The Domain-Name Monopoly Game
By Catherine Sansum Kirkman
If you operate a Web site, you are probably familiar with a company called Network Solutions, which is the only game in town when it comes to Internet domain-name registration. The Internet Society could soon turn this state of affairs on its head. A report issued in February is recommending the reform of the entire system, which would put an end to Network Solutions' lucrative monopoly.
IAHC Plan to Reform the Internet
In February, the International Ad Hoc Committee (IAHC) announced a plan to overhaul the structure of the Internet domain-name registration system. The plan is a result of efforts by an international group chaired by Donald Heath of the Internet Society, with the assistance of representatives from the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority, Internet Architecture Board, Federal Networking Council, International Telecommunication Union, International Trademark Association, and World Intellectual Property Organization.
The dilemma for everyone involved in the plan is that no one has legal control over the Internet. As a result, consensus must be reached to support a system of self-governance of the Internet. The IAHC was formed at the initiative of the Internet Society, with the involvement of the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority. In putting the plan together, the IAHC emphasized that "the Internet top-level domain space is a public resource and is subject to the public trust." It said that the evolution of the Internet domain-name space should be treated as a public-policy issue and handled in an open and public manner to serve the public interest.<>
