On Fri, 17 Aug 2001 larry§netregistry.au.com wrote:

 > All,
 > 
 > Comments have been made on this list accusing NetRegistry of spamming the
 > AUNIC database. They are completely inaccurate and a mistake on the part of
 > Joshua Rowe.
 > 
 > I would hope that he would be brave enough to apologise for his damaging
 > remarks.

Larry, nothing you say below, or in any of your other messages to this
list, informs me at all in what way Joshua's assessment was 'inaccurate'
or a 'mistake', let alone libellous or defamatory.

Are you saying that the email he receved and quoted here was, in fact,
NOT unsolicited, ie that he HAD opted-in to receive such emails?

After reading it now several times, I'm also baffled by your point 4
below.  What in this context is meant by 'telemarketing'?  Does this
apply in any way to the email Joshua referred to?

Please clarify,

Thanks, Ian

 > That notwithstanding, NetRegistry hosts the AUNIC database, and this has
 > become the subject of some suspicion. For the record:
 > 
 > 1. NetRegistry takes its community responsibility in hosting this key
 > component of Australia's Internet infrastructure very seriously.
 > 2. NetRegistry under no circumstances sends spam to AUNIC entrants. Our bulk
 > email direct marketing is restricted solely to our customers who have
 > provided their information to us voluntarily for the purposes of customer
 > relationship management.
 > 3. NetRegistry advertises on the AUNIC website under a contract agreed to by
 > auDA and this is our sole commercial benefit for providing this service to
 > auDA for nothing (including bandwidth, equipment and support).
 > 4. Like many companies, NetRegistry does undertake telemarketing, and
 > publicly available whois information is sometimes used for this purposes -
 > for example to get contact details for a website a telemarketer may be
 > viewing. This I consider acceptable use.
 > 5. In future, all list members should understand that comments made on this
 > list that fall under defamation or libel legislation are actionable. This
 > (although I am not a lawyer) would seem to include replying to a message
 > with a defamatory subject line.
 > 
 > Lastly, I have never understood why people on email lists seem so keen to
 > sling mud around. The notion of common courtesy seems to take a leave of
 > absence when the Internet is involved. Perhaps that's part of the reason the
 > bubble came and went. Contentious issues are best dealt with directly
 > between protagonists without resort to public soap boxing.
 > 
 > 
 > Regards
 > 
 > Larry Bloch
 > Chief Executive Officer
 > ____________________________________________
 > NetRegistry     http://www.netregistry.au.com
 > Tel: +61 2 9699 6099 | Fax: +61 2 9699 6088
 > PO Box 270 Broadway NSW   2007 Australia
 > 
 > 
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