I'd like to make one last point. The requirement that
registrars have in place their requirement for complete and accurate information
and that the information be published in its entirety in the whois database has some
serious flaws, IMO. First, there are many home based businesses
which do not wish to publish their addresses for any "nut" in the world to find them.
I, for one, resorted to a P.O. Box for that reason.
Second,
the same goes for a telephone number which may be unlisted. Individuals have
this problem all the time.
I can fully understand the need for the registrar to
have this information, but not to have it published. The .cc registrants are not
published. You must email the registrant anonymously. If you want a "whois"
record, you must write for it and pay a fee. I see no need for a fee, but I
also do not see the need for a public address and telephone number when registrants
must have an e-mail address for the administrative contact.
I, personally, have
a real problem for the requirement that individual registrants must provide this
information to be published. Even a legitimate business may not have foot traffic
and not wish to have the address published. Consultancies work this way in
many instances, as do some doctors, cpa's, programmers, artists, and other professionals.
Publishing a correct name and e-mail address is sufficient for contact. Keeping
it current and correct is a fair requirement. Providing other information to
the registrar is fine as long as it is kept private and not shared by anyone.
My
feeling is that publishing this information also saves the TM lobby and attorneys
a free ride for litigation. Why should anyone have to provide private information
to encourage the thousands of cease and desist letters that are being mailed daily?
Let the attorneys and/or corporations have to do a search like anyone else to find
a person to persecute. Let's also keep privacy rights an intergral part of
the internet along with free speech and free enterprise.
A note for those who were
arguing socialism/communism vs. capitalism, free enterprise for everyone is true
capitalism. Monopoly is not. We fought for that right - to end tyranny,
too many taxes, to own our own piece of land, to own our own businesses. Immigrants
came to the US because of that freedom. The evolution of the internet has once
again provided a venue for free enterprise and true free speech. Let's not
cave in and give it up now. We owe it to the world to ensure it is there as
a standard. It means growth, enlightenment, education, opportunity in countries
where no such rights have existed before. Many countries are finding they cannot
legislate it out of existance. It will have a life of its own and it should
continue to evolve in this manner.
The internet is still in its infancy as a commercial
vehicle. We must not strangle it now. For those of you who are US citizens,
please keep in mind that we, of all people, have a great responsibility to see to
it that all people everywhere have the same opportunities we have in this venture.
If there must be rules and governance, let us make it equitable across all nations.
The
TLDlobby was formed because of the passion behind those words.
That is my final
2 cents, I think. -:)