Eugene got what he deserved

[Robert Frank <bobf@corsearch.com>]

Hi:

As I understand things the zone files containing .com, .org and .net were pulled from NSI/Internic because of what Eugene did.  If that is correct, Eugene's actions have caused serious problems for many.  Those who have been reading these lists for the last two years know that my business provides trademark searches for many large corporations and law firms.  With the awakening of the internet two years ago, the three primary trademark search firms all began providing, at no charge to their clients, searches of domain names as registered by InterNic.  Our clients need to know not only if a particular name is available for use on a product or service but also if the name is available for use as a domain name.  Furthermore, thousands of "watching" searches are completed each year to monitor, on the Federal and domain name level, third parties who are infringing on a trademark.  Many of the readers of these lists dislike the role that trademarks and lawyers have played in the domain name discussion.  But one always has to remember that the companies that provide so much of the backbone, development and maintenance of the net are also the owners of many trademarks (i.e., IBM, AT&T, Sprint, MCI, NYNEX, SUN, etc.) and their lawyers and trademark related businesses are simply responding to the needs of these companies.

The pulling of the domain name files has made it so that the information we used to readily and easily obtain from NSI is no longer readily or easily available.  We have applied to NSI for permission to ftp the files under a secure arrangement, as per the instructions they posted when they pulled the files, but have not yet heard back from them.  It has been over two weeks since we have been able to obtain a dump of the domain names from NSI.  This is not good for our or your business.

We have developed a work-around with the help of others although at the present it is not as smooth as the NSI ftp process.  We appreciate the help of those who assisted us with this work-around.

I would love nothing more than to break the monopoly that NSI has on .com, the registration process and the domain name database.  On our own, and with no support from anyone, CORSEARCH has filed FOIA requests (which were refused) for the domain name database.  We have submitted all our files, as requested,  to the DOJ attorney who is investigating NSI for possible anti-trust or monopolistic practices.  Nonetheless, as frustrating as things are, we still operate within the framework of our laws and are not renegades willing to disrupt the system of many for the gains of a few.  What Eugene did was wrong and has caused problems far beyond the goals and desires of alternic.  He was a renegade and should be punished accordingly.

Robert Frank, President
CORSEARCH, Inc.
NY

-----Original Message-----
From:	Richard J. Sexton [SMTP:richard@sexton.org]
Sent:	Wednesday, July 23, 1997 9:20 PM
To:	edns-discuss@MCS.Net
Cc:	DOMAIN-POLICY@LISTS.INTERNIC.NET; newdom@ar.com; gtld-discuss@gtld-mou.org; caipcon@www.newdom.com
Subject:	Re: Judge Defers AlterNIC Action

At 07:40 PM 7/23/97 +0100, Jeff Williams wrote:
>Richard,
>
>  Thanks for posting this article.  I read it with great intrest
>earlier.
>
>  It is just this sort of thing that makes NSI and Eugene look like
>a bunch of boobs.  The real reason the NSI filed was to try to
>put Eugene out of buisness and to indicate to everyone that NSI
>is in a controling situation.  None of us want this really.  This
>action could very much backfire on NSI with Netzens if they are not
>very carefull how they handle the situation publicly.

Todd Spangler fom Mecklermedia just informed me that wired was wrong
and the injunction *was* granted. Sigh. I guess "wired" refers to the
staff.

At this point I have no idea whats up, or where Eugene is or what
NSI will do next as Eugene has fled and left alternic on autopilot.

Ironically, they havn't placed his domain on hold. :-)


--
richard@sexton.org   (forgive me if I'm terse, I answer hundreds of e-mails
a day)

            The right to revolt has sources deep in our history.
                -- Supreme Court Justice William O. Douglas