RE: [registrars] Registry and New Service Offering

[Elana Broitman <ebroitman@register.com>]

I want to second Ross' note that the most fundamental distinction is
services that a registry may offer pursuant to an existing agreemetn (which
had already received a public vetting) versus new services that a registry
may wish to offer.

The second category is the only one that potentially requires registrars'
input.  Of that second category, we need to be careful to distinguish
between Registry Services, which are inimical to registrars' ability to
register names, versus other types of business offerings.  Just because a
Registry decides to sell refrigerators, doesn't mean it will ask for our
opinion.  

I just think it's helpful to narrow the universe that we're considering, and
then devise a flow chart.  I would recommend that any flow chart remain
general and flexible for obvious reasons.

Regards, Elana 

-----Original Message-----
From: Jim Archer [mailto:jarcher@registrationtek.com]
Sent: Thursday, January 17, 2002 3:41 PM
To: Michael D. Palage
Cc: registrars@dnso.org
Subject: RE: [registrars] Registry and New Service Offering


Mike...

--On Thursday, January 17, 2002 2:52 PM -0500 "Michael D. Palage" 
<michael@palage.com> wrote:

> I have to think about your comments of the WLS being a re-packed service,
> and let me explain why. A number of registrars offer a registrar lock
> feature, some for free (eNom) others at an additional cost. In the

Clearly, a registry can offer many services.  I think its important, 
however, to distinguish among services that it can offer only because of 
its monopoly position and those that it can offer regardless of its 
monopoly position.  Verisign registry sells DNS service and gains no 
benefit in this market because of its monopoly position.  However, if they 
want to sell a service that only they can offer for technical reasons, or a 
service that for technical reasons they could offer far better than anyone 
else, this is a very different issue.

I ask that in your flow chart, you devise a means for differentiating 
between three types of registry offered services.

First, those services a registry can offer and gain no advantage from due 
to their monopoly position. (ie, DNS, web hosting)

Second, those services a registry can offer and, due to technical reasons, 
no one else but the registry can offer. (ie, name registration and renewal)

Third, those services a registry can offer and, due to their monopoly 
position, can offer them better than any competitor.  (ie, locks and 
wait-like services).

In the case of the second category of service, my opinion is that offering, 
pricing and administration of these services should be subject to 
regulation.  In the case of the third services, I would not only like to 
see these subject to regulation if offered, but I think we should 
seriousely look at disallowing a registry from offering these services.

This is a critical issue.  I really think there needs to be a resolution to 
what a monopoly registry is permitted to do before we seek to create a 
system for letting them do it.

I would appreciate your thoughts on this.

Thanks.

Jim

************************************
James W. Archer
Registration Technologies, Inc.
10 Crestview Drive
Greenville, RI 02828
401-949-4768 (voice)
401-949-5814 (fax)
jarcher@RegistrationTek.com