> Domain names pay per year because there's an ongoing service attached. There's...

IG_Semmelweiss · 2024-02-12T19:39:51 1707766791

I don't think you are arguing in good faith.

OK fine want an ongoing patient fee ? Make it $9.99 per year just like a registrar, who gives you convenient ways to renew and pay fees from a working, modern site, and allow migration , with a few clicks.

Is that going to prevent trolls ? Unequivocally, no.

Parent was arguing for some ridiculous, unnecessary , tax. Then cited registrars as an example.

My point, 1 gives a service, one does not. If you want to charge for a service, then make it transparent and make the fee reflect the service, not argue "hey we already charge for registrars" to make his/her point about a new, unecessary tax.

jeltz · 2024-02-12T20:08:26 1707768506

I do not think you know the domain business, which I happen to work in (I own a small registrar and know people at registries). The reason domain costs money is to make it more expensive to hoard, not to pay for any service. There is a service but it just costs a tiny fraction of the registry fee the rest they often use for funding various non-profit initiatives to improve the internet not related at all the providing any service. The fee is set where it is to discourage hoarding.

Edit: It is also there to make it slightly more expensive to create scam sites, but mostly for the anti-hoarding.

IG_Semmelweiss · 2024-02-12T20:34:55 1707770095

Makes complete sense. Domain hoarding is not cool and makes sense to mitigate using fees as you describe.

Now, Patents already require fees and also substantial paperwork. In effect that is the "hoarding" control.

I stand corrected that the point of ICANN and registrars to charge something is to introduce a barrier to entry. Yet, I'd argue you are still providing a service if the fees go towards nonprofit activity to improve interoperability.

Yet, introducing a huge fee to patents wouldn't really be conductive to anything on the patent side, which is at the core my issue: I'm not making a judgement about the margin on fees, i'm questioning whether there's a semblance of service. From my vantage point, registrars have made massive improvements in accessibility and ease of use, and as you said, they have lowered the barriers to entry. | I can't say the same at all for patents.