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this just in and its bad
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I just got this from buydomains.com. Thoughts?
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Sunday, June 25, 2000
NEW TRANSFER SERVICE GOES LIVE
BuyDomains.com has launched a service that allows anyone to transfer their
domain names away from Network Solutions (or any other registrar) for a
maximum of $17 per name. This service automatically adds one year on top of
the current domain expiration date at the existing registrar.
BuyDomains.com^Òs transfer service includes ALL registry fees, free URL
forwarding, free unlimited email addresses forwarded to an existing mail
account, responsive toll free support and free DNS for the entire
registration period. This is one way the marketplace can fight back against
inflated prices, poor customer service, and the monopolistic practices of
Network Solutions and their ilk. Transfer your domains now at
www.buydomains.com. You^Òll begin receiving our value added services right
away without having to wait for your domains to expire elsewhere.
IS NETWORK SOLUTIONS TRYING TO STEAL THE INTERNET AGAIN?
By Michael F. Mann
President, BuyDomains.com
NSI has announced their intention to keep all domain names that expire for
themselves - and they intend to put the names up for auction exclusively on
their own web site.
According to our data over 300,000 domains at NSI expire EVERY MONTH.
Currently you can search our database by keyword for previously expired
domains see www.buydomains.com Item 5. Domains found can be registered
on the spot or via any other registration service. If NSI has their way
this segment of market competition will cease.
NSI plans to hoard millions of domains every year, preventing any other
registration service in the world from registering those names to their
customers, and keeping all the money for themselves. The loss of value to
the marketplace (if the names are valued at $70 each) is in the range of
$154 Million dollars each year. On auction potentially even more. NSI
currently controls over 12 million domains the majority of which were
registered to consumers while NSI was a legally sanctioned monopoly. The
original contracts did not require the registrants to renew and therefore
an expired domain should be released to the general pool of available
domains where anyone can register it via any registration service.
Not only does the hoarding of names smell bad but it is a violation of
ICANN (the government approved domain regulating body) rules and may be a
violation of US antitrust laws. Remember all of these names that are
expiring were registered through NSI during the years they had a government
sanctioned monopoly. This monopoly was supposed to be stopped. But with
this hoarding practice and the practice of charging $199 for so called
^Óexpedited^Ô transfer of names (registered during the monopoly years) NSI^Òs
monopoly power is alive and well - despite competition existing in certain
market segments.
Our data shows NSI^Òs hoarding practice has started in force eventhough
their auction service has not launched. For example, the names below (along
with hundreds of thousands more) should currently be available to the
general marketplace. A domain lookup (which can be done at
www.buydomains.com or other registration sites) shows this small sample of
domains have expired some time ago, yet are not available to the public
because NSI has decided to keep them.
centralcontrol.com (ironic eh?)
(expired on 28-Feb-1999)
fineline.com
(expired on 05-May-1999)
masscommunication.com
(expired on 05-Mar-2000)
aerialservices.com
(expired on 29-Aug-1999)
cherokeemusic.com
(expired on 02-Mar-2000)
intranetcity.com
(expired on 10-Mar-2000)
digexpress.com
(expired on 07-Feb-2000)
You should take action to protect your rights as a domain consumer by
contacting the people and organizations that are tasked with monitoring the
domain system for the public good. Let them know loud and clear what you
think about NSI^Òs hoarding practices and their $199 transfer fee.
The main oversight committee is ICANN which the US government has entrusted
to police Internet domain registrars.
Contacts:
Louis Touton VP, General Counsel -- touton@icann.org
Michael M. Roberts - President and CEO -- roberts@icann.org
Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers
4676 Admiralty Way, Suite 330
Marina del Rey, CA 90292
Phone: 310.823.9358
The Department of Commerce^Òs NTIA division also plays a very active role in
domain policy.
Contact:
J. Beckwith (Becky) Burr
bburr@ntia.doc.gov
202-482-2581
Associate Administrator
Office of International Affairs
U.S. Department of Commerce
Room 4701
1401 Constitution Avenue, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20230
Also contact:
Federal Trade Commission
Michael Donohue - Bureau of Consumer Protection staff attorney --
mdonohue@ftc.gov
(202) 326-3563
and
Members of the congressional committee that presided over the the original
attempt to break the monopoly.
The Honorable Thomas J. Bliley, Jr.
Chairman
The House Committee on Commerce http://www.house.gov/commerce/
2125 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515
(202) 225-2927
and
Subcommittee on Telecommunications, Trade and Consumer Protection
Chairman
W.J. \"Billy\" Tauzin
2183 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
Phone: (202)-225-4031
Don^Òt forget to call your own congresspeople and request action. You can
write your Representative through the following address
http://www.house.gov/writerep/
Fight back against the monopolistic practices of big businesses that want
to strip you of your consumer rights!!
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Kurth Bemis - Senior Linux Network/Systems Administrator, USAExpress.net
kurth@usaexpress.net
http://www.usaexpress.net/kurth
ICQ - 6624050
Call Sign - N1TYW
PGP key available - http://www.usaexpress.net/kurth/pgp
Fight Weak Encryption! Donate your wasted CPU cycles to Distributed.net
(http://www.distributed.net)
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