This may be old news, but I just noticed that a non-existent domain name typed in Internet Explorer (for Windows) takes you to MSN's Search Page. A link on that page then asks whether you would like to "Check availability or register the domain name." If you click on that, you're at a MelbourneIT/MSN registration site.

I know the MSN Search Page isn't new, but I hadn't noticed the MelbourneIT registration page before.

I wonder how many of Microsoft's users will be surprised to find that if they register a domain name through that page, they're agreeing to submit to Australian law: "18. Governing Law. Registrant agrees that this Registration Agreement is governed in all respects by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Victoria, Australia. By submitting this Registration Agreement, Registrant consents to the exclusive jurisdiction and venue of the Courts of Victoria (including the Victorian Registry of the Federal Court of Australia) and all courts hearing appeals from such Courts."

Thomas Roessler: "Where are the minutes from 01/15?" I'm glad I'm not the only one who cares about this stuff.

Wow, this strikes me as grossly irresponsible. In reading the allegations (copy of the complaint is here, in PDF format), I'm struck by how little research the lawyers did into the allegations they've made. They even made allegations about Verisign's responsibilities under its registry agreement with ICANN, but claimed that they didn't "yet" have a copy of the contract. Amazing. Hey guys, it's on the web! And while they're doing their homework, the lawyers should pay attention to this too.

The GNSO's Intellectual Property Constituency has been doing some interesting work lately.

Monika Ermert, in The Register: "For the first time in Internet history there are more DNS rootservers outside the United States than within...."

The New York Times takes on the controversial practice of 'Google-bombing'.

Brock Meeks on "Fort N.O.C.'s": The "heart" of the Internet, the so-called "A" root that is the Internet's master addressing computer, resides here on the third floor of a nondescript four story building, housed in massive flat-black aluminum cage that looks like it could double as a gym locker for a mountain troll....

From the PR Wire: Solis (Japan Registry) Signs Exclusive Partnership With Tucows in Japan. Sounds like a good move (and, disclosure caveat, I'm a Tucows stockholder).

Wired News presents the Vaporware awards for 2004.

Hmmm. I haven't received my letter yet. I hope it's just lost in the mail.

Nigeria's President Olusegun Obasanjo: "the TLD being a national resources should be managed by government" and "NITDA should immediately assume custody of the .ng TLD." Ironically, President Obasanjo's homepage can be found at olesegun-obasanjo.com.

Terrific column on the .NG dust up in The Register: "What ICANN head Paul Twomey made of...the letter from Nigeria’s minister of science and technology, Professor Turner Isoun, [when it] landed on his desk, we shall never know. But it was clear to everyone that something had gone horribly wrong in the running of Nigeria’s Internet...."

This is interesting:  "LadasDomains is unique to the registrar market. The company has been established by Ladas & Parry LLP, a law firm that has focused strictly on matters of intellectual property for 90 years...."  I probably would have gone the reseller route (hmmm, come to think of it, I did :-), but this makes a lot of sense too.  I'll be curious to see how it works out.

Kieren McCarthy's column in The Register today takes on ICANN and its redelegation process for ccTLDs. He asks a good question:

[ICANN's biography of itself] contains this statement: 'All decisions of substance are preceded by prior notice and a full opportunity for public comment.' ...Would you agree that handing over an entire’s country's domain to someone was a "decision of substance"? If so, how does the fact that no one outside the actual discussions knew of Haiti's upcoming redelegation until the report announcing IANA's decision was released yesterday, 13 January 2004, square with ICANN’s official policy?

Redelegation strikes me as an area that could stand significant improvement in the transparency department.

CNet on Registry remakes .name for itself: "'I think personal domain names are a big potential market,' said Bret Fausett...." And it's true too. I do. :-)

The landrush for .Name, the Sequel, started a few minutes ago. Good luck, folks.

The story on the Nigerian government's quest to claim .NG continues to be interesting. Here's a new story from Vanguard Online: "For those opposed to the re-delegation of the .ng top level domain to the Nigeria Internet Group(NIG), came a strong warning from government yesterday - that government was determined to use all the resources within its power to achieve the objective and that whoever fights the determination of government is on his/her own...."