VeriSign Challenges ICANN Over SiteFinder Closure

by Glen Shapiro, LawAndTax-News.com, New York

09 October 2003

Domain name registrar, VeriSign announced this week that it has taken down its controversial SiteFinder service following a request from the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), but revealed that it will be holding ICANN "fully accountable" for the closure of the service.

SiteFinder was launched last month, and directed internet users who mistyped domain names, or entered non-existent addresses to a VeriSign search page offering alternatives, including paid-placement links. However, the company was speedily sued by internet search site, Netster.com, and by Go Daddy Software, which argued that it was abusing its position as registrar of .com and .net domain names.

However, it was the technical implications of the service, which caused some anti-spam filters to malfunction, that initially drew ICANN into the fray.

Speaking prior to a hearing on the issue on Tuesday, EVP and general manager of VeriSign, Russell Lewis announced that:

"We haven't been able to get our side of the story out and I didn't think we were going to get a fair hearing if we didn't take it (SiteFinder) down." However, he went on to add that: "ICANN shouldn't be micromanaging these new services."

However, he was more vehement in a letter sent to ICANN's president, Paul Twomey on Friday, in which he announced that:

"VeriSign considers ICANN's action today a groundless interference with VeriSign's business and existing contractual relationships, for which VeriSign will hold ICANN fully accountable."

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