Internetworkers: http://www.ibiblio.org/internetworkers/

[Sil Greene <Sil_greene AT unc.edu>]

.:I tried Googling for old news stories about when that monopoly deal was
.:granted to Network Solutions Inc (which Verisign bought) and was coming up
.:with conflicting information. Some of the information I found from 1999 said
.:it was a 4 year deal. Can someone with better research skillz clarify when
.:that contract with the government expires ?
.:
.:If their contract is up soon, then finding an adroit way to explain to my
.:congressional represenatives why Verisign should not have their contract
.:renewed should be on my to-do list.


Verisign's contract is with ICANN.  ICANN's contract is with the US Dept 
of Commerce (signed in Nov 1998, most recently extended to Sept 2006).

I believe Network Solutions' contract was originally with the USDoC, but I 
haven't managed to dig up much on that yet.  ICANN's site mentions 
agreements signed on Nov 10, 1999, between the three parties.

[IIRC, this is when all the alternative registrars started popping up.  
Sometime in 2000 or so, Verisign ate NSI, and then in spring of 2001 
signed new revised agreements with ICANN (to bring their agreements in 
line with other registrars).  The USDoC did have to ratify that 
agreement, and did so; the link below includes these materials.]

The crap that Verisign's pulling now is likely a breach of their 
agreement, and hopefully ICANN will get a clue and act quickly to 
terminate Verisign's authority.


BTW, Verisign's contract expires Nov 10 2007, according to I.4 of the .com 
Registry Agreement.


ICANN-Verisign agreements, May 25 2001:
http://www.icann.org/tlds/agreements/verisign/

Historical Agreements, NSI/ICANN/USDoC:
http://www.icann.org/nsi/nsi-agreements.htm

ICANN-USDoC contract extension:
http://www.icann.org/announcements/announcement-17sep03.htm



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-- 
"If you put your supper dish to your ears you can hear the sounds
 of a restaurant."  --Snoopy    (Charles Schultz 02-12-2000 RIP)
    *&* Sil_Greene AT unc.edu   *&*   ICQ Silauren #36430811 *&*