With Price Caps Removed, Dot Org Domain Name Registry Acquired by Ethos Capital

PALM BEACH, FL – In a move that surprises few industry experts, Public Interest Registry (PIR), the Reston, Virginia-based not-for-profit created by the Internet Society in 2002 to manage the “.org” top-level domain name has been acquired by private equity management firm Ethos Capital.

The acquisition comes shortly after ICANN, The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers, permitted the removal of price caps on “.org” domain name registrations on June 30, 2019 when it announced it had renewed its Registry Agreement with PIR.

The latest VeriSign quarterly report, the “.org” domain has 10 million domains active. According to DomainIncite.com, who spoke with Public Interest Registry CEO Jon Nevett today, the company will no longer operate as a non-profit following the transaction.

According to the release:

.ORG is the original purpose-driven “generic” top-level domain (gTLD) with more than 10 million domain names registered worldwide. .ORG is open to everyone, providing a global platform for organizations, associations, clubs, businesses and individuals to bring their ideas to life. For more than 30 years, .ORG has built an enduring legacy of trust, preserving an open and secure Internet where diverse communities can establish a trusted online identity and freely share ideas. Visit www.TheNew.org for more information.

The deal brings with sharp criticism and interesting questions and [commentary] as mentioned in and [on] a story published at industry news site Domain Name Wire titled: “The interesting connection between the .Org deal and ICANN”

John Colascione

About The Author: John Colascione is Chief Executive Officer of Internet Marketing Services Inc. He specializes in Website Monetization, is a Google AdWords Certified Professional, authored a ‘how to’ book called ”Mastering Your Website‘, and is a key player in several Internet related businesses through his search engine strategy brand Searchen Networks®