It's not neccessarily $300/year.

I got a code-signing cert (for the applets at eMusicTheory.com) for $75 plus the annoyance of proving my company was legitimate. Here's the guide I used as a starting point: http://srcbin.blogspot.fr/2010/04/tucowscomodo-code-signing-...

People who want to make a point about the awfulness of an option they're not taking don't usually search very hard to find the best price.