April 2019 - comments-org-renewal-18mar19@icann.org

[Comments-org-renewal-18mar19] Opposed to the changes proposed in the .org agreement renewal
by T. Jeffries April 25, 2019

April 25, 2019

Dear ICANN, I am a domain name registrant. I've read about a lot of bad decisions under the UDRP. The URS seems even worse. I heard the URS is very new and is being reviewed now to see if it is working properly. It is too soon to include an untested policy on .org domains where for a few hundred dollars anyone could try to shut down someone else's website. Telling the .org registry that it can charge any price it wants for renewing a domain name is a terrible idea. Why would you allow them to set a crazy high price? They could try to force the domain owners to pay a very high price each year to renew their domain name, and if the domain owner either won't or can't, then the .org registry could take away their domain name, set a high registration price on it, and then try to find someone else who is willing to pay a high price for it. This is very unfair to long time .org domain owners who may see their prices raised sky high for no reason. You let the new domain extensions charge any price they want, but that hasn't gone so well. Lots of people got burned when the new registries offered low rates for the first year, and then after people registered the domain names and some built web sites on them, some of the prices were raised through the roof. .Org has been working just fine for decades where the prices maybe go up a little bit each year. Allowing huge price increases from one year to the next could ruin .org for everybody. I think you should pay a little more attention to what is good for the owners of .org domain names. The registries are doing fine. They don't need your help as they are already making plenty of money.

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[Comments-org-renewal-18mar19] Cost for ORG domains for IV pensionists
by Pascal Parvex April 25, 2019

April 25, 2019

Dear Sir or Madam, as an owner of ORG domains, a significant price increase would harm me as I am on IV pension. Thank you for your consideration. All the best, Pascal Parvex

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[Comments-org-renewal-18mar19] No price hike for .org
by Nathan Sermonis April 25, 2019

April 25, 2019

Dear ICANN, I am a .org registrant. We’re a poor nonprofit and would hope you can keep a price cap on these domains. Thank you! Legacy gTLDs are fundamentally different from for-profit new gTLDs and should be treated that way. Legacy TLDs are what the internet was built on. They are essentially a public trust. They are very different than new gTLDs which were created, bought and paid for by private parties. Registrants of these legacy extensions should be entitled to price predictability & stability. Advancements in technology should be driving the cost of operating a registry down, yet prices keep going up? Removing price caps is unfair to the millions of domain registrants. They will have no price protections. Every registrant will be at the complete mercy and whims of the registry. This could result in a transfer of funds from millions of non-profits to one non-profit, with no benefits to the domain registrants. ICANN is supposed to represent a "bottom up, consensus-driven multistakeholder model". ICANN should not unilaterally impose URS in legacy TLDs when that issue is precisely what is being examined by the volunteer ICANN Working Group who has been mandated to review this issue. ICANN should be looking out for the .org registrants, in particular the non-profits. There is no "public benefit" justification to these changes. It is just a handout to business at the expense of registrants’ rights and protections. Where are the protections for the millions of domain registrants that this could effect in a negative way? These changes would give way too much power to the registry. This is not acceptable for a "public benefit" organization that exists to represent many stakeholders.

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[Comments-org-renewal-18mar19] Please please don't make it hard for us to connect with the world
by Mark Cunzolo April 25, 2019

April 25, 2019

Our freedoms are under attach constantly in the world today. The internet is one of the few places where anyone can go to cheaply and effectively communicate opinions, uplift people in need, and create lasting change. By raising prices on these domains, it makes it that much harder for people to express themselves. It says “this is a freedom you can enjoy, as long as you can afford 100% increase.” This serves only to continue segmenting freedoms, putting them only in the hands of those who can afford them. Please reconsider these price changes. Just because you can does not mean you should. Thank you for taking the time to read over my comment. Have a blessed day! [cid:C325E377-FB83-4D7C-A456-E5C333B123C0@fios-router.home]

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[Comments-org-renewal-18mar19] Comments objecting to the .org renewal
by B B April 25, 2019

April 25, 2019

Thank you for the opportunity to submit a comment. I am a .org registrant. ICANN does not seem to recognize the difference between a legacy extension created with the support of the US government, that predates the existence of ICANN and that has millions of existing users and the brand new extensions that started off with a new set of rules, in particular no price controls, and no existing registrants. They have completely different characteristics, history, and ownership structure. It is not acceptable for ICANN to ignore these differences and to propose that they be treated the same. Removing price caps is not fair to .org domain owners. Many of them have websites that they have used for years. If price caps are removed, the cost to renew their domain names may become too expensive, and they could be forced to give up websites that are important to them. The Uniform Rapid Suspension policy is too new and untested to apply on domain names that may be 20 years old or more. With the URS, the domain names could be taken down in a matter of days with little notice. ICANN should be doing more to protect owners of .org domain names. Why is ICANN trying to remove price protections for .org domain owners, so many of which are non-profits, so that they can be overcharged for their domain names?

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[Comments-org-renewal-18mar19] Unlimited Fee increases for .org domains
by Daniel Hursh April 25, 2019

April 25, 2019

I'm writing to voice my disapproval of the unlimited fee increases for .org domains. I know there are similar measures for other top level domains but I only own one domain and it is a .org domain. I don't feel it is my place to comment on the other TLDs as a result. I fear and expect that prices for .org domain will increase greatly if allowed since there are many who can afford it and have commercial interests in investing in certain domains. But the .org domains are (as I understand it) meant for groups that my not be operating out of commercial interests. It would be in poor taste to allow them to be forced out by those with deeper pockets. I also like the idea of the internet being a place were anyone can have a presence. If the price of an "address" on internet is allowed to grow without limit, it could easily force out those without large, disposable incomes. I know I would have to consider not renewing my domain if the price were allowed to double anually. I won't be able to consider keeping if if the price were to grow by an order of magnitude. I understand that the are costs for maintain infrastructure and managing domain registrations and there may be a need to increase those costs at times. But I also know that there is no cost in actually "creating" a name and that the systems for management seems to already be in place and seems to be largely automated. Removing the limit on fee increases is just inviting an exercise in price optimization that with turn domain names into resources that only the very wealthy can consider owning. The internet should not be handled that way. Sincerely, Dan Hursh

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[Comments-org-renewal-18mar19] Don't raise the prices!
by Matthew Spencer April 25, 2019

April 25, 2019

Organization domains power some of the worlds best websites, please don't raise renewal prices. Matthew

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[Comments-org-renewal-18mar19] please do not take off caps on price increases
by mam＠maryalicemurphy.com April 25, 2019

April 25, 2019

Many of us who use .org in our domain names, do so because we ARE an organization, but not always a non-profit organization. Letting domain prices rise to an unsustainable level for small, struggling organizations, would be a disservice to those who seek information that we have been able to provide on the Internet at a reasonable price. Right now, I am the webmaster of a small organization that has $346 in its bank account. If prices rise to levels above what they are now, the website, which provides information to thousands of people, will have to be discontinued. Please do NOT let the so-named Public Interest Registry set whatever prices it wants. Obviously this PIR is NOT working in the public interest if it skyrockets its prices. It is being greedy. At least keep the cap of 10 percent a year. Thanks, Mary Alice Murphy webmaster for two .orgs

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[Comments-org-renewal-18mar19] The proposed .org agreement is a low-minded disservice to the business community and
by Kell Marelle April 25, 2019

April 25, 2019

I am a .org registrant. ICANN does not seem to recognize the difference between a legacy extension created with the support of the US government, that predates the existence of ICANN and that has millions of existing users and the brand new extensions that started off with a new set of rules, in particular no price controls, and no existing registrants. They have completely different characteristics, history, and ownership structure. It is not acceptable for ICANN to ignore these differences and to propose that they be treated the same. Removing price caps is not fair to .org domain owners. Many of them have websites that they have used for years. If price caps are removed, the cost to renew their domain names may become too expensive, and they could be forced to give up websites that are important to them. The Uniform Rapid Suspension policy is too new and untested to apply on domain names that may be 20 years old or more. With the URS, the domain names could be taken down in a matter of days with little notice. ICANN should be doing more to protect owners of .org domain names. Why is ICANN trying to remove price protections for .org domain owners, so many of which are non-profits, so that they can be overcharged for their domain names? Sincerely, Kellan Halleck

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[Comments-org-renewal-18mar19] .org Price Caps
by James D. Fowlie April 25, 2019

April 25, 2019

I am astonished that ICANN, knowing quite well that the purpose of the .org domain would encompass many types of organizations, including non-profits, would consider removing the price caps on .org domain names. Many organizations have built up equity in their .org domain, and now could be exposed to pricing pressures, especially when less sophisticated users find themselves seemingly locked in to a particular registrar. While registrar transfers are certainly doable, they are not easy -- nor should they be. But they should not have to find that they have to keep rushing around to the cheapest registrar in order to keep things affordable. There are plenty of domains that are available without price caps. Please don't make management more difficult for organizations that need whatever help they can get. Thanks, --James Fowlie

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