Re: [ga] The Future of Domain Registry Pricing, if left uncapped

[George Kirikos <gkirikos@xxxxxxxxx>]

Veni,

My point is that ICANN is not protecting consumers (domain registrants)
via these new contracts. Period. Re-read that first sentence, so that
you can hopefully comprehend it.

If you don't have the inclination to protect consumers, you should step
aside from the Board, and let people in who will represent registrants
effectively.

There *needs* to be regulation in order to prevent monopolists from
running roughshod over the interests of consumers. These are single
source suppliers. ICANN has even stated IN COURT DOCUMENTS that price
caps are pro-competitive:

http://gnso.icann.org/mailing-lists/archives/ga/msg04204.html

Sure, many domain registrants profit from their domain names, through
development, etc. That "consumer surplus" BELONGS to registrants, and
should not be expropriated by registries by changing the rules AFTER
they have won a tender for operation of a registry with very specific
terms. They want presumptive renewal. They want unlimited pricing
power. Those terms were NOT in the original contracts. They are gaining
something. What, pray tell, are consumers, registrants, and the broader
group of stakeholders gaining?

If you want a registry to exist that has totally unrestricted pricing,
create a brand new one, and let folks know in advance that those are
the "rules" (i.e. the first rule is that there will be no rules). Then,
let those who want to register in that TLD do so, via that full
disclosure and at their own peril.

In the real world, to gain something, you typically have to give up
something. That's what a negotiation involves. Yet, what have the
registries given up, so that consumers can gain? Nada.

Sincerely,

George Kirikos
http://www.kirikos.com/

--- Veni Markovski <veni@xxxxxxxx> wrote:

> George,
> what's your point? That this is a market, and you need it to be 
> regulated? Or that there are people who make lots of money by 
> registering tens of thousands, or hundreds of thousands of domain 
> names, and this should be stopped? Or that the price should not be
> "whatever"?
> 
> How about the ccTLD? The only competition so far to the ".com" has 
> been ".de", and this will change with China and India entering this 
> market. So, why not ask ICANN to deal also with the ccTLD prices? Or 
> may be not ICANN, but the ITU, with some new settlement agreement 
> between ccTLDs?
> 
> Etc., etc.
> 
> veni