Two weeks ago, VeriSign, the sole domain name regulator for .com and .net names, enacted a DNS-side redirect service that automatically redirects users who attempt to connect to misspelled or unregistered Web addresses to a "search page" on VeriSign's own site (see our previous coverage). The company, which has a government-sponsored monopoly on the registration of all .com and .net domain names, has ignored requests by Internet companies and the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), which oversees all domain name activities, to pull the redirect. The opposition has mounted in the last few weeks, with some individuals filing suits against VeriSign; but the culmination to date came Friday with the filing of a class-action lawsuit against the company. The plaintiff's lawyer is Ira Rothken, whose firm specializes in intellectual property and Internet-related law.
Posted by Editor at September 30, 2003 10:51 AM