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===Renewal===
===Renewal===
In March 2012, ICANN renewed Verisign's contract to run the registry for .com.<ref>[http://www.icann.org/en/news/announcements/announcement-27mar12-en.htm .com Registry Agreement Renewal, icann.org]</ref> The following month, three of [[ICANN]]'s constituencies, the ([[ALAC]], [[GNSO]] [[Business Constituency]], and [[GNSO]] [[Intellectual Property Constituency]]), sent a letter to ICANN complaining that the organization held its renewal talks with [[Verisign]] behind closed doors, which they say is responsible for the lack of [[Whois|Thick Whois]] requirements for the .com TLD.<ref>[http://domainnamewire.com/2012/08/21/constituencies-blast-icanns-closed-door-verisign-com-contract-renewal/ Constituencies Blast ICANNs Closed Door Verisign Com Contract Renewal, DomainNameWire.com]</ref>
In March 2012, ICANN renewed Verisign's contract to run the registry for .com.<ref>[http://www.icann.org/en/news/announcements/announcement-27mar12-en.htm .com Registry Agreement Renewal, icann.org]</ref> The following month, three of [[ICANN]]'s constituencies, the ([[ALAC]], [[GNSO]] [[Business Constituency]], and [[GNSO]] [[Intellectual Property Constituency]]), sent a letter to ICANN complaining that the organization held its renewal talks with [[Verisign]] behind closed doors, which they say is responsible for the lack of [[Whois|Thick Whois]] requirements for the .com TLD.<ref>[http://domainnamewire.com/2012/08/21/constituencies-blast-icanns-closed-door-verisign-com-contract-renewal/ Constituencies Blast ICANNs Closed Door Verisign Com Contract Renewal, DomainNameWire.com]</ref>
==.Com Domain Space==
==.Com Domain Space==
* Casino.com- sold for $5.5 million in 2003
* Casino.com- sold for $5.5 million in 2003
* Toys.com- purchased by Toys ‘R Us for $5.1 million in 2009
* Toys.com- purchased by Toys ‘R Us for $5.1 million in 2009
=== Controversial .com Domain Names===
====Sex.com====
Sex.com has historically been one of the most controversial domain names on the Internet, and the drama involved has provided enough fodder for at least two separate books to be written on the topic.<ref>[http://www.domainnamenews.com/domain-sales/sexcom-foreclosure/7208 DomainNameNews.com]</ref> It was first registered through Network Solutions in 1994 by [[Gary Kremen]]. The ownership of the sex.com was transfered by NSI to [[Stephen Cohen]] in 1995 when he submitted forged ownership transfer documents to Network Solutions. Kremen accused Network Solutions of negligent transfer and filed charges against Cohen demanding the return sex.com and the profits accumulated by the site.<ref>[http://www.issuesininternetlaw.com/cases/kremen.html Kremen vs. Cohen]</ref>
In 2001, US District Judge James Ware ruled in favor of Kremen and directed Cohen to pay $65 million in lost revenue and damages to Cohen.<ref>[http://www.theregister.co.uk/2001/04/04/sex_com_owner_wins_65m/ Sex.com owner wins $65 million damages]</ref> Cohen ignored the court order and became a fugitive, and so a warrant was issued for his arrest. Kremen offered a $50,000 reward for Cohen's arrest.<ref>[http://www.offshore-e-com.com/asp/story/story.asp?storyname=3850 $50,000 Reward for the Man who Stole SEx.com]</ref>
In 2004, Kremen and Verisign agreed to settle their legal battle out of court for an undisclosed amount after the court of appeals ruled that Network Solutions was held liable for the negligence of transferring the sex.com domain to Cohen without verifying if the transfer was made by the true owner.<ref>[http://www.zdnet.co.uk/news/networking/2004/04/21/sexcoms-original-owner-settles-with-verisign-39152565/ Kremen & Verisign Settlement Agreement]</ref> The settlement was thought to be worth around $20 million.<ref>[http://www.theregister.co.uk/2005/10/28/sexdotcom_cohen_arrested/ TheRegister.co.uk]</ref>
Cohen was finally turned over to U.S. authorities on October 27th, 2005. He had spent 6 years on the lam, hiding in Mexico and siphoning his money to offshore accounts via a system of shell companies. He was first apprehended by Mexican authorities on grounds of immigration violations. Cohen had been considered a fugitive by the U.S. Justice Department since May, 2001.<ref>[http://www.theregister.co.uk/2005/10/28/sexdotcom_cohen_arrested/ The Register.co.uk]</ref>
The domain was later sold for $11.5 million to [[Michael Mann]], and his company [[Escom]];<ref>[http://www.domainnamenews.com/domain-sales/sexcom-foreclosure/7208 DomainNameNews.com]</ref><ref>[http://sedo.com/links/showlinks.php3?partnerid=42624&Id=2754 Sedo.com]</ref> he later filed for bankruptcy and the sale of sex.com was announced and cancelled at least once.<ref>[http://news.techworld.com/personal-tech/3217747/sexcom-sale-halted-by-bankruptcy News.TechWorld.com]</ref> He then sold it though an auction with [[Sedo]] for $13 million to [[Clover Holdings]].<ref>[http://namemon.com/auctions/47-sedo/113-sex-sells Namemon.com]</ref>
====Races.com====
Another controversial domain name was races.com, which was bought for thousands of dollars by MBA student John McLanahan. Network Solutions mismanaged the transfer of races.com and inadvertently put it on the available list. SportWorld Ltd, a domain name speculator registered the domain name through [[Register.com]], a competing registrar; Network Solutions had no authority to make Register.com return the domain. SportWorld Ltd. advertised races.com for $500,000. John McLanahan suffered the loss of payment and received no compensation, other than an apology from Network Solutions.<ref>[http://www.wired.com/techbiz/media/news/1999/12/32974 Races.com]</ref>
===Overcrowding of .Com Domain Space===
===Overcrowding of .Com Domain Space===