[ncdnhc-discuss] Resolution on .org and protection ofexisting domain name holders

[Derek Conant]

The problem I see here that is not being addressed or answered is that
if .ORG is assigned to a new operator, this probably means that ICANN
Accredited Registrars who currently sponsor .ORG will probably be
required to pay additional registry application, qualification and
license fees to the new operator.  Or else, the ICANN Accredited
Registrar may no longer sponsor the .ORG TLD.  

If additional registry application, qualification and license fees are
required to sponsor .ORG, how many of the 80+ ICANN Accredited
Registrars will pay (or are able to pay) the additional registry
application, qualification and license fees to the new operator?

It is established that users of other TLDs (.COM, .NET and .ORG) can
transfer their domain names between ICANN Accredited Registrars who are
licensed by the registry to sponsor the specific TLD being transferred. 
This is the mechanism that currently protects other domain name holders
from unreasonable fees for domain name registration.

A concern is that what if only 5 of the ICANN Accredited Registrars are
able to apply, qualify and are licensed by the new operator to sponsor
the .ORG TLD.  5 ICANN Accredited Registrars is not 80 Registrars and
this example could effectively eliminate the registrar transfer policy
and mechanism that currently protects .ORG domain name holders from
unreasonable fees for domain name registration.   

Derek Conant
DNSGA President and Chairman


Dave Crocker wrote:
> 
> At 10:54 AM 2/8/2002 -0500, James Love wrote:
> >The price of a .org registration has been regulated by the US Department
> >of Commerce.
> 
> Registry price is regulated.  End-user price is not.  The price is the same
> as for a dot-COM or dot-NET domain name.
> 
> >3. If .org is reassigned to a new operator, it is essential that the
> >existing .org domain name holders be protected against unreasonable fees
> >for domain name registration.
> 
> This suggests that there is no need to protect users of other TLDs from
> unreasonable fees.  That is probably not what the constituency wants to imply.
> 
> >   Many .org domain owners would find it extremely costly to switch domain
> > names, and are vulnerable to abusive pricing practices of the .org registry.
> 
> This statement applies to all domain registrants.  It does not distinguish
> .org registrants at all.
> 
> >4. The ICANN staff should provide the NCC with a memorandum explaining how
> >the existing .org domain name holders will be protected from abusive
> >pricing, after .org is reassigned.
> 
> Rather than defining a broad, difficult problem and then tell others they
> need to solve it, this group should formulate a solution before declaring
> tht it needs to be solved.
> 
> d/
> 
> ----------
> Dave Crocker  <mailto:dcrocker at brandenburg.com>
> Brandenburg InternetWorking  <http://www.brandenburg.com>
> tel +1.408.246.8253;  fax +1.408.273.6464
> 
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