Re: [ga] VeriSign raises .com/net prices

[Karl Auerbach <karl@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

It is perfectly reasonable and, in fact quite proper, for Verisign to raise its 
 registry price.

It is allowed by the contract with ICANN, and Verisign would, at least in the 
minds of a goodly portion of its shareholders, be derelict if it did not avail 
itself of this opportunity to raise prices.

If there is any one to frown upon in this matter it is ICANN (and it's 
puppetmaster, NTIA) who gave permission for this increase without any concern 
whatsoever for the actual cost of providing the registry service.

We ought not to blame Verisign for doing what Verisign is - a competitive, 
for-profit, enterprise that is entitled to maximize its worth and profits.

But we ought to blame ICANN for failing to adequately do what ICANN most 
clearly is - a regulator - in that ICANN's normal answer to incumbent 
"stakeholders" (of which Verisign is most definitely one, and internet users 
are most definitely not one) is "yes".

		--karl--