Re: [ga] Is it true?

[Joop Teernstra <terastra@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

At 11:27 a.m. 22/05/2005, Sotiris Sotiropoulos wrote:
> Richard Henderson wrote:
>
> > What compelling reason can anyone at ICANN offer for insisting that a 
> > registrant's home address, phone number etc should be made available to 
> > the rest of the world?
>
> Richard et al.,
>
> Well, at ICANN Montreal I had a chat with an IP lawyer from the UK who 
> maintained that it made her job easier and I agreed...  I further observed 
> to her that it allowed her to maximize profit by providing her with *free* 
> access to what really should be privileged information.  Of course, she 
> didn't like that part...
>
> Now, if I were a registrar looking for another revenue stream, I would be 
> lobbying to make WHOIS information restricted so that I could sell WHOIS 
> queries to IP lawyers and others... So, whatever happens, I won't be 
> surprised by anything at this point. (sigh)

There is a competing interest here between the IP lobby industry and the 
domain registration industry.

More names could be "sold" by registrars if  if it was not for the 
inhibiting factor of Namers having to disclose personal information to the 
public sphere.


To shift the burden from where it lies now (registrants having to take the 
initiative and pay more for a "proxy registration" or a P.O.Box )  to those 
who want to have your name and address is a good idea.



-joop-