January 16, 2006 -- (WEB HOST INDUSTRY REVIEW) -- The Coalition for ICANN Transparency (cfit.info) said late last week that it had submitted, to the US Department of Commerce, a white paper detailing reasons a recent deal made between VeriSign (verisign.com) and ICANN (icann.org) regarding control of the .com registry should be opposed.
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The paper calls the deal anti-competitive and anti-consumer.
ICANN and VeriSign agreed last year to extend VeriSign's control of the lucrative.com registry until 2012. The current deal between the two expires at the end of 2007.
The extended deal, which was part of a larger agreement resolving several legal disputes between the two organizations, has faced objections from the Internet community. Opponents claim that ICANN did not adequately consult the Internet community before making the decision and that ceding control to VeriSign for another five years is tantamount to allowing a monopoly.
"We want the Commerce Department to know that CFIT is not opposed to a settlement, we simply oppose this settlement," says John Berard, spokesperson for CFIT. "We believe the terms and conditions outlined by ICANN and VeriSign will be a detriment to the entire Internet community - increasing prices for consumers, stifling innovation and eradicating competition. ICANN does not need to change its policies and procedures to end this lawsuit. Both sides can settle fairly without interfering with the existing .com agreement, which should be left in tact through 2007 as it was intended."
The US Department of Commerce requested the white paper at a meeting with CFIT held in Washington DC on December 22, 2005. Berard says the Department of Commerce requested the white paper in order to help it better understand the consumer and business impact of the deal.
