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

[Comments-com-amendment-3-03jan20] What a waste
by Canis Aves Feb. 11, 2020

Feb. 11, 2020

A terrible abuse of power, putting the Internet right into the hands of corporate interests. Great job...not.

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[Comments-com-amendment-3-03jan20] .COM domain increases over the next decade
by Kim Golter Feb. 11, 2020

Feb. 11, 2020

To whom it may concern: I was troubled by the recent disclosure of an agreement made between ICANN and Verisign that allows an increase in the wholesale price to registrars for .COM domains every year for 8 out of the next 10 years. As a nonprofit leader, every dollar counts for us. Every, single dollar. It’s hard enough to raise the funds necessary to fulfill the mission we have. To add more burdens in something so basic and ubiquitous as .com domains - which we rely upon - is confounding and oh so frustrating. I hope your organization reconsiders. In fact, I urge it. Respectfully yours, Kim Kim Golter Founder/CEO Jeremiah’s Promise E: kim(a)jeremiahspromise.org <mailto:kim@jeremiahspromise.org> P: 650.739.6038 W: https://www.jeremiahspromise.org <https://www.jeremiahspromise.org/> Ready for the Next Step? https://www.jeremiahspromise.org/programs <https://www.jeremiahspromise.org/programs> Nonprofit Support? https://www.jeremiahspromise.org/leadership-initiative <https://www.jeremiahspromise.org/leadership-initiative>

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[Comments-com-amendment-3-03jan20] .COM registry pricing
by rcombs Feb. 11, 2020

Feb. 11, 2020

I am not aware of any reason for the price of domain registration to be increased. The cost-per-domain to operate a registry has only dropped as infrastructure has gotten cheaper, and that trend shows no sign of reversing. The .COM registry runs extremely efficiently at large scale. There is no reason for prices to outpace inflation, and indeed one would expect them to be _dropping_. This change is not sensible.

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[Comments-com-amendment-3-03jan20] 70% increase
by Fraser Rennie Feb. 11, 2020

Feb. 11, 2020

I have a small website development company and deal with small businesses regularly. They depend on affordable domain names to allow themselves to present themselves on the internet which is a hugely vital role in marketing in the modern day. This price increase seems futile with little explanation. Fraser Rennie Saura Digital Media

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[Comments-com-amendment-3-03jan20] .COM Price Increases
by Leo P Feb. 11, 2020

Feb. 11, 2020

I oppose the price increase on .COM domains. This will mostly affect small businesses that are already struggling.

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[Comments-com-amendment-3-03jan20] Proposal
by Yves Clermont Feb. 11, 2020

Feb. 11, 2020

Hi I understand that security on the web is important but domain increases must be done at a level that the cost of a raise will not be to exaggerated. Many sites are small and can not afford to have a huge raise. Thanks Yves De mon iPhone

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[Comments-com-amendment-3-03jan20] Basically I dont want price increase
by Phong Thai Feb. 11, 2020

Feb. 11, 2020

You decided to increase com prices without us, this is not good I hope you'll keep the old prices

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[Comments-com-amendment-3-03jan20] .COM Domain Prices
by Steven Sullivan Feb. 11, 2020

Feb. 11, 2020

Hello, I would like to express my concern with the proposed changes to the contract with Verisign Inc. I believe the increase in .COM domain prices will be harmful to small business owners such as myself who rely upon being able to host their own websites at .com addressed. I am not convinced the price increases are warranted and am not confident the increase in funds will be spent in the right place for ICANN's infrastructure. Please consider revising your agreement to better serve the interests of the public (do not raise prices and implement independent verification of infrastructure funds being used correctly). Best, -Steven Sullivan

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[Comments-com-amendment-3-03jan20] please act in the best interest of the internet, refuse contracts with virtually unlimited .com price increases
by Anthony Veltri Feb. 11, 2020

Feb. 11, 2020

Hi, You have a monopoly on the price of .com registrations. Please do not abuse this and allow for year over year price increases. thank you, Anthony

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[Comments-com-amendment-3-03jan20] (no subject)
by Arash JENAB Feb. 11, 2020

Feb. 11, 2020

Dear Madam, or Sir, I am concerned about this amendment to the Registry Agreement because it will affect, not just me, buy any individual who would like their own domain name. I am 100% sure that no corporation will object to the 28% cost increase every six years as they earn money off their domain name and paying almost any amount would be acceptible to them. However, there are a great deal of small businesses that would see this as a burden as well as individual users out there that have purchased their own domain name and are using it for personal use, not commercial use. Several of us have multiple domain names, if for no other reason than to protect our own names from being used to run a website. Regards, Arash -- Arash Jenab, PhD, P.Eng.

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[Comments-com-amendment-3-03jan20] Expect us to drop 80% of our domain renewals
by Brandon Na, Seattle Organic SEO Feb. 11, 2020

Feb. 11, 2020

Just saw the evil news about you and Verisign quietly deciding to raise prices. The reason why I hold onto 20+ domains regularly is because my registrar keeps them very affordable unlike the GoDaddys of the world and it allows me to maintain good ones to potentially build businesses with. You also get an annual stream of income from them. Now that you'll be raising the prices as you have basically decide, expect me to let go of upwards of 80%. You can do the math. I hate evil businesses like you and will do even more to make sure that I don't support the unethical practices. Very silly. Thanks for NOT considering the customers' wishes (or even slightly trying to empathize with us).

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[Comments-com-amendment-3-03jan20] Objection to the proposed amedment 3 to the .COM Registry Agreement.
by Bernie Bernstein Feb. 11, 2020

Feb. 11, 2020

Simply put, the proposed 7% price increases are not justified by any data that has been presented and it far exceeds the rate of inflation. No increases should be permitted without examination of the projected actual costs to ascertain their reasonableness and accuracy. Further, there is no assignment of accountability nor is there specified a way to measure performance. Best regards, Bernard Bernstein

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[Comments-com-amendment-3-03jan20] please open negotiations on price increases to the consumers
by Tom Cloud Feb. 11, 2020

Feb. 11, 2020

Many not-for-profit organizations and private entities can be hurt by price increases in domain name registration. Many of them provide valuable services and I ask that you reconsider your price increase plan for registration. thanks, Tom Cloud

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[Comments-com-amendment-3-03jan20] Verisign contract and ICANN greed
by r.dernister Feb. 11, 2020

Feb. 11, 2020

I strongly oppose these price increases. While it is appropriate to charge a handling and maintenance fee for registering domain names, this is turning into a massive rip-off. ICANN does not “own” domain names in the first place, yet I see many .com names are being sold as “premium” names for outrageous prices. If anyone searches to see if a name is already registered but does not immediately register it, almost immediately thereafter it’s designated as a “premium” name to be rented for hundreds or thousands of dollars per year. ICANN and related registrars cannot legally sell or rent something they do not own. This has turned into a massive get rich quick scam for ICANN and the registrar. From one point of view this is a monopoly and a restraint on trade, so perhaps the U.S. Department of Justice or one of the state attorneys general should investigate this. If ICANN wants the registry system to be nationalized, they’re on the right path. Sent from Mail for Windows 10

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[Comments-com-amendment-3-03jan20] .COM Price Increase
by Joshua Feb. 11, 2020

Feb. 11, 2020

Since Verizon has a monopoly on .COM domain names, and since millions of .COM domains have been registered with the expectation of a fixed price, it is better if Verizon not be permitted to raise prices beyond what is needed to offset inflation. Joshua Hunt

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[Comments-com-amendment-3-03jan20] .COM Changes
by Stefano Zapata Feb. 11, 2020

Feb. 11, 2020

Hello there I strongly disagree with all proposed changes regarding amendment 3 of the .com Registry Agreement This is a decision that should be made with more people and not just Verisign and ICANN. We should all advocate for consumer affordability and not corporate profits. Sent from my iPhone

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[Comments-com-amendment-3-03jan20] I request that you do not increase pricing for .com registration
by Jon Gelman Feb. 11, 2020

Feb. 11, 2020

I r=write to you to request that you do not raise pricing for .COM domain registration. Your proposal for price increases will stifle business growth and place additional economic burdens on small companies. Jon L. Gelman | Attorney at Law | jon(a)gelmans.com 19 Darlington Dr., Wayne, NJ 074740-2805 m. 973.723.2084 | f. 973.807.1811

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[Comments-com-amendment-3-03jan20] Domain charge
by larry williard Feb. 11, 2020

Feb. 11, 2020

Are you trying to make it much easier for large companies and corporations to own .com names. You re penalizing the small owner and shifting again away from people to corporations. Im against the increase in charges.

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[Comments-com-amendment-3-03jan20] Proposed Amendment 3 to the .COM Registry Agreement
by Bess Katerinsky Feb. 11, 2020

Feb. 11, 2020

To Whom it May Concern; On January 3, 2020, ICANN announced significant changes to the contract it has with Verisign, Inc. to operate the top-level domain .COM. ICANN and Verisign made these changes in secret, without consulting or incorporating feedback from the ICANN community or Internet users. The changes to the .COM agreement will have a much bigger impact on the Internet than the previous action for .ORG, .INFO, and .BIZ domains, due to the dominance of .COM. There are 359.8 million total domain names, of which 144 million are .COM — that’s 40% of all domain names. With 161.8 million country-specific TLDs (ccTLDs), there are 198 million generic TLDs (gTLDs). That means that .COM makes up 73% of all gTLD domain names. ICANN was created in part to introduce competition between domain name registrars, but now ICANN itself is at the heart of the problem, without considering any input from Internet users on these critical decisions. There are four main concerns with ICANN’s decision: 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. As a member of the public, Internet user, and domain owner, I categorically and emphatically do not want these contract changes to occur. Please take my comments and concerns into account, as they are being submitted during the public comment period. Thank you. Sincerely, Bess Katerinsky

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[Comments-com-amendment-3-03jan20] No to .COM increase prices
by T. L. Hanigan Feb. 11, 2020

Feb. 11, 2020

To Whom it May Concern I've received an email from Name Cheap with information about a price increase. Please do not increase .COM prices. Tangie Hanigan

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[Comments-com-amendment-3-03jan20] Do not ratify ammendment 3
by Jeff Stieler Feb. 11, 2020

Feb. 11, 2020

While I can appreciate ICANN’s need for funding, this is a blatant money grab on the part of Verisign who will undoubtedly raise prices on .com TLDs. Perhaps there’s another way for ICANN to fundraise? You’re selling out domain owners. -Jeff

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[Comments-com-amendment-3-03jan20] (no subject)
by Stuart Laws Feb. 11, 2020

Feb. 11, 2020

To whom it may concern. This deal has all the hallmarks of a company attempting to maintain its monopoly position at the expense of consumers by payment of a thinly-disguised bribe. There is no apparent justification for Version being given permission to increase the price of .com domains ahead of inflation in the manner agreed with ICANN, especially when it is unclear how the fee paid by Verisign will be used to improve domain infrastructure. Moreover, ICANN states that the organisation "promotes competition and develops policy on the Internet’s unique identifiers". Conducting negotiations in secret and granting a single company sole rights of administration, without consulting other interested parties, can hardly be said to be a strategy which “promotes competition”. It is quite shocking conduct of which ICANN should be ashamed. Stuart Laws

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Re: [Comments-com-amendment-3-03jan20] Help Us Prevent .COM Price Increases
by Yves Tcheutchoua Feb. 11, 2020

Feb. 11, 2020

Hi, I recently purchased the domain for my small business that I launched after struggling to find employment. I am passionate about building live changing products & plan to do so for the 20+ yrs. of my career. However, the message below sent by Namecheap, seem to indicate that your actions might cause a price increase for my .COM domain. I would like to prevent that from happening please, as I am already enduring several early business operational expenses. > On Feb 10, 2020, at 2:16 PM, Namecheap <support(a)namecheap.com> wrote: > > View in browser <http://mailtrackemailout1.namecheap.com/ls/click?upn=QqNWTFdMeHiLPmRAI5EzI5…> > <http://mailtrackemailout1.namecheap.com/ls/click?upn=QqNWTFdMeHiLPmRAI5EzI5…> > Help Us Avoid .COM Price Increases > > Hi there! > > We have important information <http://mailtrackemailout1.namecheap.com/ls/click?upn=QqNWTFdMeHiLPmRAI5EzI5…> 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 <applewebdata://F9F7166E-B0CA-4974-BCD5-BB4E1485D6B9> > Copyright © 2020 Namecheap.com <http://mailtrackemailout1.namecheap.com/ls/click?upn=QqNWTFdMeHiLPmRAI5EzI5…> > > We are an ICANN accredited registrar. > Serving customers since 2001. >

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[Comments-com-amendment-3-03jan20] Stop the price increase!!
by Matthew Bernier Feb. 11, 2020

Feb. 11, 2020

I don't support the price increases. - Matthew

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[Comments-com-amendment-3-03jan20] loopholes are abusive
by Laurent L Feb. 11, 2020

Feb. 11, 2020

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