John Demco.COM and .NET Registry Price Increases Expected This Year – VeriSign expects to increase the annual registry fees for .com and .net domain names this year, according to CEO Stratton Sclavos. Presently the annual registry or wholesale price for a .com name is USD $6.00, and the price could rise 7% to $6.42. The registry price for a .net name could increase 10% from $4.25 to $4.67. Each registrar will determine whether or not to pass on price increases to registrants and resellers. VeriSign must give six months’ notice before increasing prices. (Note: By my reading of the .net agreement, the registry price consists of two components, a $3.50 service fee and a $0.75 ICANN fee, and it appears that the 10% maximum increase may apply only to the service fee. This results in an increase from $4.25 to as much as $4.60.)
Registrars Surveyed on Domain Name Suspension – CNET News.com has surveyed a number of registrars following GoDaddy’s action last week to suspend service to security site Seclists.org. Among the questions was: under what circumstances will you suspend a customer’s domain name based on the content of his or her Web site, in the absence of a court order? GoDaddy participated in the survey.
.UK Registry Conducts Governance Consultation – Nominet, the registry for the .uk domain, is updating its Articles of Association and is conducting two consultations on proposed changes. The first consultation runs until May 2, and concerns modifying the composition of the Board, enshrining the practice of consulting on policy matters in the articles, and giving the Board the power to make all fee changes rather than having to refer some changes to a membership vote.
Telnic Selects NeuStar To Operate .TEL Registry Systems – Telnic, registry operator for the forthcoming .tel domain, has announced that it has selected NeuStar to operate the registry and DNS systems for .tel.
Picks To Click
- The Government of Canada comments on the proposed .xxx domain agreement, expressing its concern that ICANN may venture beyond its core technical functions toward “an ongoing policy-making and oversight role governing Internet content.”
- An association for UK domainers and a magazine for domainers are set to launch.
- Best Western International wins a dispute over best-western.ca.
- The CBC wins a dispute over hockeynightincanada.ca.
- The 2007 ICANN Nominating Committee issues a call for statements of interest.