March 10, 2015 at 10:03$ 2,500 per domain in .SUCKS zone
Recently, Vox Populi, the administrator of the .SUCKS domain zone, which last year provoked outrage at its plans to sell domains for 25 thousand dollars, launched its website .
The company offers customers five types of tariffs, depending on the domain name: from 9.95 to 2499 dollars. That is, the planned maximum price was reduced tenfold, but $ 2499 per domain is very expensive.
The most expensive ($ 2,499) are premium domains that will be sold during the priority registration period to companies registered in Trademark Clearinghouse (ICANN's trademark database).
It is worth noting that for Vox Populi the premium domain is not a domain with a common keyword, but a domain with a brand name registered in several domain zones. That is, the names of such brands that their owners are likely to want to protect by registering for themselves the appropriate domain. For example, Google.sucks is on Vox Populi's list of premium domains.
Another nuance is that after you register a domain at the Sunrise Premium tariff, the price does not decrease, i.e. each subsequent year will need to pay two and a half thousand for renewal of registration.
The next category ($ 199 +) is for those companies whose brands are not in the list of premium domains, as well as for those who are not registered in Trademark Clearinghouse. A plus sign means that the prices of such domains may vary depending on the name. The price is set by the registrar, and it may not be much less than $ 2500.
The third option ($ 199) - domain blocking - for those who are not going to create their website in the .SUCKS zone, but want their brand name not to be registered by unauthorized persons as a domain name. $ 199 - annual domain blocking fee. This feature is not available during priority registration.
The standard domain price is $ 249. Registration at this price will be available after the priority registration. You can not participate in expensive priority registration, but in this case, it is likely that the domain will be occupied by a third party.
Finally, $ 9.95 - domains at this price are offered to consumers who are not satisfied with the quality of the goods or services of a company. The possibility of registering a cheap domain in the .SUCKS zone can be obtained by presenting a document from your lawyer confirming that you are the affected party and are acting under the law on consumer protection.
Interestingly, according to ICANN rules, if domains with trademark names are registered by unauthorized persons, brand owners can demand the right to a domain under the UDRP procedure or require suspension of the domain’s functioning according to the URS procedure.
But this rule has an exception: if a domain is registered for the purpose of expressing criticism of the company's goods and services, then the UDRP and URS procedures do not apply to it, since the consumer’s right to publicly express his opinion is protected by law. The problem is that most of these domains have an ending ... sucks, such as companysucks.com, which many brand owners find offensive to themselves.
Of course, if the domain in the .sucks zone is parked, it will have a redirect or just a blank page, the brand owner can rightfully demand it for himself as part of the UDRP procedure, or even sue the domain owner.
But in all other cases, companies are unlikely to succeed in suing a domain unless frank slander is posted on it. Therefore, they may have to think about registering a domain for 2.5 thousand dollars.
Many have already called such a tariff a real extortion, but at the same time, Vox Populi does not formally violate ICANN rules anywhere. The public is proposing changes to them to prevent the collection of overcharged fees from certain categories of customers (in this case, brand owners).
The company offers customers five types of tariffs, depending on the domain name: from 9.95 to 2499 dollars. That is, the planned maximum price was reduced tenfold, but $ 2499 per domain is very expensive.
The most expensive ($ 2,499) are premium domains that will be sold during the priority registration period to companies registered in Trademark Clearinghouse (ICANN's trademark database).
It is worth noting that for Vox Populi the premium domain is not a domain with a common keyword, but a domain with a brand name registered in several domain zones. That is, the names of such brands that their owners are likely to want to protect by registering for themselves the appropriate domain. For example, Google.sucks is on Vox Populi's list of premium domains.
Another nuance is that after you register a domain at the Sunrise Premium tariff, the price does not decrease, i.e. each subsequent year will need to pay two and a half thousand for renewal of registration.
The next category ($ 199 +) is for those companies whose brands are not in the list of premium domains, as well as for those who are not registered in Trademark Clearinghouse. A plus sign means that the prices of such domains may vary depending on the name. The price is set by the registrar, and it may not be much less than $ 2500.
The third option ($ 199) - domain blocking - for those who are not going to create their website in the .SUCKS zone, but want their brand name not to be registered by unauthorized persons as a domain name. $ 199 - annual domain blocking fee. This feature is not available during priority registration.
The standard domain price is $ 249. Registration at this price will be available after the priority registration. You can not participate in expensive priority registration, but in this case, it is likely that the domain will be occupied by a third party.
Finally, $ 9.95 - domains at this price are offered to consumers who are not satisfied with the quality of the goods or services of a company. The possibility of registering a cheap domain in the .SUCKS zone can be obtained by presenting a document from your lawyer confirming that you are the affected party and are acting under the law on consumer protection.
Interestingly, according to ICANN rules, if domains with trademark names are registered by unauthorized persons, brand owners can demand the right to a domain under the UDRP procedure or require suspension of the domain’s functioning according to the URS procedure.
But this rule has an exception: if a domain is registered for the purpose of expressing criticism of the company's goods and services, then the UDRP and URS procedures do not apply to it, since the consumer’s right to publicly express his opinion is protected by law. The problem is that most of these domains have an ending ... sucks, such as companysucks.com, which many brand owners find offensive to themselves.
Of course, if the domain in the .sucks zone is parked, it will have a redirect or just a blank page, the brand owner can rightfully demand it for himself as part of the UDRP procedure, or even sue the domain owner.
But in all other cases, companies are unlikely to succeed in suing a domain unless frank slander is posted on it. Therefore, they may have to think about registering a domain for 2.5 thousand dollars.
Many have already called such a tariff a real extortion, but at the same time, Vox Populi does not formally violate ICANN rules anywhere. The public is proposing changes to them to prevent the collection of overcharged fees from certain categories of customers (in this case, brand owners).