GoDaddy Lists Controversial ‘.sucks’ Domain: Brands Advised to Bolster Monitoring

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GoDaddy Lists Controversial ‘.sucks’ Domain: Brands Advised to Bolster Monitoring

By CircleID Reporter
August 08, 2023, 8:16 am PDT Views: 14,222 Add Comment

The ‘.sucks Top Level Domain (TLD), by Vox Populi, which initially faced criticism from brands due to its launch fee of $2,499 is now listed on the world’s largest domain registrar, GoDaddy.

Introduced in 2014 the ‘.sucks domain has been a subject of controversy. The initial high registration fee for brands was seen as exploitative. Led ICANNs IP Constituency to criticize it as “predatory.” However, Vox Populis CEO, John Berard defended the fee by emphasizing that it offered brands an opportunity to manage their own ‘.sucks websites. By mid-2015, when the domain became available to the public at a premium price of $249 per year, it garnered over 6,200 registrations and peaked at 13,400 in 2021.

The controversial nature of the domain was further fueled by marketing tactics such as creating city-specific ‘.sucks websites and using trademark-infringing domain names related to movies. Despite the debates surrounding it, VoxPop remained notable for its promotional activities at the INTA Annual Meeting.

Given that registration numbers have declined since 2021, its addition on GoDaddy is considered a milestone for the ‘.sucks domain.

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By CircleID Reporter — CircleID’s internal staff reporting on news tips and developing stories. Do you have information the professional Internet community should be aware of? Contact us.
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