ICANN Feels The Heat

The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) is feeling the heat of protest from a group of 75 worldwide registrars angry over the significant increase in registrar fees proposed in ICANN’s latest budget – fees which could put many registrars out of business, and hinder the globalization of the Internet – which ICANN is mandated to promote.

Directi chairman and CEO Bhavin Turakhia, commented on the smaller registrar’s inability to compete in face of increased fees, stating “There are registrars out there who are large in their country but small if you compare them to the ones in the United States,” echoing the group’s sentiment that what seems to be a fair pricing structure for “the big boys” is unrealistic and anti-competitive in the face of smaller global market’s economic realities.

Previously, the amount of global top-level domains (gTLDs) a registrar wanted to sell names from determined the fees they paid for the privilege, with a base fee of $4,000 per year in order to handle “dot com” transactions, with an additional $500 annually for each extra gTLD, such as .net or .tv

The new fee structure proposed by ICANN, however, has an annual base fee of $4,000 per registrar in order to market names from any gTLD, but instead of additional fees per gTLD, a uniform surcharge will be imposed on all registrars, regardless of their size or location. This variable fee is currently projected to be $19,289 annually, based on ICANN’s $3.8 million annual registrar support expense divided by the total number of 197 current ICANN-accredited registrars.

For many registrars, this new fee structure equals a whopping 475% increase from the previous year. While the fee would fluctuate based on the number of registrars, even at ICANN’s estimated goal of 250 registrars, the annual fee would still be $15,200.

This is not the only increase in fees facing registrars, as ICANN is also imposing an increased transaction fee of 25 cents for each new, renewed, or transferred domain name, up from the previous rate of 12-18 cents per name based upon transaction volume.

While Turakhia has proposed an alternate budget which included the $4000 annual fee for selling all current gTLDs as well as the 25 cent transaction fee, it did away with the variable fee.

Negotiations are underway, although the final outcome is not yet clear.

Copyright © 2025 Adnet Media. All Rights Reserved. XBIZ is a trademark of Adnet Media.
Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission is prohibited.

More News

Roxie Rae Relaunches Site Through XSiteAbility

Roxie Rae has relaunched her site through XSiteAbility.

Federal Appeals Court Vacates FTC 'Click to Cancel' Rule Pending Review

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 8th Circuit on Tuesday vacated the Federal Trade Commission’s “click-to-cancel” rule aimed at making it easier for consumers to cancel online subscriptions, pending further review.

FSC Drops Florida AV Lawsuit in Wake of SCOTUS Decision

A U.S. district court judge granted on Tuesday a motion by Free Speech Coalition to dismiss the trade association’s lawsuit over Florida’s age verification law, a case that had been on hold pending the Supreme Court’s recent ruling on the constitutionality of state AV laws.

Ukrainian President Responds to Porn Legalization Petition

President Volodymyr Zelensky responded Tuesday to an OnlyFans model’s petition to decriminalize pornography in Ukraine, stating that he would wait for the legislative process to play out “in accordance with established procedure.”

Only Tax Deductions Joins Pineapple Support as Sponsor

Adult industry accounting firm Only Tax Deductions has joined the ranks of over 70 adult businesses and organizations committing funds and resources to Pineapple Support.

Adult Empire Launches 'Conversations' Podcast Series

Adult Empire has launched a new official podcast series hosted by Nicole Chappelle and Charlie.

Sex Work CEO Launches 'Teams Plan' for AI Assistant

Sex Work CEO has introduced the new Teams Plan for its AI-powered, NSFW text generator, GPTease.

2025 XBIZ Amsterdam Website Launches With Call for Speakers

XBIZ is pleased to announce that the website for its annual European conference, XBIZ Amsterdam, is now live.

NC Governor Vetoes Bill Targeting Adult Industry, Override Possible

North Carolina Governor Josh Stein today vetoed a bill imposing new regulations that adult industry observers have warned could push adult websites and platforms to ban most adult creators and content.

25,000 Sign Petition to Legalize Pornography in Ukraine

An OnlyFans model’s petition to decriminalize pornography in Ukraine has amassed the 25,000 signatures required for official consideration by President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Show More