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Re: [ga] Tiered (Variable) Pricing


Re: [ga] Tiered (Variable) PricingHi Chuck,

Correct us if we're wrong, but your recommendation is "to maintain a level playing field, it should be removed from all existing and proposed registry agreements as well." with "it" being a rule forbidding registries from being a registrar for their own TLD. We would like to emphasize that you recommended a removal from "ALL" agreements and not an isolated exception for some small floundering sTLDs. Your recommendation could be compared to that of a hypothetical Exxon / Mobil proposal for equal access to small business tax credits, so that every business would be on a level playing field. If VeriSign has absolutely no desire to become a registrar as you claim, then VeriSign should be happy to recommend a policy that explicitly conveys that point.

If the U.S. Government asked for your permission to wiretap your phones and read your email, but said they had no intention of doing so, would you take their word for it and allow them? Of course not. That is why we are concerned with actions undertaken by VeriSign, which we view as anti-competitive. A formal recommendation to a policy making body, to rescind rules that were created to foster competition, is a cause for concern.

Please elaborate on how registries can be held hostage by registrars with which they do no business.

Sincerely,
Ted
Prophet Partners Inc.
http://www.ProphetPartners.com
http://www.Premium-Domain-Names.com

  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Gomes, Chuck 
  To: Gomes, Chuck ; Prophet Partners Inc. ; ga@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx 
  Sent: Thursday, August 31, 2006 4:10 PM
  Subject: Re: [ga] Tiered (Variable) Pricing


  I should also clarify that the RyC did not initiate the idea that registries should become registrars.  That was suggested by non-registry members of the new gTLD PDP committee in response to our suggestion that this issue needed to be dealt with for small sTLDs that have difficulty getting adequate registrar support.  Our latest comments were simply to point out that our current agreements do not allow us to be registrars for our own TLDs, so that requirement would have to be changed in those agreements where the problem exists.

  Also, this should not be taken as a criticism of registrars.  They have the right to make their own business decisions with respect to what TLDs they want to sell.  At the same time, affected  registries should not be held hostage by registrars who elect not to support their TLD.

  Chuck


  Sent from my GoodLink Wireless Handheld (www.good.com)

   -----Original Message-----
  From:   Gomes, Chuck [mailto:cgomes@xxxxxxxxxxxx]
  Sent:   Thursday, August 31, 2006 03:54 PM Eastern Standard Time
  To:     Prophet Partners Inc.; ga@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
  Subject:        Re: [ga] Tiered (Variable) Pricing

  Let me set the record straight:  VeriSign has no interest in becoming a registrar.  Registrars do an excellent job of selling .com and .net names.  The same cannot be said of some of the small sTLDs though.  That is what this issue is about.

  Chuck


  Sent from my GoodLink Wireless Handheld (www.good.com)

   -----Original Message-----
  From:   Prophet Partners Inc. [mailto:Domains@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx]
  Sent:   Thursday, August 31, 2006 11:35 AM Eastern Standard Time
  To:     ga@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
  Subject:        Re: [ga] Tiered (Variable) Pricing

  Please note the desire of VeriSign and the other gTLDs to become registrars
  in direct competition with their own customers. In our opinion, this is
  further evidence of their intentions and should be very alarming to the
  community.

  The comments below are a portion of Chuck Gomes' attachment in the following
  message.

  http://forum.icann.org/lists/gtld-council/msg00186.html

  Term of Reference 2 Recommendation, Initial Report

    a.. Regarding the recommendation that only ICANN accredited registrars
  should  be used and the argument by several on the Dec05 PDP Committee that,
  if registrars are not adequately serving a gTLD, then the affected
  registry/sponsor should become a registrar:
      a.. Existing and proposed registry agreements forbid registries/sponsors
  from being registrars for their own TLD, so this approach only works for new
  gTLDs going forward.
      b.. If the committee is going to support this recommendation, then it
  should be accompanied by a recommendation that the contractual term
  forbidding registries from being registrars for their TLD should not be in
  the new registry agreements and, to maintain a level playing field, it
  should be removed from all existing and proposed registry agreements as
  well.
      c.. Also, the minority opinion of the RyC should be included in the
  Final Report:  The requirement that only ICANN-accredited registrars may be
  used should be modified to allow some flexibility in cases where registrar
  support does not meet some mutually agreed-to service level criteria for a
  given gTLD.  The underlying premise of this position is that gTLD registries
  or sponsors should not be held hostage by registrars who are not willing to
  or are unqualified to serve the applicable registrant community.
  Sincerely,

  Prophet Partners Inc.

  http://www.ProphetPartners.com

  http://www.Premium-Domain-Names.com



  ----- Original Message -----
  From: "Michael D. Palage" <Michael@xxxxxxxxxx>
  To: <ga@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
  Sent: Thursday, August 31, 2006 7:56 AM
  Subject: [ga] Tiered (Variable) Pricing


  > Hello All:
  >
  > In the interesting of continuing a very constructive dialog with regard
  > to tiered pricing, I have published the following article on CircleID,
  > see http://www.circleid.com/posts/tiered_variable_pricing_compromise/.
  > Some of the initial comments such as George's continues to take an "all
  > or nothing approach" to the current registry contracts.  The purpose of
  > this article was to address what I saw as one loophole which could be
  > closed to protect reasonable expectation interests of registrants while
  > allowing registries the flexibility to use tiered(variable) pricing in
  > their business operations.
  >
  > Best regards,
  >
  > Michael D. Palage





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