My post is going to be simple as possible. These are my thoughts on the matter.
There are two ways an official faction can swing. Both of them are equally valid.
1) "Im sorry, we have no control over our indies"
In the first option, the official faction distances themselves from stupid indies. That is fine, and I see it happening often with IMG officials face-palming as indie battlecruisers invade house space and shoot NPC cap patrols. In this situation, the indies need to be punished, but the official faction has done nothing wrong. In stating they have no control over their indies, they have distanced themselves and thus the official faction shouldn't be impacted by any lolnonsense the indies of their ID do. Conversely, when it comes time to punish said indies, the official faction shouldn't take up arms int he defense of their indies. They have already said they cannot control them and are not responsible for their actions. They have gained immunity by doing so, and shouldn't be able to now defend them from their own stupidity while retaining immunity.
2) "We and our indies stick together as one."
In the second option, the faction takes responsibility for its indies. Any indie that violates RP rules CAN be delt with through FR2, and at worst, FR5. These official factions are tied to their indies because they have chosen to defend them. If they choose to take no action with FR2ing their population, they can and should take responsibility of the actions of their indies.
Interspace commerce has chosen option 2. I have no problem with this, but I would say that they can no longer use the excuse of "our indies are just contractors and we have no control over them." We in the Rheinland leadership understood very well that they had previously played the first option, and so we informed them that they were not going to be affected by this. IC| then changed its policy to that of #2 by sticking up for the rights of their indies. Valid as far as I am concerned, but in doing so, they chose their fate as well.
