OnlineDomain.com Domain Name News & Opinions
Epik.com announced today that they have started offering perpetual domain registrations for hundreds of popular domain extensions. And they claim they are first domain name registrar to do so.
Although perpetual registrations are not yet available for every domain extension, a growing number of popular domain extensions can now be secured perpetually for a one-time fee. For example, a .COM domain name can be secured at Epik.com for the one-time, all-inclusive fee of $420 regardless of where a domain is presently registered. Eligible forever registrations at Epik include free privacy protection, theft protection, forwarding services and unlimited subdomains all at no additional cost.
Epik offers .com, .net, .org, .info and .biz domains at a $420 price for a “forever” registration while .us costs $617,12.
In the short time since Epik began offering Forever domain registrations, more than 1000 Forever registrations have been completed. Epik customer Flanagan Institute has purchased 43 Forever registrations.
Rob Monster from Epik told OnlineDomain.com that “The registries are interested and will get on board. In parallel we are also negotiating lower prices for Forever domains from the registries themselves.”
So this is not something that has been agreed to with the registries so the $420 price seems cheap especially if you count in inflation and registry prices increases. Hope this works out.
Also I believe this or something similar has been tried by some other registrars in the past. I think Network Solutions currently offers 100-year registrations at $1,000. Of course I would never use Network Solutions as they are a bad registrar.
Here are some important parts of the Epik blog post today:
During the 63rd convocation of global domain industry regulator, ICANN in Barcelona, perpetual domain ownership achieved an important milestone as Seattle-based Epik.com became the first domain name registrar to offer perpetual domain registrations for hundreds of popular domain extensions. Since the advent of private ownership of internet domain names, owners of domains have become accustomed to annual domain name renewal along with regular price increases for ownership of domains. From time to time, over the years, important domain names have unintentionally fallen into the wrong hands or have become temporarily disabled due to expiration or policy enforcement.
Although perpetual registrations are not yet available for every domain extension, a growing number of popular domain extensions can now be secured perpetually for a one-time fee. For example, the iconic .COM can be secured at Epik.com for the one-time, all-inclusive fee of $420 regardless of where a domain is presently registered. Eligible forever registrations at Epik include free privacy protection, theft protection, forwarding services and unlimited subdomains all at no additional cost. Epik.com Founder and CEO, Rob Monster, a digital rights advocate, is a member of the ICANN global registrar stakeholder group that convened in Barcelona this week. In an interview on the opening day of the ICANN conference, Mr. Monster explained the move, “This is an important development for the domain industry. Customers have been asking for perpetual domain registrations for years. Epik is working with industry stakeholders to make forever registrations not only available but also affordable and eventually commonplace for registrants around the world.”
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No idea why nobody came up with that idea before. I think some registrar offered a similar solution around 2008/2010 if I recall correctly. Anyway it’s a great idea. Not sure why on ICANN level, registration are still limited to a max amount of 10 years.. Makes no sense imo.
You are right 10 years make no sense.
Thanks Richard.
The tide is turning. In 4 long and full days at ICANN, I saw nobody tell me that we should not do this as an industry.
I agree. There should be a discussion on the ICANN level regarding the 10 year registration limit. Your solution is a very good first step and solution on a registrar level. I hope they will lift the limit in the not too distant future.
Rob,
please confirm that any forever name pricing is based on a deal with the registry to accept the forever pricing(or their share of) and guarantee by that registry no further renewal is necessary for that domain.
i
I once asked this at their chat and it is not. The registries (.com for example) don’t know about forever renewals. Forever Renewal means Epik will keep paying renewals after 10 years.
So what if Epik goes out of business?
I can’t believe no one is stating the obvious:
This is an incredible boon for the registrar (they’ve made $400,000+ so far on this – that’s genius).
But – as a (let’s just say, for purposes of this argument, .COM-only) domain owner – paying $8+/- a year, that means you’re paying for 50+ years.
Does anyone with a straight face really think the internet, or life in general, will be the same then? Will Epik even be around? If you’re Google or Amazon, yeah sure – lock that baby down til the year 5632.
But if you’re an investor or running a small business…What is the point of this? There is no cost savings. Most of us will probably be dead by the time it amortizes out…So you’re locking it down – forever – for…tax write-offs for this year?
>There is no cost savings
i disagree, thinking in terms of “time is money”, if it takes you ~1 hour to read the email notification “your domain needs renewal”, and actually log in and pay the bill, each year, and you keep the domain around for 10 years, you’ve saved 10x renewal procedures, how much time is that? if we say 10 hours, is 10 hours worth $420? i’d say so
It takes you an hour to renew one Domain name?
doubt it, but don’t really remember, all my (3) long-term domains are already on Epik Forever registration. but lets halve it then, a domain you intend to keep for 10 years, and it takes 30 minutes to read the email, log in, pay the bill, and log out. is $420 worth saving 10x30m=5 hours of your time? my own answer is still yes