[728] in Commercialization & Privatization of the Internet
Re: Let 100 Backbones Bloom!
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Stephen Wolff)
Thu May 23 16:41:42 1991
To: Stephen D Crocker <crocker@TIS.COM>
Cc: com-priv@psi.com
Date: Thu, 23 May 91 12:56:20 EDT
From: Stephen Wolff <steve@cise.nsf.gov>
> I've been reading the traffic regarding commerical use and trying to
> keep it all straight. As near as I can tell:
>
> (1) A commercial firm such as DRA may offer commercial services to
> anyone without violating any of the rules, provided
>
> (2) the commercial firm is connected to an unrestricted commercial
> segment of the Internet, e.g. PSInet, Alternet, etc.,
>
> (3) the customer adheres to the rules imposed on it by its network
> service provider, and
>
> (4) the customer initiates the transactions.
Condition (4) isn't needed; it doesn't matter who initiates. A firm as in
(1) may make a mass mailing to folks who live on similarly unconstrained
pices of the Internet. If a recipient is however on a restricted chunk of
Internet, the firm is in violation.
You do know that certain commercial services have asked for and been granted
general Internet access on an experimental basis.
> That is, the commercial concern would simply assert that it's
> following the rules, and that it must assume that anyone initiating a
> transaction with it is also following the rules. Moreover, even if
> the customer is violating someone's rules, the commercial concern is
> not to blame.
That's right; there's no "attractive nuisance" statute.
> (5) However, no one in the government is in a position to say this
> directly.
What's to be said? The NSFNET Backbone Interim Acceptable Use Policy has
been pretty widely promulgated - let me know if you want a copy. Other
Agencies have their usage policies, and the Agencies' reciprocity agreement
is still in effect. The mid-level networks and the commercial providers
have their policies, too.
> Have I got this right? If so, then an adventuresome commercial
> concern that understands this might well initiate full scale
> commercial service, while a more cautious commercial concern will wait
> for a clear green light.
"He who hesitates is last;" "The point man takes the hits;" "It's easier to
get forgiveness than permission;" "There's no harm in asking." Pick your
aphorism and live by it.
-s
