Re: Who really benefits from 60-day period?

[Vince Wolodkin <wolodkin@digitalink.com>]

Carl,

I don't wish to alienate you.  Your opinions are valuable.  I guess
maybe in this case I may be caught showing my "corporate" colors.  When
we register a name for a product we run it by the lawyers and trademark
it etc.... I am sure we do much more than this, but I don't know what it
is.

In other words we protect ourselves.  Now, the internet is a fast paced
place.  Time to market is everything.  Entire products here have gone
from inspiration to fully functional website with advertisers or
advertiser sponsorship or user fees or whatever in well less than 60
days.

In fact, during much of the development of a product the name has not
yet been determined.  Once determined, we do what we can to protect
ourselves and would defend ourselves as necessary in court, but it would
in the end be a business decision.  My point is, 60 days is far to long
to wait for a domain name. As we say here, 60 days is nearly 2 whole
"web years".  That's how fast things develop out on the net these days. 
Slow companies get beaten to market.  I think most would stay in .com if
they had to wait 60 days for a gTLD name.  I can also assure you that
NSI, being a commercial company would give new domain registrations
first priority so people would know that you get next day service from
NSI on new domains, with those other guys you have to wait 60 days. 
They SAY it is for my own good.

I disagree as much as you with NSI's habit of interfering in the domain
of the court system and don't want to see that happen here.  I just
think that keeping people from using a name for 60 days is an outrageous
requirement that will ensure the failure of the new registries.  I can
feel this way and still see your point about protecting domain holders
from johnny-come-latelys.

BUT, domain holders need to protect themselves.  If CORE doesn't support
the assinine policies of NSI, then domain holders don't really need all
of this protection.  It seems to me that most of the cases you site are
against NSI for putting the domain on HOLD.  How many cases are actually
trademark holder against domain holder.  I mean, a domain holder that
has used a name for years and is in a different business has a pretty
good chance of winning in court without a 60 day wait, doesn't he.

Vince Wolodkin

Carl Oppedahl wrote:
> 
> 
> I appreciate that many of the commenters in this subject have an innate
> distrust of lawyers and generally proceed under the assumption that they
> act on purely selfish motivations.  Such views are of course justified but
> they apply to everyone, not just lawyers.  But (I have said this several
> times) I am on your side.  I have repeatedly put forth the
> pro-domain-name-owner point of view in an effort to counter the
> anti-domain-name-owner points of view (NSI and some trademark owners).  If
> I am telling you that the 60-day period would be good for domain name
> owners, not bad, can you not possibly believe that I am giving my sincere
> point of view based on substantial professional experience?
> 
> Carl Oppedahl