Re: Network Solutions changes contract

by "PG Music Inc." <webmaster(at)pgmusic.com>

 Date:  Thu, 1 Jun 2000 09:57:09 -0700
 To:  <hwg-business(at)hwg.org>
  todo: View Thread, Original
Hi members,

I disagree with the NSI telephone analogy presented by Benjamin.  You may be
assigned your actual IP number, (123.255.255.255) but you get to CHOOSE your
human-readable DNS table entry.
Network Solutions is playing a fast and fancy game in my opinion.  I came up
with my registered domain names and paid NSI to register them for me.  It
would be a different story if NSI had all possible number/letter
combinations pre-registered and then I picked them off the rack like a pair
of pants.

As well, NSI would have no claim to the fair use of most of the domain
names.  Remember, trademarks don't have to be registered, or even pending to
be considered as a trademark.  If I came up with the Krayzee Kipper brand of
fish products, and registered krayzeekipper.com, what use would NSI have for
the domain name, and what court in the world would grant them the use of the
name under which I had been carrying on business?

I think NSI is protecting themselves against the crazy Libel laws like they
have in the UK, so that If i registered tonyblairsucks.com and filled it
with invective against the new daddy, NSI won't be sued along with every
provider/router who ever hosted/viewed the site.  Remember that a UK court
awarded a judgement in absentia against a Canadian student who had the gall
to insult an unexceptional member of the UK academia, because the student
posted a message on a newsgroup(Not hosted in the UK) but whose message was
"Distributed" by a large UK ISP.

NSI wants to be able to yank our poor use of a domain name, and retain the
rights to later resell it.  However, unless they [NSI] are anticipating more
US Government involvement, they'll never be able to live it down and
free-speech advocates will be foaming at the mouth.  For now, I think it is
a non-issue.  If anyone hears of this new license being used in this manner,
please post here!

David Godfrey
Developer/Net Decorator
PG Music Inc.

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