GoKawiilHagens Berman sues Verisign and ICANN over .com registry pricing
Law firm Hagens Berman has filed a class-action lawsuit against Verisign and ICANN, alleging the companies maintain an illegal monopoly over .com domain registrations. The suit claims Verisign's contract with ICANN guarantees it permanent control of the .com registry, letting it raise prices more than 30% since 2021 to $10.26 per domain despite falling industry costs, while ICANN shares in the resulting profits.
GoKawiil's interpretation of the reporting above, not reported fact.
The lawsuit argues that without competition, over 160 million .com domain holders have no choice but to accept price increases, which attorneys say have funded $1 billion in shareholder payouts rather than service improvements. Because the Ninth Circuit has already found similar antitrust claims against Verisign and ICANN viable, this case could test whether courts will force changes to how .com pricing and governance work, though the outcome remains uncertain.
- Hagens Berman alleges Verisign and ICANN jointly profit from an illegal .com monopoly
- Verisign's .com prices have risen over 30% since 2021 despite falling operational costs industry-wide
- The Ninth Circuit has previously allowed similar antitrust claims against the companies to proceed
Source: hbsslaw.com, 2026-10-19
Published there as: “Verisign .com Domain Name Registry Consumer Class Action”
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