and now what?? /jdp ----- Forwarded message from Simon Higgs ----- Date: Thu, 1 May 1997 14:38:21 -0700 Reply-To: Simon Higgs <simon@HIGGS.COM> Sender: Owner-Domain-Policy <owner-domain-policy@internic.net> Subject: DNRC Press Release | X-Sender: amr@fractal.chaos.com | Date: Thu, 01 May 1997 17:03:07 -0400 | To: dns-law@wia.org | From: KathrynKL@aol.com (by way of Tony Rutkowski <amr@chaos.com>) | Subject: DNRC Press Release | | Press Release | May 1, 1997 | | The Domain Name Rights Coalition | Opposes ITU Internet Action | | Today, rights on the Internet will be lost. The International | Telecommunication Union (ITU), a handful of private companies, and the | Internet Society (a small, membership organization in Reston, VA), will sign | a Memorandum of Understanding in Geneva that closes the doors to open and | public governance of domain names. The Domain Name Rights Coalition, a group | representing entrepreneurs, small businesses and individuals on the Internet, | opposes the action: | | "It is an international coup d'etat with the ITU seizing power over Internet | domain names," says Kathryn A. Kleiman, President of the Domain Name Rights | Coalition and attorney with Fletcher, Heald & Hildreth, P.L.C. in Rosslyn, | VA. "The Memorandum of Understanding is an attempt to make an unauthorized | and unapproved power grab seem legitimate and official." | | The Memorandum of Understanding codifies the recommendations of a small, | private group. Calling themselves the "International Ad Hoc Committee," the | group represented small portions of the Internet community (mainly the ITU, | WIPO and large companies), met privately, circulated draft recommendations to | a small group, held private off-the-record meetings and created a final | report which differed significantly from original proposals. The DNRC | submits that the IAHC's grant of authority to ITU and the World Intellectual | Property Organization: | | - exceeds any authority from members of the Internet Society (organizer of | the IAHC) whose members never voted on the IAHC proposals or approved its | recommendations; | - ignores the great disagreement among the Internet community which | questioned and contested the IAHC recommendations; and | - bypasses the approval of ITU and WIPO member countries. | | To cope with growth, millions of new users, and new situations, the Internet | needs new rules, but the process for creating them must be open, public and | accountable. The DNRC supports: | - selection of decision makers who represent all major groups on the | Internet, including individuals, small businesses and entrepreneurs, | political and community organizations, and large companies; | - wide distribution of proposed rules; | - adequate time to respond to new rules and to views of other commenters; | - timely issuance of new rules with reports outlining the reasons for | decisions and the reliance on comments; and | - an appeals process when participants feel new rules violate existing | rights. | | Created by a few companies and organizations, today's actions of the ITU and | IAHC make entrepreneurs, Internet Service Providers, small businesses and | individuals and other domain name owners into second-class citizens of the | Internet. | | About the Domain Name Rights Coalition: | | The Domain Name Rights Coalition represents the interests and views of | entrepreneurs, small businesses and individuals on the Internet. The DNRC | works for equitable, consistent and responsible domain name policies from the | National Science Foundation, Network Solutions, Inc., and all entities who | control portions of the Internet. Its representatives served on the State | Department's Working Group on Domain Names. | | Information about the DNRC and DNRC comments to the IAHC draft proposals can | be found on its website at http://www.domain-name.org. | | Contact: | Kathryn A. Kleiman, President, Domain Name Rights Coalition | c/o Fletcher, Heald & Hildreth, 1300 North 17th Street, Floor 11 | Rosslyn, VA 22209 | (703) 812-0400, Fax (703) 812-0486 | Email: kathryn@domain-name.org | --- end forwarded text --- ----- End of forwarded message from Simon Higgs ----- -- Janet Pippin * CyberRamp Internet Services Network Administrator *** 11350 Hillguard Road jdp@cyberramp.net * Dallas, Texas 75243-8311 http://www.cyberramp.net * (214) 340-2020 (817) 226-2020 ----- End of forwarded message from Janet Pippin ----- -- Janet Pippin * CyberRamp Internet Services Network Administrator *** 11350 Hillguard Road jdp@cyberramp.net * Dallas, Texas 75243-8311 http://www.cyberramp.net * (214) 340-2020 (817) 226-2020