Re: [wg-c] breaking up (names) is hard to do

["Ross Wm. Rader" <ross@ebarn.com>]

> Kent's formulation suggests that -- just maybe -- many of us might agree
>on a system in which a registry might or might not be operated on a
>strictly cost-recovery basis, but *all* registries would be subject to
some
>sort of meaningful limitation on their ability to raise prices.
>(Obviously, formulating such a limitation isn't straightforward, and some
>folks have suggested to the list that it can't be done.  Yet I wonder.)
>What do people think?


While I don't disagree with the intent of your proposal (let's make sure
that sld holders don't get screwed by a money grubbing registry) - I have
serious reservations about the application of such a policy.

Several scenarios immediately ran through my head would be "against the
rules" in a price increased controlled situation...

- new TLD comes online, registry offers free addresses for a fix period of
time to increase adoption, followed by a price increase to a reasonable
level sometime later....

- registry finds that initial price determination was not realistic and a
price increase is necessary to ensure minimal profitability on the
registries behalf.

- registry decides that his/her TLD is not a price sensitive commodity, but
rather a value based service that commands a premium dollar

- registry notices seasonal demand fluctuates and implements a market
demand based price system that charges less during slow periods and more
during busy periods

- registry possesses an extremely unique TLD that holds very limited
interested to the larger market, but an unusually high level of interest
for a specific portion of the market and decides to implement an auction
based process that allows the market to actually determine the price of
sale...

All of these fall outside of the typical pricing models that we have
encountered thus far (x$ for y time period, plus renewals) and would like
become foregone avenues of pursuit under your proposal...

Obviously, this isn't a binary decision, but gven the option of fix-price
vs. registry determined price, I would have to back a registry determined
price and let the market sort out the dead models.

-RWR