.
You can read the full report here
