[Comments-com-amendment-3-03jan20] Comment: Proposed Amendment 3 to the .COM Registry Agreement

[Peter Altschuler]

Security is essential to the reliability of Internet activity. Profit, however, is not.

The Internet is, at its heart, a public network. It grew out of U. S. government and military systems and, in the 1980s, was made available for commercial use and expansion. 

It is, for the foreseeable future, the primary resource for communications and commerce, but it should not become a proprietary resource whose objective is to reduce access to those whose means are insufficient. Such an outcome will only limit the exchange of information, reduce access to products and services and, thus, negatively affect the economy.

In that context, the increase in .com domain fees by as much as 70% will act as a damper on Internet activity by small and start-up businesses. Their means — and those of individuals who seek online identities defined by unique .com domains — are minuscule when compared to established firms with brand-specific .com domains. If the higher price of .com domains reduces individuals’ and small business’s ability to obtain and use them, the ripple effect will be felt in communities around the country and the world.

I ask, therefore, that the current pricing be modified only so far as is necessary to enhance security and cover costs. With help from the open-source community, security enhancements can be provided at virtually no cost, and the general public and small businesses can be assured of a level competitive playing field.

Sincerely,

p



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