The internet security and registry giant launched the service at the beginning of last week. When internet users type in an unregistered domain, for example by misspelling a site name, the service redirects them to other potentially useful sites.
Late last week, Popular Enterprises LLC, the parent of search site Netster.com, said it had filed a $100 million suit against VeriSign, alleging antitrust violations, unfair competition and violations of the Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act as a result of the service’s launch.
In a statement, Popular Enterprises said the Sitefinder service allowed VeriSign to monopolize unregistered .com and .net names, and to profit by redirecting traffic for such sites to pay for placement sites VeriSign controls. It claimed that if the service is allowed to continue, VeriSign would profit from all traffic directed to unregistered domains, including domains VeriSign refuses to allow the public to register.
Knoxville, Tennessee-based Popular Enterprises said a number of companies, including its Netster subsidiary, had built applications and businesses to target such traffic, but that these would be bypassed by VeriSign’s service.
Popular Enterprise’ president, William Marquez, claimed that Rather than compete fairly in the search business, VeriSign has used its monopoly to hijack internet traffic.
This article was based on material originally published by ComputerWire.
