Thanks, Obama!
ICANN was under the United States Department of Commerce until just a few years ago. It might not have formally been a government agency in and of itself, but it might as well have been. Since it was never hurting for money, there was never any real reason for it to change until this particular hammer fell and reminded them that governing the internet doesn't insulate you from the will of government bodies.
That said, I've gotten the impression that we wouldn't be having this conversation if ICANN were still owned by the USDOC, since they could make an argument that they were an official regulator. It certainly would've been more entertaining to watch, at least.
Biting the hand that feeds IT
