I am no expert in this field, however...
Large systems like the internet are invariably covered by a blizzard of patents on the software, hardware, etc.
As owners of these patents, we can decide to license users, at considerable revenues to us- remember microsoft- or we may elect not to.
My guess is that this is the first salvo in a game to pressure us to relinquish our rights in this system to "world control". We would be idiots to give it away. I think 60 billion per year from each user country sounds about right.
The age old problem with that, is the same
problem with *any* law. a law is only as good
as the ability to enforce it. Shall we bas a
miltary division around eavh foriegn based
Top Level Domain server? No, the reason that
the WWW has worked, and continues to work,
unlike with democraciies..is there is one final
arbiter, one body of rule setters. The internet
cannot function by diverse multi-party rules.
electrns, physical and natural laws..on and off
gates...logical programming, does not tolerate
or understand "diversity"...cultural or otherwise.
Yup, just one salvo, you're right. We create and the laggards around the world start whining.
MM