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Bill Takes Aim at ICANN
June 20, 2003
U.S. Congressmen Brian Baird and Jay Inslee filed legislation Thursday designed to block a decision by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) to give VeriSign
control of the lucrative market for expired domain names ending in .com and .net.
Rival domain registrars across the country have expressed concern over the ICANN effort to implement an exclusive Wait List Service (WLS) to be maintained by VeriSign for customers interested in registering domain names that are in use by others. Currently, customers may purchase expired domain names through a number of registrar firms.
If the WLS becomes reality, VeriSign's competitors will be eliminated from the secondary market for .com and .net domain names.
"ICANN must preserve competition in the market for domain name registration," Baird said in a statement. "If we allow monopolistic control over the wait list for expired domain names, it will wipe out the competition among domain registrars that has brought fair pricing, diversity and expansion to the Internet marketplace."
The bill, The Fair Transparent and Competitive Internet Naming Act of 2003, will direct the General Accounting Office (GAO) to study the operating procedures of ICANN and impose a moratorium on any changes to current rules governing domain name registration.
This moratorium will expire 30 days after the GAO study has been completed and submitted to Congress.
Details at: http://boston.internet.com/news/article.php/2225211
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