NEW YORK (AP) - The company that runs many of the Internet's core directory
systems has won a patent for its controversial service that helps Internet users
find sites even when they mistype addresses.
VeriSign Inc. said it has no intentions of resurrecting the Site Finder
service, but it declined further comment on its plans for the patent, including
bloggers' speculation that it could now demand licensing fees from EarthLink
Inc. and other companies that have since started similar efforts.
Normally, when you mistype a Web address, perhaps switching two letters, a
generic error message often appears.
Site Finder sought to help guide surfers mistyping ".com" or ".net" names --
which VeriSign runs -- by offering a list of likely alternatives, including
pay-for-placement listings for which VeriSign got a share of revenues when users
clicked on one.
Although Time Warner Inc.'s AOL, Microsoft Corp.'s Internet Explorer browser
and others already offered similar services, VeriSign was criticized when it
launched Site Finder in 2003 because of the influence the company already had as
the keeper of the traffic-control directories containing all ".com" and ".net"
names.
VeriSign agreed to suspend the service under mounting pressure. Despite the
March 4 patent approval, the company says it "does not intend to relaunch
related services."
If VeriSign tries to demand licensing fees from others, patent lawyers could
claim that similar services existed before Verisign's was patented. In fact,
VeriSign had cited those pre-existing services in justifying Site Finder.
Time Warner Cable Inc.'s Road Runner and Verizon Communications Inc. are
among the service providers that have launched or tested such services to tap
the growth in search advertising. OpenDNS also offers it to users of its free
directory services crucial for translating a Web site's domain name into its
actual numeric Internet address.
EarthLink was recently criticized after security researchers discovered a
vulnerability with its U.K.-based service partner, Barefruit. Officials say that
the flaw was quickly fixed and that no users were harmed.
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