[LINK] Domain auctions and MelIT

[Greg Watson]

Hi Richard,

You raise some interesting issues with regard to how domain names are 
allocated in Australia. The auDA Name Policy Advisory panel has been set up 
to examine exactly these kinds of issues. This panel held its first meeting 
yesterday and will be reporting regularly on its progress. The panel 
welcomes input from the public, so feel free to make a contribution. More 
information is available at http://auda.org.au/panel/name.

Regards,

Greg

At 05:11 PM 28/06/2000 +1000, richard@auscoms.com.au wrote:
>Had cause to visit http://www.shoutloud.com - a domains-for-auction site. 
>While
>I was there, I noticed three domain names in Australia up for auction
>www.cellars.com.au
>www.cool.com.au
>www.staffhirenet.com.au
>
>Truly fascinating. I know people with real, active, legitimate businesses who
>can't get domain names that match their business names -- "too generic", for
>example, and "don't match your company name."
>
>Meanwhile we have one generic domain name for sale by somebody who 
>registered a
>business name, but no longer owns that business name - ie created a 
>business out
>of nothing to get the domain name; another which looks similar, but at 
>least the
>business name registration remains in force; and a third which is held in
>Australia for no better reason than it was registered in the UK.
>
>Um. Personal opinion only: the enforcement of domain name rules in this 
>country
>is frequently inconsistent, and seems weighted in favour of the clever at the
>expense of the genuine. And so the clever get to find someone to soak for a
>domain name; while the genuine can do the other thing. And the business has a
>market cap of how much?
>
>Richard Chirgwin