ICANN ignores community input and agrees to lift price restrictions on .org domains.
As many feared, the comment period was just a formality.
ICANN has agreed to remove price restrictions on .org domain names, letting the domain’s manager, Public Interest Registry, charge as much as it wants for the domains. (It also agreed to let .info manager Afilias charge whatever it wants for .info.)
This is despite only six out of over 3,000 comments being in favor of removing price caps.
You can blame two things: ICANN wanting to make its life easier with a misguided attempt to make its registry agreements similar, and regulatory capture.
ICANN’s decision foreshadows that the organization will agree to .com price increases. Eventually, caps on .com domains could disappear.
10 million .org domains are currently registered and were registered under a system in which Public Interest Registry could not increase prices at will. Now, non-profits and other organizations that have been using these domains for years could face steep price increases.
The good news is that Public Interest Registry’s management is competent and well-guided. They will likely wait a while before making any major changes to avoid comments of “we told you so”.
But management changes. Boards change. And one day, it could get ugly.
It will be interesting to see if any parties consider antitrust challenges.
completely messed up says
this is a f**** disgrace. can’t believe the shenanigans. icann is now just a joke
Drewbert says
Public Interest Registry MY ARSE!
snoopy1267 says
I’d say this is a regulatory capture issue, in particular captured by Verisign who have the most to gain from this.
John says
Aside from blaming the basic human disposition toward evil, you can blame the (not) enlightened “transition” of ICANN away from US oversight, and all you misguided and naive ones who supported that (you know who you are).
As full of corruption and evil related problems of our own as we are here in the US, where the Internet was invented at public expense, and the DNS, it is virtually certain this would not be happening or even possible now if US oversight had not been removed. Removed based on a lying pretense argument I might add, just as so much is done in the world through lying. (Anyone remember the dire talking point threat of “balkanization”?)
In case anyone is not aware, by the way, this is where it’s all heading before a more final end: Revelation 13:16-17. (That’s right foolish trolls, do your thing now.) I would have liked to not see this crooked day in my lifetime, however. The Internet was something beautiful, warts and all, but this represents a true embrace of what is truly ugly, evil, and false.
John says
Just discovered – how fitting:
http://www.circleid.com/posts/20190628_responding_to_the_case_for_regulatory_capture_of_icann/
“By all appearances, it hasn’t taken long, in the absence of U.S. Government oversight, for rot to set in at the root. If the community is going to acquiesce to its own dismissal — if corruption is to become normalized at ICANN and in DNS governance — then, perhaps it’s time to start looking towards the heavens.”
John says
There is often no pleasure whatsoever in being able to say “I told you so” and this is one of the worst of such times I have ever seen in my life.
Paul M says
“here in the US, where the Internet was invented at public expense”
do you mean the internet or the web?
John says
You seriously even going to bother? Yes I choose my words carefully. Figure it out (hint: I’ll bet $1,000 you already know).
sylentp says
this sounds somehow though
Perfectname.com says
Why do they bother taking comments? They are always ignored.
George Kirikos says
ICANN Board members should be ashamed of themselves, for letting down the public with their anti-competitive decision which doesn’t reflect the overwhelming public opposition to the contract.
Richard says
That decision was made and signed off on WELL before they let us foot soldiers send in our comments as if that would change ANYTHING.
ICANN is a disgrace and the enemy of ordinary domain registrants.
Kevin Murphy says
I find the “regulatory capture” argument flimsy. All the commenters were biased towards their own best interests, on both side, and there’s no evidence I’m aware of that anyone in a decision-making role was actually “captured”.
John says
Spoken like the tool of establishment, oligarchy and plutocracy I have always considered you to be.
You never fail to disappoint.
Kevin Murphy says
Spoken like an anonymous coward, as I have always considered you to be.
John says
You’re pathetic.
Pavon says
If the number of comments was the only argument then yes, it would be a flimsy one. The much more damning fact is that the vast majority of ICANN members are, by design, registrars, and the one group that was supposed to represent the rest of the internet has become packed with people linked to registrars, and pushing registar’s agendas.
People have been complaining about the lopsidedness of representation in ICANN since it was created and this decision just cements what was the obvious outcome of that arrangement.
Andrew Allemann says
To be clear here, I think registrars are generally opposed to registry price increases.
HITNAMER :(·): says
Well why don’t Godaddy, World No.1 registrar subsidize dotCom renewals and dotOrg? The renewal fees are killing everybody, STONE DEAD. They could easily claim it back from Verisign/ICANN which everybody knows is the US Government coining it as usual. Charity, not for profit, it started with those lies and now look at how they treat DotOrg.
Kevin Murphy says
Depending on who you listen to, ICANN is “captured” by registries, registrars, trademark lawyers, domainers, governments, or even money-grubbing ICANN executives themselves… Everyone thinks, or at least pretends to think, the opposing side has too much power.
Green Jobs says
This is garbage.
John says
> “It will be interesting to see if any parties consider antitrust challenges.”
Let’s hope so and more since there is no direct accountability to anyone or anything after the great “transition” to private cabal status.
Turd says
.com will probs be next; maybe up to $50,000 per year (or more) for ultra-premium one-word .com’s
John says
No love for .net first?
Mark Thorpe says
Way to go ICANN! Dictatorship at it’s finest!
John Gleeson says
Totally disgraceful, and these guys are flying around in private jets, high as kites on CRACK COCAINE, in hand-tailored suits, out of all control, laughing at us, the customers, as they squeeze the noose yet again on the domain business. Government sanctioned CYBER THEFT!! What do they know about the craft of domaining and the cost of bringing a premium name to market!! I’m dropping my DotOrg’s after 10 years, DentalCheck.org, HandPain.org and 15,000 more health related names. Workers Unite!! Dot-com’s should be FREE by now, impossible to make a living in the domain industry. Disgraceful, ready for WAR on these guys!!
Richard says
Exactly, there is no reason why a .com should cost $10 per year or more. Country codes registries are showing how it’s done. German Denic for example charges less than $1,50 per year to registrars for .de domains. They have around 15 million names in the zone file, truly non-profit, truly working cost-effective. If the Verisign .com contract would be up for bid TODAY there would be dozens of companies lining up. My guess is with more than 150 million domains in the zone retail prices should start at $4 /year, that should be enough to run the registry and still make a good profit. But it’s greed, greed and greed again with those guys at ICANN. I guess being truly non-profit and working cost-covering is all nice and fun but it doesn’t pay for first class roundtrips and blow.
HITNAMER :(·): says
.org $0.99 per/yr. New .com domains $0.09 per/yr. I really wish I could offer these prices at Hitnamer.com because I know how much fun it is to make domain music. Imagine, if you had to pay a steep renewal fee for every music track in your collection, how long would it be before you’d move onto a new hobby. Those guys don’t get that, that’s the saddest part but then again they’ll never know great art, they feel nothing and all that greed won’t fill the emptiness. No need to launch nuclear weapons at them, just feel sorry for them because it impossible for them to get to heaven.
Todd says
You can blame all of this on the new gtld’s. Once there was a proven market that people would spend thousands of dollars to renew just one domain it was just a matter of time that prices would go up on all the others. There may come a time in domaining that the only domain investments worth holding on to are six figure or higher domains. The low to medium market will die because of high renewal costs. Domaining will literally dissapear.
HITNAMER :(·): says
…and what about Google, they came into the domain business recently and now they feature first when you search domains. This isn’t just anti-competitive, this is 100% CRIMINAL, what the FxxK do they know about domains and now they own the industry and guess who gets it in the gongoogies. ICANN and Versign see Google getting away with this so they think they can do what they like, with gravy and pork chops dripping out of their month at the same time, I’m surprised any of these guys can walk trying to digest the third worlds lunch for breakfast. Their greed is off the scale, unfathomable and unchecked!! Domainers Unite!! Let’s go to WAR!!
Andrea Paladini says
Those fake “no profit” or “public interest” entities should be deeply reformed …
IMHO the rights to manage .com, .net and .org should be granted through a PUBLIC AUCTION, open to companies worldwide, not only US ones.
Price cap should be mandatory (not revocable), tied to actual inflation rate.
What greedy and corrupt ICANN is doing instead is keeping renewing the rights to Verisign and PIR, which are oligopolies …
ICANN, which formally is a “no profit” organization, should be reformed too, leading to a real multi-stakeholder governance, while now it’s still improperly “influenced” by some US corp lobbies …
That’s where neoliberalism lead to … huge conglomerates, with little or no regulation at all, for the exclusive (parasitic) interests of some industrial & financial élites … or oligarchies if you prefer … at the expense of the rest of us of course …
Not surprisingly, since the US are a country whose government is since longtime controlled and influenced by some industrial, media & financial élites, for their own interests of course … Not exactly a democracy, just to use a euphemism …
kd says
ICANN = non profit
Public Interest Registry = not-for–profit organisation
PIR – we want unlimited prices
ICANN – okay, but we want to make more money from you too on fees
PIR – great, we love rackets
ICANN – we are not beholden to any government anymore
PIR – hehehe
ICANN – our board is riddled with conflicts of interest
PIR – shhhhh
John says
Indeed, they don’t say “follow the money” for nothing.
John says
So let this be a lesson: they do not act in good faith but as treacherous serpents. If anyone ever believes a single word from them ever again you are dumber than a rock. It’s time for action, not pleading or reasoning. This is how long we have until they do this to .com:
November 30, 2024
That’s how much time is left if society as we know it even lasts that long to do something in circumvention of this crooked racketeering cabal accountable to nothing and to no one..
joesaba2014 says
Here, from what I see and read, there is none of the great domain investors, who writing now will not be useful if we are not united and all of us at the same time take a drastic decision to the injustices that are happening with impunity on the part of some organisms. already expired to the times in which we are living in this 21st century
This domain market is in danger of many of us losing a lot of money.
“No More Excuses” this was the title of the last Pink Floyd Component Concert. https://youtu.be/ljaU7YcrKAU
I hope and I hope it is not for many of us last year as a domainer, we must do something more reindivicative to be heard and heard, all together and united including the great domain investors, we are in a market that is in an economy global market for millions of people, companies, brands, their employees, domainer who work and live directly or indirectly who are in this global market domains (com, net, org, info …..)
Happy Day. Jose.
John says
It doesn’t just affect the “domain community” but the entire world and every person on earth who may seek to do anything online.
It’s worth considering that aside from any lucrative revolving door promises and arrangements, perhaps certain key ICANN members were actually personally bribed already. In a manner of speaking, that is certainly how things are done here in the US. What we have here is a system of “legal bribery” in which politicians are bought for less than pennies on the dollar, resulting in vastly gigantic ROI for those who buy them. Great deal for their owners.
Jason says
I am exploring potential legal options on this subject. Please check back in a few weeks if you are interested. Thank you.
John says
You mean check back right here at this particular blog thread? They have a tendency to fade quickly so it’s not likely anyone will do that.
Jason says
Hi John and anyone else interested, PM me if you wish to.
Brian connor says
Hell na,,
Frans H says
I switched my critical backend and email domains to cctlds. Because I honestly have little faith in ICANN and the USA to keep the internet out of the hands of business lobbies. Suddenly I dont have to worry about price increases, privacy and foreign trademark disputes anymore. Suddenly stolen domains can actually be recovered with a few emails. It feels a lot safer being free from the wild west of gtlds.
Andrew Allemann says
You don’t have to worry about price increases on ccTLDs? They are the wild west. No restrictions.
Randy Cassingham says
“…to avoid comments of ‘we told you so’.”
Yeah, well, we told you so.
simon says
Does this include all the country .tld .orgs ? Eg domainname .org.nz