Joe writes:

> Speaking strictly for the United States, and the US Postal
> Service (ha,
> there's a word for ya - Service - at least around here --
> hehehe) -- The
> USPS owns the mailboxes on the street, and technically owns
> your mailbox at
> your house.  It is illegal, for instance, to deposit a note in your
> neighbor's mailbox without proper postage, and the MAIL
> CARRIER must do the
> depositing.  The USPS owns the "transport" - it transports
> the mail from
> point A, to point B, in the us, and ultimately (and
> eventually) to it's
> destination.

And then Joe writes:

> Now - back on topic -- the USPS has no claim on:
>
> (1) Your personal e-mail client - that's yours and yours
> alone (unless it's
> on your employer's PC, then it's your employer's, for your use)
>
> (2) Your email box, whether it be at work, your personal ISP
> account, a free
> HOTMAIL mailbox, etc.  That belongs to the ISP or your
> company, for your
> exclusive use.  It belongs to YOU, if you own the SMTP server.
>
> (3) The SMTP Server - that belongs to your company or your
> ISP.  If you own
> the server, then guess what, that too, belongs to you.  (Some
> of us are just
> plain lucky, I guess :)
>
> In other words, the USPS cannot charge postage for e-mail,
> because they do
> not own the equipment, the software, the mailboxes or the
> mail clients!

Joe, it seems to me that you just contradicted your argument. First you
say that they technically own your mailbox at the street. Did they pay
you for the box or the installation, I think not! Second you say since
they (USPS) did not pay for your email equipment that they have no
claim. Again, they didn't pay for the real mailbox and they own that,
why not the virtual one.

John Zoltak
North American Mfg Co