OK, Here are some messages that have been sent to some people & organizations, Daniel Karrenberg included: (number 2 and 4 are pretty interesting:-) I think I've done what's needed - organized group of people (rather, they came to me, but it's another story...), have them on the web, have Digsys at the Fair Trade Comission, etc, etc. However, it seems the wisest will be to advise the Government to take control over it - at least we can have control to some extent over the government via the parlament. ====== 1:

---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Thu, 19 Mar 1998 17:13:37 +0200 (GMT+0200) From: Veni Markovski <veni at mail.bol.bg> To: Daniel Karrenberg <Daniel.Karrenberg at ripe.net> Cc: Niall.oReilly at ucd.ie, burack at isoc.org, iana at iana.org, vcerf at mci.net, Don Heath <heath at isoc.org>, Jon Postel <postel at isi.edu> Subject: Re: RIPE meeting and the situation in Bulgarian TLDA

On Thu, 19 Mar 1998, Daniel Karrenberg wrote:

...

[cut] Dear collegues, I understand your position "If something is working, don't touch it", but after all, and I am not going to get tired repeating it, our point is that the current TLDA may keep on being a TLDA, but the rules after which they conduct their behaviour should be created not by the TLDA himself, but from an NGO. You can read more about this idea at http://www.ibm.com/othervoices/levine/february1398155624.phtml

There is nothing wrong in our request. There is something wrong in the fact that this simple request is being turned down by the hostmaster, by IANA, and by RIPE.

The Internet should not be a tool for unfair competition. The Internet in Bulgaria will definitely NOT become a place where one organization (the hostmaster) can dictate the conditions for using the net to the rest of the Internauts. If you don't want to, can not, or are not willing to help us in our appeal for creating publicly accepted rules, then perhaps we'll have to search for another way.

However, I think that you could still read at http://www.bol.bg/protest/protest_e.htm that a huge amount of serious players in Bulgaria are against this discriminating policy.

Losing hope, regards, veni

==== 2: the next one is very interesting, as .bg TLDA respondedn to Vint, but never have sent me a contract. -----Original Message----- From: vinton g. cerf <vcerf at MCI.NET> To: veni markovski <veni at isoc.bg> Date: Monday, April 20, 1998 2:22 PM Subject: Re: contract for paying the domain names Digsys responded and said they would be pleased to execute a contract with you. They claim that charging is well within reason and the law. ====== 3: -----Original Message----- From: veni markovski <veni at isoc.bg> To: vinton g. cerf <vcerf at MCI.NET> Date: Wednesday, April 01, 1998 2:17 PM Subject: Re: contract for paying the domain names

Oh, let's put it briefly: the local TLDA is an ISP. They started from back date to charge for domain names ($ 50 start up fee, $ 50 / yearly fee). They introduced this price in mid January, but said it's since January 1st. The protest of some of the Internauts is listed in many web sites in the country. I'm attaching it to this message. As a lawyer, and as a normal citizen, I don't think what DigSys (the local TLDA) did was correct. On the contrary: - it's against the laws (FTC is already informed and taking actions against them), - it's not bringing consensus in the internet community in Bulgaria; - it's not fair, if you want, for an ISP to take money for fulfilling their "public service"

We proposed the organization of an NGO to handle the TLDAdministration, which will issue to an ISP the right to keep the name server(s). I wrote to IANA directly after a message from them, that they would not respond to a CC: message (why not?), but since January 15th there's no answer! No answer from IANA, from RIPE, from Digsys, from ISOC...

Why do I waste time? Well, since for one year I'm a practising judge, prosecutor, investigator, (that's part of my law education), I have time.

I'll make sure no one in Bulgaria will ever have this right to decide what the Internauts should do. I am also involved in the development of the new law on Information, and have opposed directly the intentions of the government to control the information provided in the web space in Bulgaria. If nothing works out, and we all let them (digsys, the government) censure the content on the Internet, then perhaps I am in the wrong country or in the wrong time. But my sense of honesty and fairness is suffering when I can not do anything to help the internauts...

Anyway, I know the last way would be to go in court, and I think I can do that to protect a broken right.

yours, veni

====== This one is also pretty interesting. It seems Mr. Postel hasn't read http://www.bol.bg/protest/ 4: -----Original Message----- From: postel at ISI.EDU <postel at ISI.EDU> To: veni at isoc.bg <veni at isoc.bg> Cc: daniel at dcave.digsys.bg <daniel at dcave.digsys.bg>; postel at ISI.EDU <postel at ISI.EDU>; iana at ISI.EDU <iana at ISI.EDU>; isoc-eu at imag.fr <isoc-eu at imag.fr>; Bruno.Oudet at imag.fr <Bruno.Oudet at imag.fr>; vcerf at MCI.NET <vcerf at MCI.NET>; ISOC-TRUSTEES at listserv.isoc.org <ISOC-TRUSTEES at listserv.isoc.org> Date: Wednesday, April 22, 1998 12:28 AM Subject: Bulgarian situation

Veni Markovski:

The IANA certainly agrees that the selection of a management authority for a country code TLD should be based on the consensus of all interested parties in the country. This is often hard to accomplish.

However, complaints from one person do not demonstrate that a consensus does not exist, or that the current management needs to be replaced.

We have received your many messages complaining about the managemnent of the .BG ccTLD.

We have reviewed these matters several times with the current manager of the .BG domain and found the responses to be quite reasonable.

--jon.

-----Original Message----- From: Jim Fleming <JimFleming at unety.net> To: E D Danielyan <edd at aic.net>; veni at isoc.bg <veni at isoc.bg> Cc: centr at ripe.net <centr at ripe.net>; tld-wg at ripe.net <tld-wg at ripe.net>; rsctalk at ah.net <rsctalk at ah.net> Date: Friday, August 28, 1998 2:11 PM Subject: Re: BG TLD

-----Original Message----- From: E D Danielyan <edd at aic.net> To: veni at isoc.bg <veni at isoc.bg> Cc: centr at ripe.net <centr at ripe.net>; tld-wg at ripe.net <tld-wg at ripe.net> Date: Friday, August 28, 1998 4:43 AM Subject: Re: BG TLD

...

Dear Veni:

...

I mean, we (ISOC-Bulgaria) tried everything, and it wouldn't work. The current ccTLD system is rotten - at least in the .bg case. Ergo, we have

to

...

...

find an alternative.

With all respect for you, Veni, you do not have to find an alternative - you have to defend your viewpoint. I'd advise you to forward all correspondence between you and Dr. Postel to this list for public consideration; afterwards, if you believe you're right, file wrongful conduct action against BG NIC

in

...

your country and make Internet community in Bulgaria aware of the situation: if your rights, or rights of public are not honored, it is your and public's responsibility to defend and enforce them. Internet isn't a monarchy and Dr. Postel isn't a king.

Yours Edgar AM NIC

I agree and would further suggest that this be handled in the G3 region as much as possible with the help of the "neighbor net" community for the .BG TLD. In a growing Internet, Jon Postel or a small IANA staff will not be able to sort out all of the local issues. People in the "region" can help with that. That is one of the merits of socializing these discussions.

Does anyone have the current "neighbor net" for the .BG TLD which I assume is in G3 ?

Jim Fleming Unir Corporation - http://www.unir.com

-------- Logged at Fri Aug 28 18:00:26 MET DST 1998 ---------