DSTI/ICCP/TISP(2004)2/FINAL 

Figure 9.  The proportion of new gTLDs (.info, .biz, .name) registrations among major gTLDs 

(.com, .net, .org, .info, .biz, .name) 

7%

6%

5%

4%

3%

2%

1%

0%

2002/1

2002/4

2002/7

2002/10

2003/1

2003/4

2003/7

2003/10

Source

: OECD, based on Registries Monthly Reports 

If unsponsored gTLD registry service is defined as a distinct market then VeriSign could be said to 

have had just under an 86% share at the end of 2003 (

Table 11

). This was down from 100% two years 

earlier. The major factor in reducing VeriSign's market share was the transfer of the 

.org

 registry to PIR 

which reduced VeriSign's share by just over 8%. New unsponsored gTLDs collectively hold a 6% market 

share.   

In the short term the major factor that may impact on market share is the responsibility for the 

.net

registry. The 

.net 

registry was responsible for just over 12% of all registrations under uTLDs at the end of 

2003. The registry agreement between ICANN and VeriSign expires in June 2005. If VeriSign does not 

continue to be the 

.net

 registry its market share would be reduced to the equivalent number of registrations 

under 

.com

. Even if this occurs, however, VeriSign's share of the registry services market will continue to 

be by far the largest in the market. One of the criteria ICANN has set for consideration in deciding the 

future of 

.net

 is the potential impact on competition in the gTLD market. In this context it is important to 

note that the use of 

.net 

has gone well beyond its original intended community and provides the alternative 

with the largest share of registrations next to 

.com

. 

Table 11.  Market share of unsponsored gTLDs registrars (%) 

VeriSign 

PIR 

Afilias NeuLevel GNR 

Total 

.com 

.net 

.org 

 .org 

.info 

.biz 

.name 

Jan, 

2001 100.00 76.10 

14.60 

9.30    

July, 2001 

100.00 

75.64 

14.80 

9.56 

Jan, 

2002 100.00 76.43 

14.31 

9.25    

July, 2002 

94.32 

73.30 

12.71 

8.31 

3.02 

2.39 

0.27 

Jan, 2003 

85.56 

73.03 

12.53 

8.25 

3.24 

2.65 

0.30 

July, 2003 

85.14 

72.93 

12.20 

8.28 

3.39 

2.88 

0.31 

Dec, 2003 

85.62 

73.37 

12.25 

8.18 

3.16 

2.72 

0.32 

Source

: OECD, based on Registries Monthly Reports 

 24