webdoctor - 6:06 am on Aug 25, 2006 (gmt 0)

price is moot when they own a trademark.

Why? IANAL, but I'm not sure trademarks come in to this.

The registrar would say to MSFT, if you want to renew microsoft.org, the price is $1m. If you choose not to renew, that's OK too. It's not 'cybersquatting' if the registrar has been given the authority by ICANN to set pricing as they wish. The registrar is NOT trying to sell something to MSFT, they're just charging MSFT a lot of money for the pleasure of hanging on to something.

If MSFT didn't renew microsoft.org and then SOMEONE ELSE grabbed it, then MSFT could of course send their trademark lawyers round.