Return to Proposed Revisions to NSI Agreements Forum - Message Thread - FAQ

Username: SnakeStu
Date/Time: Thu, March 1, 2001 at 10:30 PM GMT
Browser: Opera V5.0 using Windows NT 4.0
Score: 5
Subject: Just say NO to monopoly

Message:
 

 
                I am certainly not convinced that the "CHANGES IN CIRCUMSTANCES SINCE THE ORIGINAL AGREEMENT" section can be considered accurate, or (if technically accurate) that it is at all relevant.

For example, "ICANN has received no substantial complaints about discriminatory access to the registries operated by VeriSign, and there is no indication or evidence that has come to the attention of ICANN that VeriSign has not fully and effectively erected a complete firewall that prevents any discriminatory information flow..."  This means, in essence, that ICANN denies any validity or importance regarding any complaints it may have received.  But that is the judgement of ICANN regarding a specific set (empty or otherwise) of complaints, and does not address other complaint sets or other judgements of the specified complaint set.

More importantly, even if the "information" in that section is reasonably valid, I do not believe it is important.  The general message behind the overall proposed revisions is that VeriSign has not abused its positions (according, at least, to VeriSign and ICANN, but not necessarily according to others), so safeguards to ensure it does not abuse that position can now be removed.

Let's look at an analogy:  A new office building is constructed.  Fire extinguishers are on site during construction in case of fire, and the plan is to install sprinklers.  No fire occurs during construction.  To use the ICANN/VeriSign logic, the sprinklers should never be installed.

Consider the registry/registrar business separation to be the sprinklers.  ICANN and VeriSign want to take that away because supposedly no "fire" (abuse of position) has happened yet.

IF...

...you disagree with the logic of limiting protections because nothing bad has happened yet, or
...you disagree with the premise established in the CHANGES IN CIRCUMSTANCES SINCE THE ORIGINAL AGREEMENT section, or
...you consider comments about how this will put VeriSign on the same level as other registrars to be Orwellian doublespeak (given the obvious preferences on the registry side of the business), or
...you consider the phrase "significant benefits to the community" in the context of the proposed revisions to be meaningless or deceptive, or
...you otherwise disagree with these revised provisions,

...PLEASE lobby directly with the US Department of Commerce and (if you are a US citizen) with your elected officials in government.  DO NOT expect this public comment message board to have any impact, and DO NOT expect to see resolution directly from ICANN.
    

 

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