Subject: [Fwd: A memo to Jeff Bezos] > Network Solutions, Inc > 505 Huntmar Park Drive > Herndon, VA 20170 > April 1, 2000 > > Mr. Jeff Bezos > President and Chief Executive Officer > Amazon.com, inc. > P.O. Box 81226 > Seattle, WA 98108-1226 > > Subject: Application for Renewel of amazon.com domain name > > Dear Mr. Bezos: > > We recently received your application for renewal of the > "amazon.com" domain name for your company, Amazon.com, inc. > Unfortunately, we must reject your application, and assign > you an alternate domain name instead; for the reasons > outlined below. > > As you are no doubt aware, the .com top-level domain is > intended for use by for-profit corporations. Many such > corporations are registered with Network Solutions, > and this policy is unchanged. > > However, it has come to our attention, as evidenced by recent > SEC filings on behalf of Amazon.com, inc., that your company > has yet to turn a profit. As such, Amazon.com, inc. no longer > qualifies for a domain name in the ".com" hierarchy. However, > based on your financial performance, you do qualify for > membership in the ".org" domain; which is intended for non-profit > organizations. Unless there are any objections from you or your > representative, Network Solutions will assign Amazon.com, inc. the > new domain name "amazon.com.org". (We would have assigned the > shorter "amazon.org" domain, but that domain is currently assigned > to a website for the San Fransisco lesbian community.) > > To be frank; we were gravely concerned about the amount of money that > amazon.com, inc. has been losing. We were seriously considering > assigning a name in the ".gov" domain based on the current rate > that your corporation is losing money. However, as Amazon.com, inc. > is a publicly-traded corporation, and policy reserves the .gov domain > for organizations that are in fact governmental agencies, it was > determined felt that this would not be appropriate. > > This change in your domain name registration only affects your > Internet domain name as assigned by Network Solutions; and no way > impairs your right to continue to do business under the trademark > of "Amazon.com". If and when Amazon.com, inc. becomes a profitable > enterprise; we will be happy to reconsider granting you once again > the domain name "amazon.com", assuming it is still available. > > This change shall take effect within the next thirty (30) days, at > which point the "amazon.com" name will be decomissioned. You > have until then to notify customers and business partners. Effective > immediately, and for the length of the thirty-day transition period; > both names wlll be registered to Amazon.com, inc. > > If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact > our customer service department. > > Sincerely, > > Jim Rutt > Chief Executive Officer > Network Solutions, Inc.