Re: Hijacked Domain Names?

["Joseph J. Kim" <jokim@server.Berkeley.EDU>]

On Fri, 22 Nov 1996, System Administrator wrote:

> > Adrian Cooper wrote:
> > >Many of the most desirable TLD names such as ".usa", ".eur", ".web" etc.
> > >etc. have already been hijacked it seems by AlterNic and others ahead of
> > >the ultimate IAHC rulings. These organisations do appear to speak most
> > >emphatically about "their" domains.
> > >
> > >Can we take it that these domains are currently deemed to be "on loan"
> > >to these unauthorised (by IANA) organisations, and that when the time
> > >comes for IANA to allocate TLD's in due process these "hilacked" domains
> > >will be available for all to apply for equally, or will it be a case of
> > >"possession is 9/10 of the law" and the "alternative" organisations fully
> > >expect to retain their pre-empted gains?
> > 
> 
> No you cannot take it that these are on loan. I consider that AGN (my 
> company) owns USA and EARTH and will use every mean to force the I***
> organizations to respect the intellectual property rights of my company.

I think this issue of ownership needs to be clarified.  In my view the 
only thing that these people who have registered TLD's under AlterNic own 
are the TLD's for the root servers administered by AlterNic.

So long as the IANA or IAHC allocates TLD names independently of AlterNic
there really isn't a legal issue is there? In other words, just partition
the Internet, leave it up to network administrators whose root servers they
choose to use; either the IANA's or AlterNic's or whoever's.  So 
AlterNic does in fact "own" their TLD's.  As long as the IAHC or IANA 
does not attempt to force them to not use those names there shouldn't be 
a legal issue.

By the way, I have been sporadically reading this mailing list since
yesterday and am wondering why any commercial entity should have rights to
TLDs and registration under those TLDs.  From my reading it seems to be a 
set in stone that this thing will be commercial.

No offense to Jon Postel, but I thought it was misguided for him to
unilaterally decide that registering domain names should be commercial.  I am
just as greedy, probably greedier than the next guy but there are definitely
better uses for the money to be made than the pockets of a few people who are
screaming ownership of a global, community resource.  This business will
obviously involve lot's of free money for whoever is lucky enough to become a
registry.  If we are to view the Internet as a truly global network why not
have a non progit organization register all domain names for all TLDs and use
those profits for the good of the Internet.  i.e. helping developing
countries develop network infrastructure, etc. 

-jjk