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

[Comments-com-amendment-3-03jan20] Don't raise prices
by Kenning Brichford Feb. 10, 2020

Feb. 10, 2020

To whom it concerns, I get that you want more money, but one of the great things about the internet is its accessibility. Please don't let your pursuit of profit come at the expense of those of us that like to build websites just for entertainment. At the very least I ask that you consider the impact raising .com prices would have on us little guys. Thank you for your consideration. Kenning Brichford

1 0

[Comments-com-amendment-3-03jan20] Request to reduce inflation ceiling on .COM TLD's
by Josh Chandra Feb. 10, 2020

Feb. 10, 2020

Hello, I was sent this article by my host, NameCheap: https://www.namecheap.com/blog/icann-allows-com-price-increases-gets-more-m… Is this true? If so, a potential 70% increase in .COM costs over the next 10 years sounds astoundingly high. I strongly urge the imposition of a lower ceiling so that the inflation cannot total to more than +50% of today's costs within 10 years from now, or else this will drive out of business many websites whose owners are barely getting by, such as potentially myself. You may be losing my own business, and potentially thousands of others, if Verisign's annual 7% increases go through as they currently are. I really hope the linked article above gets some points wrong and is making the changes out to be worse for small businesses than they actually are. Please let me know, Josh (714) 900-2426 www.joshuachandra.com

1 0

[Comments-com-amendment-3-03jan20] Proposed Amendment 3 to the .COM Registry Agreement
by Jayaweera Manamperi Feb. 10, 2020

Feb. 10, 2020

ICANN: 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. Please do not go ahead with this price increase. Jayaweera Manamperi Clinton, Massachusetts, United States

1 0

[Comments-com-amendment-3-03jan20] Please no price increases!
by Highland Solutions Feb. 10, 2020

Feb. 10, 2020

Please don't cut any deals that allows Verisign (or any other entity) to increase the price for .COM domain names. Fees are already too high, and the financial burdens on small business like mine are already too high. Thank you, Ron Schaaf Highland Solutions, Inc. ron(a)highland-solutions.com

1 0

[Comments-com-amendment-3-03jan20] disagree with this
by Mary Duff Feb. 10, 2020

Feb. 10, 2020

I highly disagree with this action. My domain register has informed me of what is happening and it is not fair to all of us that have domains through the provider Namecheap they try to keep the prices for the .com sites a low as possible so that people like me can afford our domains. If you do what you are proposing in your changes it will hurt a lot of people. Please don't make a good company like Namecheap have to hurt all those who use them and be forced to move to others that don't have the reliability that they offer us.

1 0

[Comments-com-amendment-3-03jan20] No to the Oligarchic Grab of Humanity Patrimony
by Miguel Queiroz Feb. 10, 2020

Feb. 10, 2020

The Internet was born as a democratized public asset and free-for-all, or at least affordable service. Progressively throughout the years, we've witnessed the predictable appropriation attempt of this public patrimony, on behalf of private corporate power. From the absurd profit margins of ISP's to the more recent attempt of tech giants like Google, Microsoft and Facebook, to privatize the Internet and make use of personal data for private corporate profit. This is the bottom line of what we're witnessing today with the threat of price rise in .com domains: again the appropriation attempt of public domain and patrimony, for private gain. A new form of oligarchic neo-feudal power grab is trying to take hold of what after all, depends on public participation and public traffic, to even exist in the first place. I am hereby manifesting my absolute disapproval of this outrageous and arbitrary price raise on .com domains, that Verysign is intending to impose on registrars, and ultimately on the general public. This is the result of an obscene 20 million USD bribe that Verisign paid to ICANN, in exchange of total leeway to raise the domain prices arbitrarily and indiscriminately... Treating citizens and entrepreneurs as cows to be milked. I am hereby expressing my vehement protest and disapproval of this vulgar and abusive display of power and demanding that a fair and democratic ceiling will be placed on domain name prices, in particular those of .com extension. Your sincerely, M. Queiroz

1 0

[Comments-com-amendment-3-03jan20] Opposition to proposed Amendment 3 (.COM Registry Agreement)
by Gautam Marwaha Feb. 10, 2020

Feb. 10, 2020

Hi, I’m writing to voice my opposition to the proposed agreement. The gains from this amendment are unclear and while they may help an organization like Verisign, it increases the costs for many other entities, developers and enthusiasts like myself - effectively making the .com domain more difficult to access over time. Furthermore, there does not appear to be any description of how Verisign’s 20 million dollar contribution will be spent, the oversight and monitoring etc. Please do not adopt this amendment in its current form. Regards, Gautam

1 0

[Comments-com-amendment-3-03jan20] ICANN Proposed Amendment 3
by Md Ashifur Rahman Feb. 10, 2020

Feb. 10, 2020

Hello ICANN Board of Directors, I am writing to voice my opposition to Proposed Amendment 3. Despite there clearly being potential financial gains to be had by raising the registration fee on .COM domains, the global DNS registration system should be run primarily as a public concern. The only entities that stand to benefit from the proposed amendment is Verisign itself at the expense of the public. While price hikes such as this likely won't mean much to the larger business concerns that buy in bulk, it will impact the millions of small, independent businesses, developers & freelancers like me that rely on the system as is to make our livelihood. At worst, this could discourage small business owners from making a website with top-level domain for their own brands! Which would certainly not good for any of us! The web, and global DNS, were envisioned to be run for the public good, and they SHOULD remain the way they were before. Deals such as this are an abdication of that mandate; establishing short sighted profit for a single entity at the expense of all else can't be an wise decision at all. Please do not accept this proposal. Thank you! Md Ashifur Rahman Digital Marketing Strategist https://ashifur.com

1 0

[Comments-com-amendment-3-03jan20] Amendment 3
by Rod Leonhard Feb. 10, 2020

Feb. 10, 2020

Stop this money grab, domains need to be affordable, they are already too expensive! Figure out how to lower the price, not increase it. Rod Leonhard roddy(a)optonline.net c 516-972-9916

1 0

[Comments-com-amendment-3-03jan20] Look at Verisign’s REMARABLE financials – which can only be achieved from a MONOPOLY that holds a perpetual right to operate .COM forever!
by Don Smith Feb. 10, 2020

Feb. 10, 2020

Base of .com domain names: 2009 -- 86.0 million 2010 -- 93.7 million 2011 -- 101.6 million 2012 -- 108.5 million 2013 -- 114.3 million 2014 -- 119.0 million 2015 -- 126.6 million 2016 -- 131.3 million 2017 -- 135.0 million 2018 -- 142.0 million 2019 -- 145.4 million Verisign's price it charges per .com domain per year (keep in mind historically, Verisign has increased its prices at every opportunity permitted): 2009 - $6.42 2010 - $6.68 2011 - $7.34 2012 - $7.85 2013 - $7.85 2014 - $7.85 2015 - $7.85 2016 - $7.85 2017 - $7.85 2018 - $7.85 2019 - $7.85 Verisign's revenues: 2009 - $615,947,000 2010 - $680,578,000 2011 - $771,978,000 2012 - $873,592,000 2013 - $965,087,000 2014 - $1,010,117,000 2015 - $1,059,366,000 2016 - $1,142,167,000 2017 - $1,165,095,000 2018 - $1,214,969,000 2019 - $1,231,661,000 Verisign's costs to operate the registry: 2009 -- ($455,989,000) 2010 -- ($448,295,000) 2011 -- ($442,589,000) 2012 -- ($416,265,000) 2013 -- ($436,855,000) 2014 -- ($445,690,000) 2015 -- ($453,420,000) 2016 -- ($455,595,000) 2017 -- ($457,373,000) 2018 -- ($447,577,000) 2019 -- ($425,534,000) While wholesale .com prices have been capped at $7.85 since 2012 for consumer protection, Verisign's operating income has soared: 2009 - $159,958,000 2010 - $232,283,000 2011 - $329,389,000 2012 - $457,327,000 2013 - $528,232,000 2014 - $564,427,000 2015 - $605,946,000 2016 - $686,572,000 2017 - $707,722,000 2018 - $767,392,000 2019 - $806,127,000 Verisign's Net Income: 2009 - $87,931,000 2010 - $58,152,000 2011 - $141,141,000 2012 - $322,728,000 2013 - $323,953,000 2014 - $355,347,000 2015 - $374,241,000 2016 - $441,185,000 2017 - $457,760,000 2018 - $582,619,000 2019 - $612,489,000 Verisign employees fewer employees than ever before: 2009 - 1,100 2010 - 1,048 2011 - 1,009 2012 - 1,099 2013 - 1,079 2014 - 1,061 2015 - 1,019 2016 - 990 2017 - 952 2018 - 900 2019 - 872 Operating Margin: 2009 -- 26.0% 2010 -- 34.1% 2011 -- 42.7% 2012 -- 52.4% 2013 -- 54.7% 2014 -- 55.9% 2015 -- 57.2% 2016 -- 60.1% 2017 -- 60.7% 2018 -- 63.2% 2019 -- 65.5% With 69.6% non-GAAP operating margins and 65.5% GAAP operating margin in 2019 -- Verisign's financials are remarkable. Why is any rate hike justified? Verisign is realizing the benefits of economies of scale on a growing base of domain names. On top of a perpetual contract to operate the .com registry -- which excludes all forms of competition at the registry level. Competition ultimately benefits consumers -- and when ICANN is going in the opposite direction and allowing Verisign to increase its prices by 31% over the next 4 years -- it will result in a windfall of additional profits for Verisign -- without any justification. ICANN - what is your justification for price increases? -D

1 0