Cracking Down on “.Sucks”

Certainly, the internet is a vast world where both good and bad take place. Recently, a Canadian company has been using the new “.sucks” domain in order to extort large sums of money from celebrities and companies that obviously want to protect their brand.

The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers, or ICANN has recently sent a letter to the US Federal Trade commission and to Canada’s Office of Consumer Affairs to explore if the actions of Vox Populi Registry Ltd are illegal. Close to six hundred domain names have been added to the internet world lately, expanding beyond the typical “.com” and “.org.” Apparently the “.sucks” was accepted as part of this collection by ICANN. However, such powerhouses as Microsoft, Verizon and eBay have recently been complaining about the newest addition.

So far, purchased names have included Youtube.sucks, Bing.sucks, Visa.sucks and Bankofamerica.sucks, among others. CEO of Vox Populi, John Berard, fought back when he explained that the domain name is meant to create a forum for companies to interact with their critiques. He called his company’s business “well within the lines of ICANN rules and the law.”

Time will tell whether Vox Populi’s business plans sucks, or is seen as a brilliant move in the internet world.