[Info] IPC Letter to ICANN regarding .SUCKS

[Kathy Kleiman]

+1 to Milton. I remember the old days when there was no way in a domain 
name to criticize a trademark owner without losing your domain name.  
Newspapers could criticize and critique large companies for practices 
they did not like even in headlines (such as abuse of migrant workers); 
Saturday Night Live (a popular US TV show) could parody; but not in 
domain names.

For years we posited a ".SUCKS" domain name where you could register a 
trademark and make it very clear that the domain name was going to be 
used for legal expression - to criticize, critique and parody. I 
remember talking about how much I wanted it years ago - long before the 
New gTLD program. How it would make life clearer online and provide 
clear protections for speakers.

$2500 is a lot of money, but not out of line with what is being asked by 
other New gTLD Registries.  I heard that one new registry is demanding 
the absurd price of $30,000 for its "landrush" domain names -- and 
that's truly extortion. But $2500 while high is ballpark - that chance 
to pull your (your company's) trademark out of .SUCKS and not be part of 
the free speech and discussion to come.

Best,
Kathy

:
>
> I’m on .sucks side on this one.
>
> In effect, the .sucks domain seems to be engaged in a legitimate form 
> of price discrimination between brand owners who want to suppress 
> critical expression about their brands and people who actually want to 
> use the domain for its intended purpose.
>
> Extortion means that one is threatened with violence or some other 
> form of illegal harm if one doesn’t pay up. The idea that paying a 
> high fee to preempt the mere possibility that someone might register 
> and use a critical domain such as brand.sucks is not extortion.
>
> --MM
>
> *From:*NCSG-Discuss [mailto:NCSG-DISCUSS at LISTSERV.SYR.EDU] *On Behalf 
> Of *Rafik Dammak
> *Sent:* Friday, March 27, 2015 6:09 PM
> *To:* NCSG-DISCUSS at LISTSERV.SYR.EDU
> *Subject:* [NCSG-Discuss] [Info] IPC Letter to ICANN regarding .SUCKS
>
>  +1
>
> Hi everyone
>
> Please find attached the letter sent by IPC to ICANN about .sucks .
>
> Best Regards.
>
> Rafik
>

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