[Comments-com-amendment-3-03jan20] Verisign and ICANN deal is a bum deal for me

Jerry Hammack jer at jerryhammack.com
Tue Feb 11 13:48:08 UTC 2020


To whom it may concern,
Last month, you announced significant changes to the contract you have 
with Verisign, Inc. who operate the .COM top-level-domain (TLD).

These changes were made in secret, without consulting or incorporating 
feedback from the ICANN community or Internet users. It appears these 
changes will harm our consumers given that .COM domains make up 40% of 
all registered domain names online.

Allowing Verisign to increase the wholesale price to registrars for .COM 
domains every year for 8 out of the next 10 years means that .COM 
wholesale domain prices can grow by more than 70% over and above current 
prices over the next decade. These costs will have to be borne by 
consumers in the end. That means me. And for what?

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 alarming that alongside these contract changes, Verisign will pay 
ICANN an additional $20 million dollars over five years to support 
ICANN's domain name system initiatives, without any clarity about how 
ICANN will spend the money, or who will ensure that the funds are 
properly spent on domain infrastructure.

These changes will have significant impact on the Internet and my small 
business for years to come. You have not consulted your .COM customers 
at all prior to making this deal, which will have a huge, negative 
impact on numerous businesses.

Please reconsider this deal, the price increases that are bound to be 
passed to consumers, and do the right thing for the Internet community 
by striking a balance between profit and service. Don't be greedy and 
don't allow Verisign to be either.

Sincerely,

Jerry Hammack

-- 
+++-------------------------+++
Jerry Hammack
a: 25 The Esplanade, Suite 1704
Toronto, ON, Canada M5E 1W5
p: 416-977-8503
c: 416-400-7630
e: jer at jerryhammack.com




More information about the Comments-com-amendment-3-03jan20 mailing list