VeriSign sent "Expiration Notices" to domain name owners,
including customers of other registrars, with a "deadline" for
reply, the implication being that the domain name was about to
expire. In this way, VeriSign allegedly misled customers of other
registrars into transferring their business to VeriSign.
The action had been brought against VeriSign by Go Daddy, the
world’s sixth largest domain registrar. Last month, the number four
registrar, BulkRegister, obtained a similar but narrower order
against VeriSign, which was only in respect of BulkRegister’s own
customers.
Bob Parsons, Go Daddy founder and president said:
"Go Daddy is pleased with the order. It puts
an immediate end to VeriSign's deceptive mailings and all domain
name owners will benefit from the agreement. It is our hope that
this order will send a strong message to anyone in this industry
contemplating the use of such dubious marketing tactics to clean up
their act."
