VeriSign rethinks waiting list plan
VeriSign, which operates the registry for the .com, .net and .org domains, said that with the revision it will charge registrars $35 a year to put a Web address on the Domain Name Wait Listing Service, with rebates offered for bulk subscriptions. Registrars would then resell each wait-listed entry to consumers.
The price reduction is an attempt to win applause from a number of registrars who criticized the original proposal, saying they would not profit from the service. Previously, VeriSign had proposed charging registrars $40 per address.
VeriSign's wait-list proposal avoids lottery questions and instead would reserve a Web address for the first person to request it. If a Web address expires and is not renewed, it would automatically be transferred to the person that paid the wait-list fee.
VeriSign has proposed a 12-month trial to ensure the service's effectiveness. The company has said it hopes to have a trial service up and running in late March. -- Gwendolyn Mariano, Special to ZDNet News