Question Regarding Behaviour Of German Top Level Registry

I'm currently in the process of transfering the Web Server of a German
Company
called FMFmedia to Austria. There is already a domain deligated to the this
Company (fmfmedia.de), with the NameServers pointing to:

>fmfmedia.de     nameserver = ns.nordwest.pop.de
>fmfmedia.de     nameserver = ns.space.net
>fmfmedia.de     nameserver = ecrc.de

I asked the Top-Level Reg. for Germany the DE-NIC to change this
so the name-server would point to:

>fmfmedia.de     nameserver = server.net4you.co.at
>fmfmedia.de     nameserver = bkk.bkkallincl.co.at
.

They said YES of course, but you have to pay 550 DM (about US$ 390)  a year
for
MAINTENANCE of this Name-Server Records.

When we pointed out, that we are ourselves a member of RIPE and would do any
maintenance ourselfs, they simply refused to acknowledge this and insisted
on
the payment.

Maintenance in DE-NICs eyes is (quoted and translated from German):
>... the update of Name-Server Entries, change of Glue-A-RRs, register and
>maintain the domain in the RIPE-Database and more....

I do not doubt, that Name-Server Entries (3 lines) and Glue-A-RRs (another 3
lines)
are necessarily the duty (!) of a Top Level Domain.
But I can't understand, why maintenance in the Ripe-DB must be done by the
Top-Level,
and what they will do, that is worth 390 Bucks a YEAR !
Keeping (!) 6 lines in ones Name-Server file must be a realy big task !

The InterNIC charges 50 US$ a year for handling domains and they have much
more work
to do. 

I understand from my time on the Net (about 5 Years now) that RFCs are the
rules of the net.
RFC1591 Domain Name System Structure and Delegation states:

>..These administrators are performing a public service on
>behalf of the Internet community. 
and
>  These designated authorities are trustees for the delegated
>  domain, and have a duty to serve the community.
and (my favorite lines)
>Concerns about "rights" and "ownership" of domains are
>inappropriate.  It is appropriate to be concerned about
>"responsibilities" and "service" to the community.

I can't see DE-NIC in there !

I don't expect DE-NIC to be free of any charge, since there IS work to do
and a host and hostmaster to be paid for, but DE-NIC tries to make a 
quick buck out of the internet boom.


Am I making sense ? Someone outthere shares this view ?

Please don't hesitate to applaud, flame or ignore this Mail.

Regards from a confused and angry netmaster

Max Gutberlet


 



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|   Max Gutberlet                 Address: NET4YOU         |
|   NetMaster Net4You                      Ringmauergasse 8|
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