IP: "DOMAIN" ASSIGNMENT EXAMINED BY ANTITRUST INVESTIGATORS -

[David Farber <farber () cis upenn edu>]

Network Solutions Inc. (NSI), the Herndon, Virginia company selected by the
National Science Foundation (NSF) in 1995 to control the assignment of all
Internet domain names, is now under scrutiny by the Justice Department for
possible violation of  antitrust laws.  NSF intends not to renew NSI's
contract when it expires next year, but the company says it does not plan
to give up its responsibility for the domains it registers (.com, .edu.,
.net., and .org).  The company is also in the process of going public and
is planning a stock offering worth as much as $35 million.  (Washington
Post 6 Jul 97)