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

[Aaron Kittredge]

I am writing to express my strong opposition to proposed amendment 3.  This
is a threat of the highest order to an open, accessible, and free internet
for all!  This amendment will clearly benefit ICANN, Verisign, and large
corporations and copmanies for whom the price increase will have no impact,
while dramatically hurting and impacting individuals, small businesses
charities, non-profits, and other life saving and essential services and
programs.

ICANN was set up, in part, to create competition between domain name
registrars, but ICANN is now at the center of the problem, without
considering any input from Internet users on these critical decisions and
subverting their voices.  These increased prices will absolutely be passed
on to the consumer.  To think any differently is to be ignorant of the
reality we live in.

Verisign is getting a real sweetheart of a deal here that will result not
only in them practically being able to write their own profit sharing
checks, but will destroy any competition among registrars that currently
exists, since the new contract would allow Verisign to operate as a
registrar, with loopholes for them to also sell .COMs through another
registrar.

ICANN has ignored thousands of comments, input, and disparate cries from
the public, worldwide to not force this money-grabbing, freedom destroying
proposal through.

95% of the work I do as a web developer and graphic designer is pro bono
work for non-profits, charities, and other amazing organizations doing
amazing work.  I work for these very worth causes for free because I know
how tight there budgets are and how little extra there is for overhead,
like a custom website with e-commerce functionality.  These price increases
will have a dramatic and chilling affect on these charities and
non-profits, who already operate on shoe string budgets.

Additionally, this will have a chilling affect on individuals and small
businesses who run on tight budgets or operate websites as a hobby or
special interest.  Millions of people around the world have the amazing
opportunity to impact their communities, friends, family, and regions
because buying a domain name and setting up a website is within their reach.

ICANN and Verisign are on a path to scorched earth for all of these people,
small businesses, and charities and non-profits that rely on ICANN to do
the RIGHT thing for the public for which is was created to benefit,
support, and enrich.  But this proposed amendment 3 has been created and is
intending to be rammed through to enrich and line the pockets of ICANN,
Verisign, and large corporations and industries with literally no thought
for everyone else or the good of the world.

Do not push this amendment through!
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