Domain Registration Related News
ICANN breaks budget impasse
October 2004
The nonprofit agency in charge of the Net's
address system has gained approval for its
controversial 2004-2005 budget, following months
of acrimony between large registrars and their
smaller competitors.
The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and
Numbers (ICANN) hammered out the agreement Friday
after resolving a key disagreement that had
delayed the measure. The sticking point was a
tripartite fee structure that smaller registrars
organized to fight, claiming it unfairly
disadvantaged them.
"We're declaring that the budget is adopted and
the fee structure has been approved," said Kurt
Pritz, ICANN's vice president for business
operations. "This is not a victory over the
registrars. It's a victory with the registrars."
ICANN's budget woes come as the group fends off
numerous costly lawsuits. The highest profile of
these, by Verisign, was thrown out of federal
court in August and immediately revived in
California state court.
Pritz said ICANN was defending itself in more than
a half dozen other suits, and that from last
fiscal year to this one its legal expenses had
risen by $1.4 million, more than doubling.
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