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Google bans Gmail swaps and sales
Monday, July 05, 2004
Google changed its Gmail membership policy this week to prevent
people from profiting on the sale of popular e-mail names.
According to Google's new policy, altered Monday, the Web search
company prohibits Gmail subscribers from selling, trading or transferring
the free e-mail accounts "for any unauthorized commercial purpose."
It also bars people from setting up multiple accounts in violation
of the policy.
The changes are designed to deter people from creating multiple
e-mail accounts with the purpose of reselling or trading them, according
to a source at the company. The policy alterations do not target
people trying to barter Gmail invitations, which allow people to
sign up for a new membership.
The Mountain View, Calif., search company was likely responding
to instances of individuals and commercial ventures attempting to
profit from the popular, yet not widely available, service. For
example, an eBay auction for Gmail account names "Bush04@gmail.com"
or "Kerry04@gmail.com"--for the respective campaigns of
the top Republican and Democratic presidential candidates--could
violate the rule.
Google began publicly testing Gmail in late March, in a move that
rattled rival e-mail providers with promises of vast improvements
to free Web-based e-mail. Gmail, for example, offers users a whopping
1 gigabyte of storage and lets people search unlimited archives
of conversations. At first, Google let only select family and friends
open accounts, yet it has slowly opened up membership more broadly
to friends of those already holding accounts.
Yet the clublike demand for accounts has inspired entrepreneurs.
Online auction site eBay has as many as 2,000 listings for Gmail
invitations for sale, ranging from 1 cent to as much as US$30 for
10 accounts. Web operations like Gmail Swap have cropped up to help
people exchange invitations for goods and services. And the Institute
for Spam and Public Policy recently started a Web site and campaign
called Gmail 4 Troops to encourage people to share their Gmail invitations
with military fighting in the Iraqi war.
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