Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!asuvax!ncar!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!swrinde!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!caen!ox.com!ox.com!emv From: emv@ox.com (Ed Vielmetti) Newsgroups: comp.mail.misc Subject: Re: Email to BIX?? Message-ID: Date: 15 Apr 91 20:56:29 GMT References: <568@racerx.UUCP> <1991Apr11.210543.1374@ux1.cso.uiuc.edu> <6910@aix.aix.kingston.ibm.com> <1991Apr15.133520.253@cbnewsk.att.com> Sender: usenet@ox.com (Usenet News Administrator) Organization: OTA Limited Partnership, Ann Arbor MI. Lines: 27 In-Reply-To: hansen@pegasus.att.com's message of 15 Apr 91 13:35:20 GMT In article <1991Apr15.133520.253@cbnewsk.att.com> hansen@pegasus.att.com (Tony L. Hansen) writes: No, the Internet commercial business prohibition does not apply. The commercial services are like telephone common carriers: they provide connectivity, but the individual is still responsible for the content. None of the commercial internet service providers have actually applied for common carrier status, though; that takes a lot of hard work and legal fees to accomplish. The closest thing is to register (with the FCC?) as an "enhanced service provider", which launches you into a big grey area of the law and doesn't seem to be regulated very aggressively. I don't have the details on what if anything this buys you except perhaps piece of mind for your lawyers. -- Msen Edward Vielmetti /|--- moderator, comp.archives emv@msen.com "With all of the attention and publicity focused on gigabit networks, not much notice has been given to small and largely unfunded research efforts which are studying innovative approaches for dealing with technical issues within the constraints of economic science." RFC 1216