The Internet is an American invention, and the governing body that assigns domain names to Web sites around the world has had its roots in the U.S. However, it’s time for ICANN — the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers — to go “global” in every sense of the word, according to one European Union official. EU Commissioner for Information Society and Media Viviane Reding said in a Sunday video message on her Web site that she hopes the 11-year-old organization will stop operating under the auspices of the U.S. Commerce Department when its contract expires Sept. 30.
