IP: EFFector 15.03: EFF SAYS NETWORK SOLUTIONS INC. MUST PROTECT PUBLIC

[David Farber <dave () farber net>]

> EFF SAYS NETWORK SOLUTIONS INC. MUST PROTECT PUBLIC
>
> NSI SCREWED UP SEX.COM DOMAIN DISPUTE
>
> Electronic Frontier Foundation Media Release
>
> For Immediate Release: Wednesday, January 23, 2002
>
> San Francisco - The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) today asked an
> appeals court to hold Network Solutions, Inc., (NSI) responsible for
> mismanagement of the Sex.com domain name.
>
> The case arises from NSI's actions in taking the Sex.com domain name
> from appellant Gary Kremen and giving it to another Internet user who
> presented NSI with fraudulent information.
>
> In 2000, a lower court ruled that NSI, a private company which is the
> sole domain name registry for dot-com domain names, is immune from
> civil suit in cases where it negligently handled a domain name. Sex.com
> then appealed to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, and EFF filed an
> amicus brief in the case.
>
> "A court has ruled that NSI can screw up its monopoly on dot-com domain
> name management and face no consequence for its actions," said EFF
> Intellectual Property Attorney Robin Gross. "We hope the appellate
> court will recognize the danger in eliminating all accountability for
> this key component of Internet governance."
>
> "I'm pleased that EFF, which has always been a clear voice on
> cutting-edge Internet governance issues, supports the position that
> domain registrars are custodians of valuable business properties and
> have clear responsibilities to their customers," said San Francisco
> businessman Gary Kremen, plaintiff in the suit. "Everyone reasonably
> assumes the registrar will prevent poaching of domain names. It's time
> the law backed that up."
>
> VeriSign Inc. acquired NSI after the legal case was filed.
>
> Links:
>
> Documents related to Sex.com case:
>   http://www.eff.org/IP/Internet_address_disputes/Kremen_v_NSI/
>
> About EFF:
>
> The Electronic Frontier Foundation is the leading civil liberties
> organization working to protect rights in the digital world. Founded in
> 1990, EFF actively encourages and challenges industry and government to
> support free expression, privacy, and openness in the information
> society. EFF is a member-supported organization and maintains one of
> the most linked-to Web sites in the world:
>   http://www.eff.org/
>
> Contacts:
>
> Robin Gross, EFF Intellectual Property Attorney
>   robin () eff org
>   +1 415-436-9333 x112
>
> James M. Wagstaffe, Kerr & Wagstaffe LLP, Attorney for Sex.com
>   wagstaffe () kerrwagstaffe com
>   +1 415-371-8500

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