RE: UKNM: Re: some of ThinkNatural domains...

[Mark Henderson-Thynne]

At 12:26 PM 9/10/99 +0100, you wrote:

>How are people dealing with the proposed new TLDs (.web et al)? Would you 

>recommend that your clients register all possible permutations of each TLD?

>

>I'm a bit concerned that some of the new TLD registrations are going to be 

>classed as non-binding, but I don't know for sure. A word from anyone at 

>Netnames? I'd hate to see a feeding frenzy of people trying to infringe 

>trademarks etc when the new TLDs all becomes available.


The feeding frenzy already happened nearly two years ago when some 

CORE members started accepting pre-registrations (and in some cases

charging non-refundable fees for that service).*


It was my impression at that time that more applications were for 

generic non-trademark names (e.g. spider.web, sex.shop).


In general these is sufficient legal precedent mostly in the US but

to a lesser extent in the UK to allow trademark holders to recover

their name through the courts when there has been a speculative

registration or an attempt to "extort" money. The "One in a Million" 

case should provide required reading for anyone in the UK.


See http://www.nic.uk/news/legal/index.html


Saying that though, my own personal feeling is that if I had a good 

business build upon a valued domain name, or one where there is

substantial goodwill invested in my domain name, I would look to 

cover all the bases and register it in as many relevant TLDs as 

possible.


Any decision on new gTLDs won't be for a while and would likely

come out of a consensus process co-ordinated by the Domain Name

Supporting Organization of ICANN (The Internet Corporation for 

Assigned and Numbers), there are many who are saying that

those kinds of decisions shouldn't be made until there is a full

elected ICANN board in place.


My advice is if you are really concerned about these names then

shop around for someone who will "pre-register" in the 7 gTLDs

proposed by CORE, for free until the names are registered.

NetNames does offer this service at their http://www.gtld.com/ site.


Regards,


Mark......



* I don't include NetNames in my statements as although NetNames 

took pre-registrations they did so in an above board and honest way**


** For those of you who like disclosure: I worked at NetNames from

Aug 95 until Mar 98 and have worked at Network Solutions since Mar 98

but all of this (and anything I say on this list) is in a personal capacity

and shouldn't be taken as the opinions of my employer etc etc. 

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