The .SUCKS registry is perhaps the most controversial of the new generic top level domains (gTLDs), which the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) has continued to roll out. Trademark owners should be aware of the .SUCKS registry and factor it into their trademark protection strategy. Yet the first “sucking” noise brand owners will hear will be the debit to their bank accounts for the steep price of registration during the Sunrise Period (which is for trademarks registered in the ICANN Trademark Clearinghouse).
The registry’s pricing has been attacked as predatory, as Sunrise Registrations are priced at $2499. On April 11, 2015, ICANN took the unusual move of asking the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and its Canadian counterpart, the Office of Consumer Affairs (OCA) to investigate the legality of the pricing. On May 12, 2015, a Congressional Committee held a hearing to review the issues and the bidding—although neither ICANN nor the .SUCKS registry testified at the hearing.