Re: [alac-forum] VeriSign vs ICANN
There has never been a question but that VeriSign has been since its inception
a monopoly service provider. Addressing this is a significant and relatively
high level policy and legal issue.
If that falls outside of ICANN's mandate for the management of the technical
infrastructure of the internet, the situation poses something of a conundrum
for ICANN that won't be solved by the existence of even a large and diverse
at-large participation, but that might be addressed by more proactive and
defined collaboration with other NGOs - in this case perhaps a consumer
advocacy or consumer protection organization.
Ken Hamma
>>> Izumi Aizu <izumi@xxxxxxx> 02/27/04 02:40 AM >>>
This is just my personal and early reaction, and I have not really
read the full news of this case yet.
But I agree that we, ALAC, should consider this matter seriously and make
it clear which position we stand.
We of course will and should not support monopoly.
izumi
At 13:50 04/02/27, you wrote:
>Dear ICANN Representative:
>
>I read in the news today that VeriSign is again attempting to bully ICANN
>with a lawsuit. The current lawsuit alleges that ICANN is overstepping it's
>oversight bounds by disallowing certain VeriSign activites, including their
>hotly contested Site Finder "service".
>
>As a small web hosting provider and domain registrar (as a reseller through
>eNom), I feel very strongly that VeriSign and its abhorrent business
>practices are precisely the reason that a governing and regulation body such
>as ICANN is needed. I'd like to register my support of ICANN and offer any
>service I can to combat this corporate giant's gross abuse of its monopoly.
>I'd be happy to be called upon to answer any questions about common VeriSign
>business practices and those of it's former registrar division, Network
>Solutions. Practices such as routinely refusing legitimate transfer requests
>from other registrars, over-charging customers, stalling legitimate transfers
>until domains expire and then holding those domains hostage for exorbitant
>sums of money to be re-enabled. VeriSign's Site Finder is another example of
>the company's abuse of its privilege as a registry and the strangle-hold this
>company's monopoly places on small businesses such as ours.
>
>Please feel free to contact me if I can be of any help in this matter.
>VeriSign must be controlled or it's monopoly broken if the Internet is to
>grow and thrive. The business practices they promulgate are not healthy for
>small business, they are not healthy for the consumer, and they are not
>healthy for the Internet community.
>
>Thank you for your time.
>
>Sincerely,
>
>Randy Bobst-McKay
>Bobst-McKay & Lynne
>(DBA Hosting Service Center)