Verisign, ICANN Face .com Antitrust Lawsuit

A major antitrust battle is emerging over the economics of the internet’s most recognised domain. Hagens Berman has filed a proposed class-action lawsuit against Verisign and the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), alleging that their arrangements have enabled an illegal monopoly over the .com registry.

Filed by a California consumer in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California on September 4, 2026, the lawsuit seeks to represent U.S. .com domain owners. It alleges that Verisign’s wholesale price has increased roughly 30% since 2021 to $10.26 per domain despite declining registry-service costs.

At the centre of the dispute is Verisign’s role as the exclusive operator of the .com registry. Registrars compete to sell domains to customers, but each must pay Verisign the wholesale registry fee. The plaintiffs argue that Verisign’s “presumptive right of renewal” effectively prevents competitive bidding for operating .com.

The lawsuit points to Verisign’s profitability as evidence of what it characterises as excessive pricing. It claims operating .com costs approximately $3 per domain, while Verisign generates operating margins exceeding 67%. With more than 160 million active .com registrations globally, even relatively small pricing differences can translate into substantial revenues.

ICANN is also accused of contributing to the alleged anticompetitive structure. The complaint claims that an organisation established to promote competition within the domain-name ecosystem has instead entered contractual arrangements that preserve Verisign’s dominant position while benefiting financially from the relationship.

The issue has previously attracted political scrutiny. The lawsuit cites calls from U.S. lawmakers and government officials questioning .com pricing and competition. However, the allegations now before the court remain claims by the plaintiffs and have not been judicially established.

The case could have implications far beyond Verisign. If successful, it could challenge how critical internet infrastructure contracts are renewed and priced. The bigger question is whether .com should continue operating under an effectively exclusive registry model—or whether one of the internet’s most valuable assets should face greater competition.