Verisign domain hijacking - effect on Google

misspelled URLs resolve to Verisign directory

[coolasafanman]

What will the effect of Verisign's resolving all unregistered domains (ie misspelled names of sites) to their directory have on SEO and Google? It seems very gatorlike, with the backing of the US Government. Here we all spend hours making our sites Google friendly, and now our competition gets our traffic if someone misspells our domain names. Similar to browser redirects by browser manufacturers, except this is netwide... Thoughts?

[keyplyr]

This may well develop into a 'typo-highjack' war across the internet.

[mcavic]

Just found this article:

[apnews.excite.com...]

[TinkyWinky]

Hi mcavic,

Nice find - having read that and keyplyr's last post - I think this is starting to escalate and if ICANN can't reign in Verisign we may have many many different "typoresult" pages from all manner of ISP's.

If you advertise with the likes of Overture or other ppc's, then this could lead to increased clickthroughs, but I am not sure the ROI will stack up.

TW;)

[keyplyr]

From the several articles linked from this thread and the other threads discussing this subject, I gather that ICANN told Verisign to remove the redirects and Verisign refused. IMO, unless ICANN can gain control with this matter, they will become irrelevant (if they aren't already.)

[TinkyWinky]

Yep saw that too - they'll be a laughing stock if they don't get a grip! Aren't they already seen as pretty ineffectual anyway?

TW