Kent Crispin <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
>You might see it that way. Another characterization might be that TM
>interests have noted that under current social reality domain names
>have value as advertisment, and also that the DNS, in conjunction
>with the web, functions partly as an advertising medium. And
>therefore, use of names in that advertising medium does in fact come
>under the purview of TM law. This is all fact. Trademarks do
>appear on the net; trademarks do appear in domain names.
*sigh*
Here's where I feel the fundamental flaw is made. The DNS was not
designed to function, even partly, as an advertising medium,
particularly as an index or directory of commercial vendors. Do not
read this as me saying that the DNS should not be used to map the
names of commercial network names to network resources, particularly
IP addresses. That is not my intent. But the DNS was not designed to
do the type of many-to-many mapping of easily recognized name to
online presence that seems to be needed.
DNS needs to do what it does best, as a critical part of the Internet
infrastructure. IMO, we should be trying to work out compromises
between disputing domain name interests, and encouraging and
supporting the development of technologies that enable people to more
easily find what they are looking for on the Internet.
--gregbo
