ICANN Changes Fee Structure for .Biz, .Org, .Info

MARINA DEL REY, Calif. — According to George Kirikos of CircleID.com, ICANN Chairman Vint Cerf has confirmed that proposed new registry agreements for the operation of the top-level domains .biz, .info and .org allow the companies that oversee those domains to employee an unregulated pricing format similar to that used for .TV.

On June 27, ICANN announced proposed agreements for the registries administering the domains. Language in the agreements indicated a departure from the established uniform pricing practice registrants had become accustomed to, which alarmed Kirikos, who set about trying to reach Cerf for comment.

“This is a markedly different approach from the fixed fee established in the 2001 .biz and .info registry agreements, and 2003 .org registry agreement, and is intended to appropriately scale the fees payable by each registry to ICANN to the success or decline of the registry business,” the proposed agreement reads in part.

Cerf confirmed to Kirikos, who said he fears the loophole would lead to an arbitrary pricing regime.

“I finally got the official word from Cerf, who confirmed that my interpretation is correct, that differential/tiered pricing on a domain-by-domain basis would not be forbidden under the .biz/info/org proposed contracts,” Kirikos said. “This means that the registries could charge $100,000 per year for Sex.biz, $25,000 per year for Movies.org, etc.”

According to Cerf, it would be “suicide” for a registry to change its prices because registrants are entitled to a six-month notice period for price changes, and they have the ability to register for 10 years at a time.

Countering Cerf’s “suicide” argument, Kirikos hypothesized that the rule change would allow PIR, which administers .org, to simply set a renewal price of $1 billion per year for a domain such as Pussy.org.

“If it takes 10 years to do it, many would wait, and it would not be considered ‘suicide’ for PIR,” Kirikos said, adding that PIR could simply say they were protecting children from porn on the .org TLD by pricing objectionable content out of the market.

Kirikos also suggested that the contract loophole could be used as a political weapon, as well. But his greatest concern is that registry companies will become beholden to profit above all else.

While the changes do not affect the .com TLD, Kirikos said there would be no reason why VeriSign, the company that administers the TLD, would not seek similar contractual liberties in its next agreement in order to level hefty fees on popular domains.

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

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, Could Face Override

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.

WannaCollab Joins Pineapple Support as Supporter-Level Sponsor

WannaCollab has joined the ranks of over 70 adult businesses and organizations committing funds and resources to Pineapple Support.

FSC Unpacks SCOTUS Age Verification Ruling in Webinar

The Free Speech Coalition conducted a public webinar Tuesday to help adult industry stakeholders understand the Supreme Court’s recent decision in FSC v. Paxton, and its potential implications.

UK Lawmaker Calls for Appointment of 'Porn Minister'

Baroness Gabrielle Bertin, the Conservative member of Parliament who recently convened a new anti-pornography task force, is calling for the appointment of a “minister for porn,” according to British news outlet The Guardian.

FSC Toasts Jeffrey Douglas for 30 Years of Service

n the very same evening when the adult industry was hit hard by the Supreme Court ruling supporting Texas’ controversial age verification law, HB 1181, members of the Free Speech Coalition board, staff and supporters gathered to celebrate Jeffrey Douglas’ 30 years as board chair — a fitting reflection of his reputation as an eternal optimist.

TTS Opens UK Testing Location

Talent Testing Service (TTS) has opened a new U.K. location in Ware, Hertfordshire.

FSC: Age-Verification Laws Go Into Effect in South Dakota, Georgia, Wyoming on July 1

The Free Speech Coalition (FSC) has published a statement regarding new age verification laws set to go into effect tomorrow in South Dakota, Georgia, and Wyoming.

FSC Responds to Supreme Court Decision on Texas AV Law

The Free Speech Coalition (FSC) has released a statement responding to last week's Supreme Court decision on FSC v. Paxton, the Texas age verification law.

Show More