I am a registrant of some .COM domain names, used for business and personal purposes.

Verisign has a monopoly. ICANN is allowing Verisign to increase prices without

putting the contract for running the .COM registry out to competitive tender.

A number of other registry companies are on record as being willing to run the .COM

registry at much lower prices than Verisign.

This proposal will severely limit the degree of competition inside a market

and reinforce the monopoly power of an established business to command excess

profits. It is a fallacy to suggest that the existence of other gTLDs is an

alternative to using the .COM domain name. It is not an option for businesses

to re-brand themselves under an alternative gTLD. They have no choice but

to continue with their .COM domain name, and they are at the mercy of the monopoly

of Verisign.

I am very opposed to this contract change and price increases. This whole proposal

should be rejected.