[Comments-com-amendment-3-03jan20] against Amendment allowing Verisign to increase prices

[Theo]

I currently own many domain names which I have owned for several years. I
own my own name for personal website as well as names for my freelance
consulting business.

I am totally against this Amendment that allows Verisign to increase prices
up to 7% per year for the next 4 years.  Verisign was already given a
monopoly position with regard to the .com registry and permitted to charge
$7.85 per domain. Exactly what service do t777777hey provide for this
service? In 2019  Verisign had gross revenue of $1.2 billion and a net
profit of over $600 million. That's a 50% net profit margin. I must say,
not bad. They are doing just fine without this raise in prices.

The internet is a public good and this should be kept in mind when
determining what a for-profit company who is in a monopoly position is
allowed to charge
for its services. While I do believe Verisign should be allowed to make a
profit since that is why they are in business and enables them to provide a
quality service, I also believe that in this case a 50% net profit is more
than fair for providing a service that is a public good. What other
industry that provides a public good has that high a margin? Also, what
other regulated industry is permitted to raise its prices up to 28% over a
six year time period, especially since inflation is so low now and likely
to stay this way for a while?

Allowing Verisign to raise its prices at the expense of the people and in
opposition to the public good is just a corporate give-away. ICANN, please
do not allow this to take place and do the job of protecting the people's
interests.

Thank you.

theo m.
Cliffside Park, NJ

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