Re: No taxation without representation

[Tom Newell <tomn@internic.net>]

Ivan Pope wrote...

>To the Internet Community.
>
>The .com domain is an international domain administered by various Internet
>bodies. These bodies have implemented a 50 USDollar a year charge for
>holding registrations in the domain. 30% of this charge is a surcharge or
>tax which is unilaterally imposed for:
>
>"the preservation and enhancement of the "Intellectual Infrastructure" of
>the Internet"
>
>This surcharge or tax is paid from Internet users all around the world. It
>is held in a US account and none of it has ever been spent. A private US
>company, Network Solutions, is supposed to
>
>"develop and implement mechanisms to insure the involvement of the Internet
>communities in determining and overseeing disbursements from this account."
>
>Neither Network Solutions nor IANA nor InterNIC seems to have made any
>progress in disbursing this money.
>
>Network Solutions, as the company that makes profit from running the .com
>registry, is hardly going to make suggestions that underminde the
>profitability of Network Solutions.

In fact Ivan, Network Solutions has worked very diligently and closely
with the NSF to design a mechanism for the investment of these monies
towards ends which contribute to the continued successful growth of the
international Internet.  We have provided several scenarios to the
National Science Foundation for the investment of the fund (which
resides in an interest-bearing account) and await only their approval
for implementation.  It is unfair to represent that NSI has imposed
a tax or that we have "stalled" the distribution of the fund.  As you 
might imagine, opinions vary widely as to how best to use this fund but 
to suggest that the outcome is one which we view as hinging on our
profitability is flat wrong.  

Tom




-- 

Tom Newell                  tomn@internic.net      +1 703 742 4796
Mngr, Info & Educ Svcs      InterNIC Registration Services 
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