North American Network Operators Group Date Prev | Date Next | Date Index | Thread Index | Author Index | Historical Hostname Scam
Here's an interesting twist. This company wants to operate a series of web sites named visit.<state>.com. They want everyone who holds a domain named after a state in the COM TLD to support the effort in DNS. There is repeated reference to potential advertising revenue, so this is a commercial venture. The postscript states an intention on the part of USA Internet Gateway to register and enforce the hostname "visit" for any <state>.com domain. Sounds absurd, but you never know what will happen in the US legal system. Mark Borchers InfiNet Network Engineering > > USA Internet Gateway, Inc > 13825 US Hwy 19 > Suite 404 F > Hudson, Florida 34667-1191 > > July 1, 1996 > > Dear Domain Administrator: > > I am writing *YOU* personally, to formally announce the Visit.Earth(sm) > Project - A Global Internet Guide. I share this information because I would > like to involve your domain in the project. > > As a state named domain, you are uniquely positioned to join in this private > intitiative. Specifically, USA Internet Gateway, Inc., in association with > Universal Video, has developed a website plan that will bring a great deal > of attention to participating websites. > > Basically, and without a lot of hype, we propose that you provide us with a > perpetual license for the machine name "visit" on your domain > (Visit.Your-State-Named-Domain.com). In exchange, we will provide you with > perpetual exposure by way of a link on the opening screen of the homepage > for your respective "visit" website. > > More details ... > (a) There is no cash required for this transaction. > (b) USA Internet Gateway, Inc. will assume full responsibility for all > "visit" websites; > (c) the machine names WILL NOT be sub-licensed - period; > (d) An IP number will be supplied for you to add to your DNS records for > the "visit" machine; > (e) If you provide DNS for your network - submit the confirmation > (attached) and we'll send information so you can update your BIND database > file (by adding an "A" record and an "MX" record). That's all* you have to do; > > - DNS services have been contracted and will be provided for those domains > that do not actually have a network currently on-line. > - If, for some reason, you prefer not to have a link to your WWW site, one > WILL NOT be posted. > > Over the next nine months we will be bringing countries around the globe and > states across the country on-line under the Visit.Earth Project (see > http://visit.earth.com). In fact, holders of most country-named domains are > being contacted in a separate mailing right now. > > As we continue to develop, so, we believe, will Internet traffic. And, if > you will provide a license, you will be linked to the front page for your > respective state. Thus, while there is currently no model available, we > believe the advertising you receive as compensation for the machine name > will generate a continuing source of opportunity. > > And (while NOT part of this offer), there are several exciting possibilities > for the future. Some steps you may want to take now! For example: Is there > a state chamber of commerce in your state? If not, you may want to follow > the tennessee.com lead (see http://visit.tennessee.com/chambers/) and > register it as your trademark. You may also notice that tennessee.com is > offering it's other county and city machine names to local area chambers and > others. > > This extension of our concept is of mutual benefit to tennessee.com, > Universal Video, USA Internet Gateway, Inc., and every domain that becomes > involved. The beauty of the project is the independence of it. You don't > have to sell machine names or email forwarding services. You don't have to > supply bandwidth for the "visit" site. You are not required to modify your > domain content in any way. It's not a franchise. There are no current or > future charges associated with the perpetual license. It's all your > irrevocable independent decision. And, even if you decide not to do > anything now, you can change your mind after you see the benefit of > extending the concept into your own state. Further, it is reasonable to > assume that future advertising campaigns may produce residual benefits for > your domain. > > Again, the perpetual license has nothing to do with whether or not you > extend the "visit" concept into your own state, beyond the fact that it > assures that your domain will be announced in the opening screen of the > respective "visit" homepage. A national advertising fund HAS NOT yet been > established. The plan is not at that phase and we have not set a date for > such a campaign. I mention the above now, only to direct your thoughts into > the realm of future possibilities for an alliance of independents and, so > that you may take steps now to further that opportunity. > > This is USA Internet Gateway, Inc.'s first offer to any corporation or > individual. Since we felt certain that you would be interested in this > opportunity, we have only approached those .com domains with full state > names (i.e., tennessee.com - not "tn.com", "tenn.com", "tennessee.net", > "tn.net", etc.). We feel strongly you will never find a better opportunity > in exchange for your currently-unused domain machine name. > > I look forward to receiving your confirmation. > > Sincerely, > > > > A.S. Noe > > > > > * A copy of this email was sent to your Internic-listed technical contact. > She may well inform you that there are other things that have to be done, > such as resetting serial numbers, restarting daemons, etc.. This is, of > course, true. The point is, it's a pretty simple process. > > If, for any reason you are not interested in this offer, surely you > understand our request that you not resolve a machine to serve pages on the > "visit" machine name. None of you now has a machine named "visit" and any > future use of that machine name IN A SIMILAR MANNER as USA Internet Gateway, > Inc.'s would be deemed an intentional violation of our registered > trademarks, servicemarks, and patent(s) which may be currently pending. > > > > _____________________________________________________________ > > USA INTERNET GATEWAY, INC. > Perpetual Name License Agreement > > > > As Owner of the _________________________________________________ domain, > > I _________________________________________________________hereby issue a > perpetual name license to USA Internet Gateway, Inc. for the machine name > "VISIT" on the above referenced domain. To that end, I agree to modify the > DNS records for the above referenced domain to reflect the "VISIT" machine > name, including an "MX" record for mail. I agree to make one change per > year for each of these records at no cost to USA Internet Gateway, Inc., and > if additional changes are requested, records updates will be made at a rate > of $100 per hour. > > I understand that my full payment for this perpetual name license is to be > received in the form of advertising on the opening screen of the homepage > for the "VISIT" machine on my domain. The banner on that page will be > linked to the Unique Resource Locator I specify and may be changed once per > year at no cost to me. I understand that I may change the link and/or the > banner more than once a year, but those additional changes will be done at a > rate of $100 per hour. It is agreed that I may resell this advertising > space if I so desire. > > Finally, I understand that USA Internet Gateway, Inc. is assuming full > responsibility for the operation, content and maintenance of the "VISIT" > machine and shall hold me harmless in the event of any litigation that may > arise pertaining to that "VISIT" site. > > Signed: > > _____________________________ > > > for _____________________________ > > - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
|