Fair points Ron.  Scams of one form or another are inevitable.  It's a
matter of ensuring that there is a regime in place that minimises the risks,
provides penalites, remedies and/or damages (including statutory possibly)
that are potentially harsh and has real deterrent value.

Ian Johnston

> -----Original Message-----
> From: dns-bounces+ian.johnston=infobrokers.com.au§dotau.org
> [mailto:dns-bounces+ian.johnston=infobrokers.com.au§dotau.org]
> On Behalf Of Ron Stark
> Sent: Thursday, 29 September 2005 2:34 PM
> To: '.au DNS Discussion List'
> Subject: Re: [DNS]
> Timefortherulestochangeregardingtransferringdomainnamelicences
>
> It's all very well to talk about legal protection and to provide for legal
> recourse.  The weakness is that an aggrieved registrant is
> unlikely to have the resources to fund defence of their rights,
> in which case the protection is worthless.
>
> As a very wise lawyer said to me  (Craig - where are you??) - a patent is
> only worth the amount of money I can put up to defend its violation.
>
> Ron Stark
>
> :  -----Original Message-----
> :  From: dns-bounces+ronstark=snapsite.com.au§dotau.org
> :  [mailto:dns-bounces+ronstark=snapsite.com.au§dotau.org] On
> :  Behalf Of Ian Johnston
> :  Sent: Thursday, 29 September 2005 2:26 PM
> :  To: .au DNS Discussion List
> :  Subject: Re: [DNS] Time
> :  fortherulestochangeregardingtransferringdomainnamelicences
> :
> :  Tony Owen wrote:
> :  > Personally, I think a transfer fee (picking a random
> :  number ... > $50)
> :  would
> :  > stop a whole heap of these scams, and the revenue could be used to
> :  > reduce the cost of the base registration fee.
> :
> :  In an *efficent* secondary market, transaction costs should
> :  be as low as possible, cost-based (auDA and/or Registrar
> :  transfer fee) and determined by competing market
> :  participants (eg Registrars).  Registrars may bundle
> :  different levels of marketing services with transfer services.
> :
> :  Scams are probably best dealt with by other measures,
> :  desirably put in place by auDA, but if need be by the
> :  co-regulator (ACCC) and/or specific Federal legislation with
> :  provision for penalties.
> :
> :  Ian Johnston