College Issues E-Name Rules

After fielding months of phone calls and questions regarding the use of Harvard's name in Internet domains, the provost's office yesterday issued a new set of guidelines primarily directed at University users.

The policy clarifies and expands upon a 1997 policy on the use of Harvard names and insignia. That policy did not mention the Internet.

The new version was sent to deans at Harvard's various schools.

The guidelines were necessary because many people were unsure if the original policy also applied to the Internet, according to Assistant Provost Sarah E. Wald.

"It made sense to come up with electronic guidelines," said Wald, who worked on the new document. "Since we are trying to police the use of our name outside, we are also trying to police the name inside."

According to the new rules, users must obtain the permission of Provost Harvey V. Fineberg '67 before using "Harvard" in an Internet domain, an e-mail address or a website title. Those who wish to use common abbreviations for Harvard's faculties--for example, "HLS" for Harvard Law School--must consult the school's dean.

The rules do not apply to personal addresses like jane_doe@harvard.edu, according to the guidelines. Wald also said it does not apply to personal home pages, such as www.fas.harvard.edu/ ~doe.

Rather, the guidelines are designed to prevent problems stemming from the registry of such names as harvardtechnology.com, she said.

"The question is, who has the right to call their website harvardtechnology- .com... The Berkman Center?" she said, referring to the Berkman Center for Internet and Society at Harvard Law School. "Computer services at the Faculty of Arts and Sciences?"

"If there is a suggestion of an institutional endorsement, then you need to get permission," she added.

One guideline indicates that student organizations must work through the Dean of Students' office to obtain that permission.

The office of Dean of Students ended with the retirement of Dean Archie C. Epps III last year, however. Associate Dean of the College David P. Illingworth '71 has assumed many of Epps's former duties.

The guidelines also clarify the University's position on registration of for-profit dot-com domain names.

"It basically says that dot-com is disfavored," Wald said. "Dot-edu is preferred."

In recent months, University officials have intensified their scrutiny of the use of the Harvard name, keeping an especially careful eye on for-profit operations.

"The schools were calling and asking what to do if projects wanted to register in dot-com," Wald said.

Another guideline discusses for-profit domain names like dot-org and dot-net.

"In most cases, the appropriate domain for University activities will be '.edu' or '.org,'" the policy reads.

"Registration (but not actual use) of a name in '.com' or '.net' is allowable for the purpose of protecting against a third party's use of that domain name, but use of such an address will be the exception and is allowable only upon permission of the Provost," it adds.

In early April, the University settled a lawsuit with a cybersquatter who registered 68 domain names including the word "Harvard."

University officials also recently expressed concern about the name of Harvard Pilgrim Health Care, a financially troubled HMO, when authorities considered trying to salvage it by making it for-profit.

"They're all very similar and closely related," Wald said of the new guidelines, the cybersquatter case and the Harvard Pilgrim matter.

The provost's office started working on the guidelines this past fall, and deans and information technology directors at various schools saw a rough version in February. Officials from Harvard's trademark office, Assistant Provost Daniel D. Moriarty and some members of Harvard's general counsel's office also helped formulate the policy.

Wald said yesterday's version is considered final, but added that if additional questions arise, the provost's office will make clarifications.

"It doesn't specifically talk about every single context that comes up," she said. "I think if questions come up, we can certainly clarify. The idea is to be helpful--not to catch people."