[nc-transfer] RE: Verisign WLS Proposal

["Cade,Marilyn S - LGA" <mcade@att.com>]

Posted with permission of sender. Thanks, Dan, for your time in providing your views to the Transfer TF.

Marilyn Cade
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Dan Kriwitsky [mailto:dan@mcwebber.com]
> Sent: Friday, July 19, 2002 1:45 PM
> To: Cade,Marilyn S - LGA
> Subject: Verisign WLS Proposal
> 
> 
> Dear Marilyn Cade,
> 
> Not only do I think the Verisign WLS proposal will lead to 
> increased prices and a further monopoly over the domain name 
> system by Verisign, but I also believe it may be considered 
> an illegal lottery. Verisign's proposal, as I understand it, 
> to sell a chance at purchasing an expired domain name carries 
> with it all the elements of a lottery.
> 
> - Prize
> - Chance
> - Consideration
> 
> All three combine to make this an illegal lottery by most US 
> state's definitions as well as the US Postal Service 
> definition of a lottery or gambling. (Title 18, United States 
> Code, Section 1302, the Postal Lottery Statute)
> 
> The idea that Verisign will be able to exercise control over 
> domain names registered during the time when they had 
> monopoly control over the domain registration system is a 
> step backward. Currently, market forces work just fine in the 
> secondary market as demonstrated by services such as 
> NameWinner.com. There is no need for anything except a 
> uniform expiration time to be implemented for domain names 
> not renewed.
> 
> 
> -- 
> Dan Kriwitsky
> http://www.4sarasota.com/ 
>