Date: Wed, 30 Aug 2000 17:28:02 +0100 To: baumgj@rpi.edu From: net_CALLBOY Subject: Fwd: Re: URGENT: Request for comment re: Voteauction.com Cc: Bcc: admin@rtmark.com X-Attachments: hehehe.. this bastard is playing dirty tricks man.. he is one smart sucker.. he plays it with lost emails and shit, to get different stuff.. watch out..hehehe, but i like this guy! ciao hans_e Delivered-To: hans@ubermorgen.com Subject: Re: URGENT: Request for comment re: Voteauction.com Date: Wed, 30 Aug 00 12:13:19 -0400 x-sender: mkanders@mail.javanet.com From: Mark Anderson To: "ubermorgen" Luzius-- Thanks for your time in replying to my initial questions. I would like to write more about Voteauction.com for WIRED... Would you be available sometime soon for a telephone interview? Thank you, Mark Anderson WIRED News mkanders@javanet.com 413-586-8961 v 253-399-3201 f > >dear mark > >the deal has just been closed and i am very happy to be the new owner of this fantastic domain and the related business along with it! > >i think that this is a great opportunity for a foreign investor to capitalize on the american election industry. in fact, there are many other new american industries that i am considering investing in, including the prison industry and the K-12 education industry. america continues to privatize many of its public sectors, and this presents many opportunities for the foreign investor. > >>I'm an American reporter for WIRED News, and I spoke with James Baumgartner this afternoon (3:30 p.m. New York time). He indicated that you had bought Voteauction.com. I have several questions for you related to this sale: >> >>1) Do you plan on continuing the operation of Voteauction.com? If so, will your Voteauction.com operate with the same policies as Voteauction.com under Baumgartner's direction? > >the weird thing here is that we all fully agree with the people who are outraged by this thing, this voteauction.com! we don't want it to be possible to buy votes - we just don't want corporations to be able to, any longer. or better said we would like to control or at least benefit from parts of the american election industry with our holding and specially with this exciting new biz-venture voteauction.com. > >so, yes.. we do plan to continue this service. we might include some minor changes, but we dont expect to make fundamental changes. speed is the key! > >>2) It has been pointed out -- in, for instance, the story I wrote last week about Voteauction for WIRED News (*) -- that the buying and selling of votes is illegal under the laws of every state in the U.S. In New York state, for instance, it's considered a felony in both several state laws and in the state constitution. If you do indeed plan on continuing Voteauction.com selling U.S. votes, how do you plan to contend with the many potential criminal indictments -- for both Voteauction and its participants -- that could arise as a result? > >we have been under investigation by american legal institutions several times over the last years. > >so, i expect the result of this voteauction-deal to be pretty edgy. but what can you do? worst case scenarios and high-risk ventures are our business-lifestyle and our key to success. if we run into serious legal troubles we will just delegate this business to one of our offshore companies, and they are definitely and perfectly out of reach! > >>3) What were the terms of the sale? Were there any requirements Mr. Baumgartner put on the operations of the site? Were there any terms that you required before you would buy Voteauction? > >we have both signed a contract including various non- disclosures. > >>I look forward to hearing from you at your earliest convenience. > >best regards > >luzius a. bernhard >etoy holding ag, vienna/austria > >ps: our sub-company ubermorgen.com is in no way affiliated with the voteauction.com deal. it is one of our new media assets in europe. >