The best of 'Reader Comments': Nazi memorabilia on Yahoo! in France and Icann's new names

One story that inspired a great deal of reaction was the curtailing of Yahoo! in France because of its hosted auction of Nazi memorabilia (http://www.silicon.com/a41032 )

--The start of the end of the web?
From: Scott Dougal

Here we go. Finally the web is getting the same overkill level of censorship experienced by the rest of the media. Free speech is part of our society, and the ruling on what we can see on the net is a disaster. Why is the Nazi memorabilia auction banned? The Romans were oppressive animals who raped and pillaged across Europe. If an artefact from their era is found it is celebrated and sold for a fortune to collectors or museums. In 100 years the same will be said of this Nazi memorabilia. Time to move on should be the words spoken to the French Judge who has signalled the start of the 'free world's' inability to allow its population to decide for themselves if they want to log on to a certain subject! Let's hope the rest of the world moves on quicker than the judge, and realises the error of this judgement.

--French must find another way
From: Neil J Hughes

While one must respect those that brought this action - it is rare these days to see people acting on purely ethical grounds and succeeding - it is a most unfortunate result. The precedent set is what is important. The internet has largely been a force for good, allowing entry to commerce and a wealth of opportunity for people everywhere who have an idea, a product or a service.

The French have to find another way - education, policing or cultural change to stop the traffic in these disgraceful goods.

--In favour of extraterritoriality
From: Liam M Connelly, LL.B., LL.M., MCIArb.

Without a chance to read the decision, this cross jurisdictional precedent is expanding the role of established US long arm statute precedents.

The jurisdictional principle of law which is developing is clearly the following:

'Any transaction (commerce) on the internet which touches and concerns another jurisdiction, or has an effect in another jurisdiction, will be subject to that other jurisdiction's courts or sovereign laws.'

This is the logical progression of the extraterritoriality effect principle of international law. The internet technology is changing our societies laws and principles. A change maybe for the better.

--Brand damage
From: Nick Kettles, Deputy Editor, E-First Magazine

You've missed the point. All this talk about legality ignores the fact that Yahoo! wishes to defend the right to freedom of speech on the grounds of hosting a sale of Nazi memorabilia. I can think of no quicker way to dilute a brand than to associate it with the holocaust. Surely this kind of belligerence on Yahoo!'s part reflects a little immaturity, even insensitivity on the part of Yahoo!'s management.

Meanwhile, the announcement of new top level domain names from internet governing body Icann (http://www.silicon.com/a40928 ) elicited these, rather anti-commercial responses

--No profit versus not for profit domain names
From: Will Sheward

I fear this story will be seriously misunderstood by some of our nation's high-profile dot-coms.

Just to clarify, this is a domain name for those who deliberately set out not to make a profit, not for those who are unable to apply decent cost control measures to a supposedly high-profit dot-com idea.

Perhaps those poor unfortunates ought to agitate for their own extension? My vote would be for .ebr (excessive burn rate).

--Still master of your domain?
From: Chris Davies

Domain name registration is a very sensitive issue. Firstly, it is snared up in one of the most profitable set of laws, those pertaining to copyright.

I think Icann has been too removed from the ethos of the internet, and too concerned with meeting the needs of those companies that seek to exploit the internet for commercial interests.

The internet is no longer the information superhighway, it is the information supermarket. Icann need to address this misbalance, allowing for a more flexible and more global registration system.

On another note, the pricing and the hosting services for the internet should be put into perspective, and this should fall under Icann's responsibility to inform the public of the services and guide them accordingly.

The W3 consortium, and ICANN should work together in the interests of making the internet a primarily non profit information and service domain, and not accommodate every whim of the entrepreneurial masses.