Re: [ga] VeriSign to auction deleting domains!

["Richard Henderson" <richardhenderson@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

George and others,

I have already proposed this Registry Auction model, as I set it out here
for the registrars workshop:
http://www.icann.org/meetings/capetown/icann-domainnames-workshop-doc1-01dec04.htm

In my opinion this is the most rational market-responsive method of making
deleting domain names available to those who want to buy them.

It cuts out the 'lottery' element that you have at present with companies
like Pool and Snapnames, and the ludicrous accreditation of about 100 shell
registrars by ICANN - registrars which were only set up as fronts for
companies like Pool. It would also create an easier process for the general
public, than the present one which frankly is only understood and known
about by a smallish number of people.

In my opinion, the ideal model will be a Registry-based auction for all
deleting domains (providing there is still respect for Redemption Period for
the current registrant), accompanied by clear posting of lists of domains
about to delete. My only concern would be that there should be NO limitation
on which registrar you chose to use to register the name if you won the
registry auction. That freedom of choice should be allowed to the consumer.

I tend to agree with Sotiris that there is a market price for everything,
and I don't think that it's particularly horrifying that names in demand
should be sold at auction to the highest bidder... after all, that's what
happens with valuable paintings isn't it?

So personally I support a Registry-based auction approach to deleting
domains.

I would also like to see the dis-accreditation of all those shell registrars
BEFORE new TLDs like .travel or .eu swing into action - there will be mayhem
in any round-robin process if there are 100 registrars mostly operating for
a single entity, while other longer-established registrars, trying to earn
an honest living, can apply only once in these processes. The ICANN
accreditation of these recent registrars (many linked to Pool or Namescout I
guess) seems bizarre.

I have benefitted from Pool and Snapnames over the years to acquire some
very useful domain names for my online activity. Nevertheless, I prefer the
Registry auction model. It seems more open to the general public. It seems
to cut out the middle man and a lottery element. You know the domain you
want. You know how much you are prepared to pay. You get it if you want it
more than anyone else and are prepared to pay the market price.

Registry Auction - straight and simple?

Richard Henderson

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "George Kirikos" <gkirikos@xxxxxxxxx>
To: <ga@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>; <discuss-list@xxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Friday, January 21, 2005 10:38 PM
Subject: [ga] VeriSign to auction deleting domains!


> Hello,
>
> "I told you so" comes to mind -- VeriSign's greed has no bound, and
> isn't limited to WLS. For those who've not had time to read through the
> VeriSign dot-net application:
>
> http://www.icann.org/tlds/net-rfp/applications/verisign.htm
>
> buried near the end one can find the following:
>
> "VeriSign is now working with Bruce Tonkin, one of the Registrar
> Constituency's representatives to the GNSO Council, to facilitate the
> process of developing a solution for an industry-wide com/net deleted
> names handling process, which facilitates an open auction during the
> pending delete period.
>
> In January 2005, VeriSign will begin surveying end users in the
> Internet community to get input on various types of auction house
> solutions and price sensitivity for deleted name auctions.