.inf & .biz names

[ncompass]

Who ever thought of this method of selling domains names should be shot.

Big money will once again rule the day as Domain Names are auctioned off to the highest bidder. When will there be an Internet authority who protects normal people interests instead of penalising them.

Basically, we can register names, but it does cost money.

[Mr Chunder]

I would generally agree that sales of domain names is up to the highest bidder and generally the domain name system is wide open to abuse.

Registrars have too many powers and not enough accountability. A registrar could go under and take their DNS systems with them leaving you out in the cold.

However, I do not see a problem with charging a small fee. I pay around $12 dollars to register a domain name which I do not have a problem with. If this there was no fee and there was no concept of selling domain names for a profit, instead domains are registered on a first come first served basis, then this would be an ideal situation.

But, this is the real world and who is going to pay for a registration service. if we had a single organisation such as netsol which had a total monopoly (they virtually do), then they would end up there would be no competition to offer a better service.

The problem is that domains are essentially commodity and as such as subject to the only known method of sharing out commodities in the free world - by PAYING for it. The better the domain, the more you have to pay.

If you think about it, domain names are allocated spaces in cyberspace. Just the same as land is to the planet. The first person to aquire the land becomes the owner and he/she is free to sell it on.

If you could start the internet again, how would you organise domain name allocation ? Create a single non-profit making organisation who would register them on at a fixed fee? Who would they be accountable to ? What's stopping them from not bothering to deal with DNS changes or other non-paying requests?

At the end of the day, the free market economy is the way things have best been done and the internet is no exception and I don't mind paying $12 for a domain name that will do the job. If I was quick enough (kicking myself), I'd have registered more domain names years ago.

I'd rather leave the system as it is BUT introduce protection for small people. This is a bigger issue so that domain registrars cannot play tricks on them to stop them moving onto another registrar. Also, we could do with some guarrantee protection over domain names should the registrar go bust.

[ncompass]

You have missed the point, I have no problem with paying for a Domain Name, also I have no problem with paying a third part for a Domain Name provided i can afford it.

My problem lies with the new Domain Names .info & .biz. In order to buy these of the registry companies, we will need to buy them as if at an auction.

If you have 3 companies based in the US, Canada and Uk all called smith & co. then these three are forced to compete against each other and the winner will pay often £1000's to the Resgistry company.

ICANN have made this easy money for them and we the Net users lose out.

Again, I say it will be a case of the big corporates buying up Domain Names not on a first come first serve bases, but on a 'I've got money' basis.

With the dot.com's web sites like www.bbc.co.uk had to pay out large sums to small people because small people were clever enough to realise the potential of the Internet. We have now witnessed how big companies are charging around trying to take over any part of the Internet they can.

You might say, but companies should have their own domain name, but you can also be sure that companies only want a domain to make money out of their website. Thus paying a small poorer man for a Domain Name it a perfectly fair option. Companies will not buy a Domain name if profitability isn't an option.

[James]

Surely if youve already got a company name registered you can argue your case legally.

If youve already registered a company name such a widgets Ltd, and also own widgets.com and widgets.co.uk , then another person cant just register the domain name with a new extention.

Speaking personally, I dont see much value in the newer extentions anyway. Theyre never going to be as well respected as the dotcoms. Many of the larger internet businesses have started to openly state that they will no longer pursue other extentions to their names.

PS: Its good to see a fellow Brit on the forums. And from Dorset too! We're in Christchurch.....

[ncompass]

Thanks James from Christchurch, just getting used to your web site here...

The whole point of the system as it is today is that you do not have to have a company called Widget Ltd to get the widget domain name, however this is fast changing and so is is getting more bias towards the companies.

I have also heard the larger companies not wanting to bother with the new domain names. However, I am not sure if I believe them. Some companies are registering hundred of Domain names every year. to protect themselves and example is Lloyds TSB who have registered everything to do with lloyds including ihatelloyds.com

Basically, they have to have them, otherwise someone else will take them. They will also have to pay for them. My only argument was that now it will be a question of your bank balence being large enough buy them, when traditionally it was first come first serve and thus fairer.

Cheers, for now, Guy

[dotcomguy]

Originally posted by ncompass
<SNIP>...when traditionally it was first come first serve and thus fairer.<SNIP>

I do agree with the first come first serve theory, but only to a cerrtain extent. If a company has gone to the trouble of registering their name/slogan/whatever as a registered trademark/copyright/etc., I believe they have every right to defend that. What I totally disagree with is the people who feel "If it was so important to 'insert company name here' why didn't they register the domain?" As much as some people still think it is, the Internet is not "The Wild West" - anarchy does not rule. We all live with various rules in our day-to-day lives, why is it that rules on the Internet are such a big surprise???

Getting back to the meat of this thread, I think that the trademark holders should be taken care of first, bu then after that is complete, the doors open wide and it's first come first served - no pre-reg process.

(The above is just my opinion and not necessarily that of my employer - please don't shoot me for it!)

[Jaiem]

I can see both sides.

OOH, if you own widgets.com, widgets.net and widgets.uk.co and Widgets Ltd. is the name of your company it can be argued that widgets.biz, widgets.tv, widgets.cc, etc infringe on your legal name.

OTOH, if you want the names then register them too. IOW, Widgets Ltd. IMO does not have the defacto preeminent ownership right to everything named "widget".

Looks like another full-employment-for-laywers situtation.

[Phoenix]

And what if you are only one of a hundred companies that make widgets and use the word widgets in their trade name? Every one of them is going to want the widgets.com .biz, etc. , domains,:

American Widgets
National Widgets
International Widgets
UK Widgets
European Widgets
Widgets Inc.
Widgets 'R' Us
etc...

who then is entitled to widgets.com? that's when first come, first served should fall into play. Otherwise whoever can afford the best lawyers wins.

McDonalds-UK pub, centuries old-registered the domain first
McDonalds-American-based corporation, decades old-won control of the domain

Which one ended up with the rights to mcdonalds.com?

[Jaiem]

Maybe.

OTOH if your name is McDonald and you try to use the name McDonald's (or something similar), the smiling clown's lawyers will be knocking on your door in a heart beat.

[Phoenix]

that's what happened to the people at the centuries-old pub who dared to register the dotcom version of the name they've traded under, that also happens to be their family name.

that red-headed clown's lawyers took their domain name away because they had 'no right' to it.

And that's the problem with the domain name dispute resolution system. just because one company can beat up the other company, that means they get the domain name.