February 2020 - comments-com-amendment-3-03jan20@icann.org

[Comments-com-amendment-3-03jan20] Comment for Amendment 3 to the.COM Registry Agreement
by Abhi Saini Feb. 10, 2020

Feb. 10, 2020

Hello, I have over 15 years of experience in the IT industry and am relatively green compared to your organization. Throughout my career I have seen the way we use the Internet change dramatically. While prices may increase over time as systems change there is no reason those changes should be negotiated behind closed doors. The Internet flourishes because it is an open and free platform for all of humanity to take part in. I am fully opposed to Amendment 3 to the .COM Registry Agreement. *Abhi Saini* | *Owner* *Bearium Networks <http://beariumnetworks.com>* 407-917-1321 Abhi(a)BeariumNetworks.com

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[Comments-com-amendment-3-03jan20] Unacceptable
by Ali Rae Feb. 10, 2020

Feb. 10, 2020

Unregulated organization with no governing organization that can check into where money is spent has NO right and is NOT in the position to arbitrarily raise prices that would increase its profits. This is unacceptable.

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[Comments-com-amendment-3-03jan20] (no subject)
by Marc Schoenfeld Feb. 10, 2020

Feb. 10, 2020

Efficiency from technology improvement over the year should allow the price freeze of .com domain pricing to be still profitable for Verisign. Many .com holders are people with personal sites like myself from the early days of the internet and we would not appreciate this increase and do not feel it is acceptable. No price increase!

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[Comments-com-amendment-3-03jan20] Ensure .com continuity
by Jameson Lee Feb. 10, 2020

Feb. 10, 2020

Dear Sir/Madam, I would like to petition that as a condition of Verisign's new ICANN contract, that price increases should be capped to inflation. Best wishes, Jameson

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[Comments-com-amendment-3-03jan20] .COM Domain Price Increase
by Daniel Mühlbachler Feb. 10, 2020

Feb. 10, 2020

I am a registrant of a .com domain name. I am against the proposed price increase to .COM domains. No one other than Verisign want increases in .COM prices. The current rate of $7.85 is already far more than justified. Verisign is merely your manager of the .COM Registry – it has no business dictating the price. ICANN is supposed to govern the domain name system in the public interest. Daniel Muehlbachler Vienna, Austria

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[Comments-com-amendment-3-03jan20] .COM Price Increases
by GW Harris Feb. 10, 2020

Feb. 10, 2020

I understand that the decision to increase the fees payable was made without widespread support, knowledge of why of any consensus. This is a material decision which affects the entire web community. Please explain how ICANN will spend the additional revenue earned money, where oversight will come from and who will ensure that the funds are properly spent on domain infrastructure.

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[Comments-com-amendment-3-03jan20] I Am Concerned, Please Avoid .COM Price Increases
by Jac Fae Feb. 10, 2020

Feb. 10, 2020

1. Price Increases Verisign will be allowed to increase the wholesale price to registrars for .COM domains by 7% each year in 2020, 2021, 2022, and 2023. After a two year “freeze”, Verisign can increase prices by 7% annually during 2026-2029, then another two year “freeze”. This cycle will continue, meaning that within 10 years, .COM domains could cost approximately 70% more than the current wholesale price of $7.85 — and the sky is the limit. It is not clear how much of these price increases registrars will pass along to consumers, but it is likely that most of these increases will be paid by domain name registrants. The contract does allow for other price increases for certain extraordinary situations, so it is possible prices could increase more than anticipated. 2. ICANN Will Receive an Extra $20 Million With the contract changes, Verisign agreed to pay ICANN an additional $20 million dollars over five years to support ICANN’s initiatives regarding the security and stability of the domain name system. There is no explanation why Verisign did this, how ICANN will spend the money, or who will ensure that the funds are properly spent. 3. Verisign Can Operate as a Domain Registrar ICANN also had rules that the operator of a TLD could not operate a domain name registrar. Although in 2012 ICANN allowed operators of new gTLDs to have domain name registrars, it did not apply to Verisign. The new contract will allow Verisign to operate its own registrar, except for selling .COM domain names itself. To circumvent this, it is also possible that Verisign could act as a reseller of .COM domains, through another registrar. This result is that the company that controls almost 80% of the registrar pricing for domain names will compete directly with all domain registrars, maximizing its control of domain name pricing to the detriment of other competing registrars. While this might result in lower prices to consumers, fewer registrars will harm competition, choice, and domain name services. Verisign’s registrar could also use its dominant position to charge higher prices to consumers, while at the same time raising registrar prices. 4. ICANN Ignored Previous Comments As detailed on Standing Up to ICANN to Keep Domain Prices in Check and pricecaps.org, over 3,500 comments were submitted in support of price controls for the .ORG, .INFO, and .BIZ TLDs. Only six comments supported removing price controls. ICANN discounted the comments that were in favor of maintaining price caps. A number of the comments were submitted using an online tool, which caused the comments to be discounted as “spam” by the ICANN Ombudsman. ICANN removed the price caps, primarily relying upon a biased preliminary analysis from 2009 by an economics professor that did not reference any data. Jac Fae they/them pronouns

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[Comments-com-amendment-3-03jan20] NameCheap Complaint
by Jason Russell - JK-IT Feb. 10, 2020

Feb. 10, 2020

THIS IS REDICULOUS We have important information to share with you that will affect the price of your .COM domains. View in browser<http://mailtrackemailout1.namecheap.com/ls/click?upn=QqNWTFdMeHiLPmRAI5EzI5…> [Namecheap]<http://mailtrackemailout1.namecheap.com/ls/click?upn=QqNWTFdMeHiLPmRAI5EzI5…> Help Us Avoid .COM Price Increases Hi there! We have important information to share with you that will affect the price of your .COM domains. What's happening? Last month, ICANN, the organization that oversees domain names, announced significant changes to the contract it has with Verisign, Inc. who operate the .COM top-level-domain (TLD). ICANN made these changes in secret, without consulting or incorporating feedback from the ICANN community or Internet users. Although ICANN has a history of making similar deals behind closed doors, and also of ignoring unified opposition against such action, we are focused on leading the fight against price increases that will harm our customers (and the Internet as a whole). This is a crucial time to raise our voices given that .COM domains make up 40% of all registered domain names online. What does this change mean? Wholesale registries charge Namecheap a set fee per domain name per year. According to this new agreement, Verisign will be allowed to increase the wholesale price to registrars for .COM domains every year for 8 out of the next 10 years, and the increases don't stop there. This will mean that .COM wholesale domain prices can grow by more than 70% over and above current prices over the next decade. The contract also allows for other price increases, which could drive prices up further, ultimately making .COM domains less accessible and more expensive for everybody. Why is ICANN doing this? Alongside these contract changes, Verisign agreed to pay ICANN an additional $20 million dollars over five years to support ICANN's domain name system initiatives, without any clarity about how ICANN will spend the money, or who will ensure that the funds are properly spent on domain infrastructure. So, what can you do to help? These changes will have significant impact on the Internet for years to come, and only ICANN and Verisign have participated in this decision. If you want to make sure your voice is heard, let ICANN know how you feel about their recent decision. The Public Comment period<http://mailtrackemailout1.namecheap.com/ls/click?upn=QqNWTFdMeHiLPmRAI5EzI5…> is open until February 14, 2020. You can leave your comment on the .COM proposal using ICANN's form<http://mailtrackemailout1.namecheap.com/ls/click?upn=QqNWTFdMeHiLPmRAI5EzI5…>. Find Out More<http://mailtrackemailout1.namecheap.com/ls/click?upn=QqNWTFdMeHiLPmRAI5EzI5…> 4600 East Washington Street, Suite 305, Phoenix, AZ 85034, USA Copyright (c) 2020 Namecheap.com<http://mailtrackemailout1.namecheap.com/ls/click?upn=QqNWTFdMeHiLPmRAI5EzI5…> [ICANN] We are an ICANN accredited registrar. Serving customers since 2001. Jason Russell JK-IT - Small Business IT Solution Provider 9-6975 Meadowvale Town Ctr. Circle Suite 604 Mississauga, Ontario Canada L5N 2V7 Tel: 1-866-921-5548 x101<tel:647-961-6373> Cel: 647-961-6373<tel:647-961-6373> Fax: 647-723-7600<tel:647-723-7600> Email: service(a)jk-it.ca<mailto:service@jk-it.ca>

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[Comments-com-amendment-3-03jan20] (no subject)
by Uzair Naqash Feb. 10, 2020

Feb. 10, 2020

Not acceptable

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[Comments-com-amendment-3-03jan20] (no subject)
by Donald Harvey Feb. 10, 2020

Feb. 10, 2020

I'm a poor man starting out with my first website, I have trouble maintaining that. If you raise the prices for my domain and you're costing me money that I don't have. The sad part is that I'm not the only one in this position. Where little people trying to get out there in the world, please don't put an obstacle in our path we've got enough as it is. Thank you for your consideration and understanding. Donald Harvey

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