.web ruling might not come this year
A decision about who gets to run the .web gTLD may not arrive until early next year, according to Verisign CEO Jim Bidzos.
“A final decision from the [Independent Review Process[ panel may be issued later this year or early next year,” he told analysts late last week.
.web sold at auction for $135 million four years ago to a company being secretly bankrolled by Verisign, but the outcome is being challenged in the IRP by runner-up bidder Afilias.
Afilias argues that the auction should be voided because ICANN failed to sufficiently investigate links between Verisign and the winning bidder. ICANN denies any wrongdoing.
It’s widely believed that .web is the strongest potential competitor to Verisign’s .com, and its attempt to secure the string is largely defensive.
The IRP case heard several days of testimony in August and the panel retired to consider its decision.
Recent Comments