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Verisign .com Domain Name Registry Consumer Class Action

hbsslaw.com104 points54 comments
Screenshot of Verisign .com Domain Name Registry Consumer Class Action

Commenters debated a consumer class action alleging Verisign overcharges for .com registrations, with many arguing that operating costs must be low (one claimed about $3 per domain) while Verisign charges much more. Several pointed to Verisign’s size, profitability and executive pay as explanations for perceived excess margins, and one contrasted .com with cheaper non-profit ccTLDs like .de. Others highlighted the broader gTLD system as problematic, saying .org and .info show similar issues and some favoured moving toward country-code or independent TLD governance. A few emphasized legitimate costs - engineering, support, legal and compliance obligations - and warned contractual and regulatory duties limit how registries operate.

Opinion splits over remedies and realism. Some commenters expressed guarded hope the lawsuit could force price changes or refunds; others predicted minimal consumer benefit, large lawyer fees, or price increases for non-U.S. buyers if the suit is limited to U.S. residents. Views diverged on alternatives and risks: calls for an independent TLD or more decentralization met counterpoints that ccTLDs can be privatized or subject to national control, and that technical alternatives like onion services aren’t practical for everyone. Disagreement centers on whether the problem is corporate greed, structural governance of the DNS, or unavoidable operational constraints.

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