Re: Proper use of domain names.

["Ole J. Jacobsen" <ole at cisco.com>]

Donald,

It's worse than that.

Try the following excercise:

Go to the NSI webpage and try a name to see if it is available:

(http://www.networksolutions.com/)

Oh, why don't we just try: "donaldeastlake.com" for fun.

The page returns, (vebatim, but reformatted to fit your screens):

" donaldeastlake.com is available. 

These Web Addresses are also available! Register your name in all 3
extensions (.com, .net, .org) to create a stronger Internet identity. Just
click the box next to each Web Address you want to register.
              
[ ]  donaldeastlake.net 
[ ]  donaldeastlake.org"

In other words, NSI is *actively* encouraging registrants to register
their names in .net and .org.

I'll let you draw your own conclusions.

Ole :-(


Ole J. Jacobsen 
Editor and Publisher
The Internet Protocol Journal
Tel: +1 408-527-8972
e-mail: ole at cisco.com
URL: http://www.cisco.com/ipj

VP for Chapters, The Internet Society.


On Wed, 4 Aug 1999, Donald E. Eastlake 3rd wrote:

> 
> 
> Policies in .com, .net, and .org were originally set by IANA
> (www.iana.org), and not the IETF.  Later, the US Government fixed the
> price but in effect granted Network Solutions, Inc. (NSI), the power
> to impose broad policies/terms/conditions over those names.  NSI's
> written policy of favoring registered trademark holders over other
> domain name hoders has been a matter of public record for years.  This
> organization should have long ago registered their trademark if they
> didn't want their domain name to constantly be at risk.  For years now
> they have been signing annual renewal forms with NSI which state that
> they accept the NSI disupute resolution policy.  I don't think there
> is much they can do now, its way too late.
> 
> Donald
> 
> From:  srodawa <srodawa at oakland.edu>
> Message-Id:  <199908032206.SAA23517 at jupiter.acs.oakland.edu>
> To:  ietf at ietf.org
> Date:  Tue, 3 Aug 1999 18:06:50 -0500 (EDT)
> Cc:  srodawa at cliff.acs.oakland.edu (Ron Srodawa)
> 
> >My apologies if this is off the subject for the list, but...
> >
> >There is a non-profit organization which has had the domain name mi.org
> >since 1988.  They are about to have the domain pulled from them because
> >some commercial organization is claiming to hold MI as a trademark.
> >
> >On the surface, this seems wrong for several reasons:
> >
> >1. mi.org is not MI and by the intended meaning of "org" would seem to clearly
> >   not be a trademark infringement on a for-profit organization.
> >
> >2. How can a commercial organization sieze a .org domain name?  Isn't .org
> >   for non-commercial use?  They should be placed in .com, right?
> >
> >3. This organization has held the domain name for eleven years during which
> >   there has been no problem.
> >
> >I'm becoming very troubled by the crass commercialism of the web when root
> >domain names such as .org no longer are used for their intended purposes.
> >
> >As a small non-profit, this organization (basically an ISP for small
> >non-profit organizations) has empty pockets.  Any advice?
> >
> >Ron Srodawa
> >
> >| Ronald J. Srodawa               | Internet: srodawa at oakland.edu |
> >| School of Engineering and CS    | Voice:    (248) 370-2247      |
> >| Oakland University              | FAX:      (248) 370-4625      |
> >| Rochester, Michigan  48309-4478 |                               |
> >
>