$50/year seems pretty reasonable for monopolistic pricing.
$50/year is outrageous and does reflect monopolistic pricing.
Real costs are probably <$1 onetime and cents/year. So $49+/year are a tax
in disguise from an entitiy that has no right to tax. Emotionally, it
feels like extortion. Which is one reason people get mad at InterNIC.
It's not the amount. I'd happily pay the same amount to the NSF for being
willing to jumpstart the Internet.
Dirk