Secret meetings between ICANN and Verisign are not acceptable. I unilaterally demand that all changes impacting the .COM TLD be in the public. As such, I demand that the current contract amendment being considered be nullified and the process re-started in a transparent and public format. Amendment 3 to the .COM Registry Agreement is harmful to the public as it raises the costs associated with the use of the Internet. As I understand, Verisign is paying off ICANN with $20 million to push though it requested price hikes. Bribery, payoffs, and kickbacks are NOT acceptable business practices. Even the perception of bribery, payoffs, and kickbacks should be enough for ICANN to re-start the agreement negotiations in a public and transparent process – otherwise, one will only assume that, indeed, bribery, payoffs, and kickbacks are the norm within ICANN and as such, should immediately brought to a court of law through an exhaustive forensic investigative process.
Deeply concerned internet user,
Sean Gallagan, Ph.D.