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There's only a week remaining before ICANN decides on the proposed "settlement" of a lawsuit they would win to begin with and grant Verisign perpetual rights over the .com namespace amoung other things. Please take a few minutes out of your busy schedule to let your voice be heard on this issue. Whatever your thoughts may be.
http://icann.org/announcements/announcement-29jan06.htm
Here's some things to consider.
Price increase. In the original renewal contract Verisign would have been allowed 7% increase a year. In the new proposal this is decreased to 4 years out of 6 instead of all 6.
Side note: If the contract went up for bid other qualified companies have publicly stated they would reduce the cost. In fact some stated more than 50% decrease.
Perpetual renewal: Verisign will be given pretty much perpetual rights to the .com namespace. The only real way for them to lose it is if they financially incapable and/or operate in a way which disrupt security and stability of the core DNS.
Side note: The lawsuit which this "agreement" is suppose to resolve is a direct result of Verisign disrupting the security and stability of the core DNS.
Traffic data sales: Verisign is allowed to sell traffic data on .com domains without disclosing registrant or user information.
Side note: Whois is publicly available.
CLS/ Central Listing service: Verisign will be allowed to move forward with it's proposed CLS. This will allow them to auction off to the highest bidder all .com domains during the pending delete phase. They also have plans to allow users to add names during active phase.
Side note: On the surface this seems like a good idea. Outside of the box it is wide open to abuse. There is no possible way Verisign can detur fraudulent bids on names. Sure they can try but there are way too many accredited registrars and resellers or said registrars. There are no real policies on this proposal. It's more or less approved as proposed apparently. As it is now registrars are already closing the redemption period gap to try a hand at their own auctions. If Verisign gets this through registrars will most likely continue their auctions only shortening the redemption period even more as a result most likely pretty much eliminating the need for a redemption period altogether. This is all outside of the many businesses Verisign will be putting out of business by taking over the drop auctions and becoming a domain broker.
ICANN's comments on the who matter
"ICANN is extremely keen for the deal to go ahead as the ongoing dispute with VeriSign is a stone around its neck. Plus, it is caught in a bind. ICANN cannot impose its views on VeriSign because the expiring contract that the new contract will extend was drawn up between VeriSign and the US Department of Commerce.
As such, ICANN portrays the changes made to the agreement as "additional concessions" that VeriSign has "granted". It also warns the wider net community that "VeriSign has advised ICANN that this proposal represents its last, best offer to settle the pending litigation".
The changes are a carefully argued halfway house. Enough concessions are given for the internet industry to feel its concerns have been listened to, while at the same time VeriSign wins complete control of the internet's dotcom business - still by far the most profitable on the net.
The headline issue that VeriSign was going to be able to raise dotcom prices by seven per cent every year has been reduced to the fact it can only raise them for four of the next six years and it needs to demonstrate evidence of the fact that the price rise comes as a result of additional expense on its network to make it more secure.
Without that issue to get angry about, much of the fire against the agreement will be quenched. VeriSign has clearly refused to budge on it being given lifetime control of the dotcom registry, but ICANN is willing to let this go because it believes the importance of dotcoms will diminish as it releases new top-level domains and the internet becomes more search-engine led."
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/01/30/icann_verisign_new_contract/
So more or less ICANN gets more money, they don't have to worry about a lawsuit they would win, they are allowing Verisign to make all the calls, and plan to unleash new extensions like the black palgue to give them more revenue and diminish the value of the .com you have built your business on or have had tucked away for years.
Previous "Settlement"
http://icann.org/topics/verisign-settlement.htm
"Settlement"
http://www.icann.org/topics/verisign-settlement.htm
Summary of changes
http://icann.org/topics/vrsn-settlement/revision-matrix-29jan06.pdf
I'm sure there are more issues. I'm no lawyer and everything you read in this post is how I see it. I've been following this issue for quite awhile now and you can guess where I stand. I may not be 100% correct on all facts but I'm pretty damn close. Do you own research and decide whats right or wrong for yourself. Speak now or pay later and if you don't all I can say is don't say I didn't warn you.
If you have some thoughts on the matter post away. I'm sure others will respond. I on the otherhand will be on top of a real high mountain far away from a computer for the next week or two. I hope to return to a unsettled lawsuit. :approve:
http://icann.org/announcements/announcement-29jan06.htm
Here's some things to consider.
Price increase. In the original renewal contract Verisign would have been allowed 7% increase a year. In the new proposal this is decreased to 4 years out of 6 instead of all 6.
Side note: If the contract went up for bid other qualified companies have publicly stated they would reduce the cost. In fact some stated more than 50% decrease.
Perpetual renewal: Verisign will be given pretty much perpetual rights to the .com namespace. The only real way for them to lose it is if they financially incapable and/or operate in a way which disrupt security and stability of the core DNS.
Side note: The lawsuit which this "agreement" is suppose to resolve is a direct result of Verisign disrupting the security and stability of the core DNS.
Traffic data sales: Verisign is allowed to sell traffic data on .com domains without disclosing registrant or user information.
Side note: Whois is publicly available.
CLS/ Central Listing service: Verisign will be allowed to move forward with it's proposed CLS. This will allow them to auction off to the highest bidder all .com domains during the pending delete phase. They also have plans to allow users to add names during active phase.
Side note: On the surface this seems like a good idea. Outside of the box it is wide open to abuse. There is no possible way Verisign can detur fraudulent bids on names. Sure they can try but there are way too many accredited registrars and resellers or said registrars. There are no real policies on this proposal. It's more or less approved as proposed apparently. As it is now registrars are already closing the redemption period gap to try a hand at their own auctions. If Verisign gets this through registrars will most likely continue their auctions only shortening the redemption period even more as a result most likely pretty much eliminating the need for a redemption period altogether. This is all outside of the many businesses Verisign will be putting out of business by taking over the drop auctions and becoming a domain broker.
ICANN's comments on the who matter
"ICANN is extremely keen for the deal to go ahead as the ongoing dispute with VeriSign is a stone around its neck. Plus, it is caught in a bind. ICANN cannot impose its views on VeriSign because the expiring contract that the new contract will extend was drawn up between VeriSign and the US Department of Commerce.
As such, ICANN portrays the changes made to the agreement as "additional concessions" that VeriSign has "granted". It also warns the wider net community that "VeriSign has advised ICANN that this proposal represents its last, best offer to settle the pending litigation".
The changes are a carefully argued halfway house. Enough concessions are given for the internet industry to feel its concerns have been listened to, while at the same time VeriSign wins complete control of the internet's dotcom business - still by far the most profitable on the net.
The headline issue that VeriSign was going to be able to raise dotcom prices by seven per cent every year has been reduced to the fact it can only raise them for four of the next six years and it needs to demonstrate evidence of the fact that the price rise comes as a result of additional expense on its network to make it more secure.
Without that issue to get angry about, much of the fire against the agreement will be quenched. VeriSign has clearly refused to budge on it being given lifetime control of the dotcom registry, but ICANN is willing to let this go because it believes the importance of dotcoms will diminish as it releases new top-level domains and the internet becomes more search-engine led."
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/01/30/icann_verisign_new_contract/
So more or less ICANN gets more money, they don't have to worry about a lawsuit they would win, they are allowing Verisign to make all the calls, and plan to unleash new extensions like the black palgue to give them more revenue and diminish the value of the .com you have built your business on or have had tucked away for years.
Previous "Settlement"
http://icann.org/topics/verisign-settlement.htm
"Settlement"
http://www.icann.org/topics/verisign-settlement.htm
Summary of changes
http://icann.org/topics/vrsn-settlement/revision-matrix-29jan06.pdf
I'm sure there are more issues. I'm no lawyer and everything you read in this post is how I see it. I've been following this issue for quite awhile now and you can guess where I stand. I may not be 100% correct on all facts but I'm pretty damn close. Do you own research and decide whats right or wrong for yourself. Speak now or pay later and if you don't all I can say is don't say I didn't warn you.
If you have some thoughts on the matter post away. I'm sure others will respond. I on the otherhand will be on top of a real high mountain far away from a computer for the next week or two. I hope to return to a unsettled lawsuit. :approve:
