Should .web registrations taken since 1996 should be wiped out?
This does not
make sense, in the same way it would not make sense to wipe out .com registrations
taken since 1993!!! The difference between NSI's .com and IOD's .web is only that
.web was more unlucky and had to wait many years to see it in the A-root server.IOD
started its .web registry just because IANA authorized this
on July 31, 1996.
This was made my Jon Postel and Bill Manning of IANA
during a meeting at the IANA
offices, in front of many witnesses.
They gave IOD permission to start the .web
registry and to collect fees for registrations, and they promises that the process
would be complete in a few months. Many people at the meeting can witness this.
During
a lawsuit (1997) all this has been made apparent,
so IANA's promise has even a
*legal* validity.
Further on, registrations taken by IOD are real contracts with
registrants.
So: if ICANN does not accept IODesign's registry,
IODesign will sue ICANN. If
ICANN does accept IODesign's registry
but IODesign cancels registrations taken
since 1996, registrants
will sue IODesign. In both cases, the Internet will not
have
.web soon.
On the contrary, it is fair (and useful for the Internet) to
accept
IOD's .web registry with registrations (they were
taken in good faith).
I agree
that later IODesign should accept to share its database
with other registrars.
This is accepted by IODesign (read its
application).
Regards
Fabrizio Coppola
fabrcop@tin.it