VeriSign lets go of .org

VeriSign this past weekend transferred operation of the .org top-level domain to the Public Interest Registry (PIR), a group established by the nonprofit Internet Society (ISOC) to administer .org. The technical transfer follows PIR's official assumption of authority over .org earlier this month.

The .org domain--the Internet's third-largest with 2.6 million names registered--is designated for use by noncommercial organizations. PIR in October won authority for .org, which VeriSign had to relinquish in exchange for the right to maintain the more popular and lucrative .com domain. Afilias has assumed the back-end technical duties for .org on behalf of PIR.