Network Solutions Inc, the exclusive registrar of the three most popular internet top-level domain names (.com, .net and .org), has been slapped with a class action suit from six unnamed domain name holders. It alleges that the federal National Science Foundation (NSF) – the other defendant – did not have the authority to permit NSI to begin charging for domain name registration and put aside 30% of the fees for the internet intellectual infrastructure fund. It also charges that the NSF created an illegal monopoly in name registration and NSI has illegally precluded competition. The domain name holders are in Washington DC, Maryland, Virginia and Texas.
