ICANN staff: I am a web developer who uses NameCheap as one of my Internet domain name registrars. I recently received an email from NameCheap that relayed these statements:
Last month, ICANN, the organization that oversees domain names, announced significant changes to the contract it has with Verisign, Inc.[, which ] operate[s] the .COM top-level-domain (TLD).
ICANN made these changes in secret, without consulting or incorporating feedback from the ICANN community or Internet users.
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[Under] 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.
If these statements from NameCheap are correct, then I am appalled at ICANN's actions and its lack of transparency and accountability to the public. If ICANN continues to operate in this manner, I shall petition my Senators and Congressman for redress and the reform of ICANN. Sincerely, Paul Bain (703) 870-5154