[Comments-com-amendment-3-03jan20] Angelo Embuldeniya's Public Comment on Proposed Amendment 3 to the .COM Registry Agreement

[Angelo Embuldeniya]

Dear Goran and Team ICANN,

I am completely in disagreement with the proposed changes to the agreement
with Verisign Inc. on .COM pricing.

Through this email, I am formally communicating my protest at this proposed
change which you have negotiated secretly with Verisign and without
consulting or incorporating feedback from the ICANN community or Internet
users.

As a .COM owner, I am completely against this increase in pricing which
will fully harm other owners (and the internet as a whole), given that .COM
domains make up 40% of all registered domain names online.

According to the agreement ICANN have negotiated with Verisign, they will
be allowed to increase the wholesale price to registrars for .COMs 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.

It is also essential to state the fact here that there is zero clarity by
ICANN as to how the planned funding of $20 million dollars by Verisign to
ICANN in support of DNS initiatives will be spent, and most importantly who
will ensure that the funds are properly spent on domain infrastructure
instead of lining ICANN executive team's pockets.

I strongly agree with the perspective voiced by other .COM domain owners
like myself that these proposed changes will have significant impact on the
internet for years to come, and only ICANN and Verisign have participated
in this decision.

In conclusion, I say this to you Goran and your Leadership Team at ICANN
that these proposed changes of amendment 3 to the .COM Registry Agreement
is: Not In My Name!

Best regards,
Angelo

* P.S.* I have copied the three domain name registrars with whom I
frequently transact with and purchase domains so they are aware of my
formal disagreement to ICANN's proposed changes to the .COM Registry
Agreement.
-- 
*Angelo Embuldeniya*
*Phone: *+1 (289) 925.2377
*Email: *angelo at linkforchange.org
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