.com prices to rise 7% for four years in a row, and another 4 years after that

[Siusaidh]

The Department of Commerce in the US (which basically has a choke hold on much of the DNS) has cut a deal with VeriSign:

"Verisign and ICANN may agree to amend the .COM Registry Agreement to permit an increase to the price for .COM registry services, up to a maximum of 7 percent in each of the final four years of each six-year period (the first six-year period commenced on October 26, 2018)."

This initially covers the next 12 years, and so envisages 8 (EIGHT) annual price rises of 7% in the 12-year period.

The DOC has agreed to give this right to VeriSign, which involves getting clearance from ICANN to finalise it.

Much of the pretext is the need to develop deeper internet security, and the costs of doing so. As a sweetener, VeriSign agrees to pay ICANN $20million dollars over a five year period towards work on security.

ICANN is almost certain to rubber stamp these price rises (which of course will then get fed through to higher Registrar prices), but they are "holding a consultation".

It is highly unlikely the 'consultation' is anything more than window dressing, because there is no way ICANN wants to take on the DoC (under a Trump administration) when it is DoC ultimately that grants ICANN its right to operate and protects United States interests through ICANN.

Nevertheless, as there are 5 more days to go on this consultation, you can read the info yourself and take part here.

 

[BREWSTERS]

If the cost went to $100, think how many fair to good quality names would become available...and prices at places like hugedomains.com come down considerably to liquidise stock.

 

[Siusaidh]

The deadline for contributing to the consultation was yesterday. My submission here.

The authority given to VeriSign by DoC, and which ICANN are extremely likely to endorse, means that if VeriSign apply these increases (and why wouldn't they) then by 2027 the price they charge for a .com domain will be $13.42

To that you then have to add whatever extra a Registrar adds on for themselves, unless you happen to be an ICANN-accredited registrar yourself.

At the Nominet members' meeting this week, I took note of one statement, which was that although there are other factors, one of the factors Nominet considers is a linking between .com prices and future prices for uk.

If and when .com prices go up, that increases mandate for Nominet to follow suite if they choose to.

 

[Siusaidh]

I wish I could claim to have done that deliberately...

ICANN has always been the front for the US retaining crucial control over the legacy internet and its DNS.

As for Trump, his career is an ego-trip... for the Corporations, he is useful, until he's not useful.

ICANN: nice salaries, nice perks, awash with money... they're not exactly going to rock the boat.