Concerns raised over potential .com price increases

In early January 2020, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) and Verisign (the registry operator for the .com top-level domain) announced a series of proposals to amend the .com Registry Agreement. One of the proposed amendments relates to the prices for .com domain name registrations. Since 2012, the price perceived by Verisign for one .com domain has been static at US$7.58. Under the proposed amendments, Verisign would be allowed to increase the price up to a maximum of 7% per year for four years in a row; after these four years, the price would have to remain stable for two additional years before a new increase is possible. This potential change has triggered concerns among domain name registrars, who warned that the price increases would ultimately affect Internet usersSome registrars have invited their customers to submit comments in response to ICANN’s call for public comments regarding the proposed amendments to the .com Registry Agreement. The public comment period closes on 14 February 2020.