.sucks

Overview

• .sucks is a generic top-level domain (gTLD) delegated under ICANN's New gTLD Program.
• The string is intended for domains ending with the literal suffix "sucks" and has been used for domain hacks and for sites critical of brands or products.
• The domain is marketed and sold via the Vox Populi Registry (doing business as Momentous); official site: https://www.get.sucks/

History

• Contention for the .sucks string was resolved in a private auction in November 2014; Vox Populi Registry won the rights.
• ICANN approved the .sucks gTLD and assigned it to Vox Populi; the string was delegated to the DNS root zone in early 2015 (ICANNWiki notes delegation on 24 February 2015; assignment to Vox Populi is noted in March 2015).
• Registrations and general availability followed the registry's sunrise and launch phases in mid-2015.

Usage and Audience

• Typical uses:
  • Domain hacks and sites explicitly taking a critical stance (the literal meaning lends itself to negative or protest sites).
  • Defensive registrations by brands and public figures to prevent bad-faith registrations.
• Audience:
  • Individuals and activists creating critical/complaint sites.
  • Companies, celebrities and brand owners seeking to protect reputations.
• Market trend noted in sources: registrations and renewals for many new gTLDs including .sucks showed signs of decline as of 2018.

Registration Rules

• Sunrise and trademark protections:
  • The registry participated in trademark sunrise activity (through the Trademark Clearinghouse) and extended its sunrise period by three weeks during launch.
  • ICANNWiki notes general availability began in June 2015 following the extended sunrise window.
• Public Interest Commitments (PICs):
  • Both Momentous (Vox Populi) and a competing applicant (Donuts) submitted PICs; Momentous committed to measures including use of an expert evaluation panel to identify cyberbullying, pornographic sites and parked pages for rapid takedown.
• Other technical/operational details such as exact eligibility rules, allowed characters, or minimum/maximum registration periods are not specified in the cited sources.

SEO and Brand Impact

• Perception and trust:
  • Because of its literal meaning, .sucks carries a negative connotation that influences brand and consumer perceptions.
• Brand protection:
  • Many major brands and celebrities purchased .sucks domains defensively to avoid exploitation or cybersquatting.
• Controversy affecting reputation and pricing:
  • The registry's pricing model for trademarked names drew criticism as potentially predatory; ICANN escalated concerns to the U.S. Federal Trade Commission in 2015.
  • The FTC ultimately concluded the registry did not break rules, but the debate highlighted reputational risk and pricing sensitivity for this TLD.

Notable Cases or Examples

• Several high-profile entities acquired .sucks domains to protect their brands, including Taylor Swift, Apple, Facebook (now Meta), and Microsoft.
• The registry operator and marketing for the string generated ongoing media attention during and after launch due to pricing, defensive registrations, and cybersquatting concerns.

% IANA WHOIS server
% for more information on IANA, visit http://www.iana.org
% This query returned 1 object

domain:       SUCKS

organisation: Vox Populi Registry Ltd.
address:      3-110 Governors Square,
address:      Seven Mile Beach
address:      Grand Cayman KY1-1108
address:      Cayman Islands (the)

contact:      administrative
name:         John Berard
organisation: Vox Populi Registry Ltd.
address:      3-110 Governors Square,
address:      Seven Mile Beach
address:      Grand Cayman KY1-1108
address:      Cayman Islands (the)
phone:        +18299473020
fax-no:       +61398661970
e-mail:       support@registry.sucks

contact:      technical
name:         Rob Hall
organisation: Momentous Inc
address:      308 Port St. Charles
address:      St. Peter BB26013
address:      Barbados
phone:        +18299473020
fax-no:       +61398661970
e-mail:       support@registry.sucks

nserver:      A.NIC.SUCKS 2001:dcd:1:0:0:0:0:10 37.209.192.10
nserver:      B.NIC.SUCKS 2001:dcd:2:0:0:0:0:10 37.209.194.10
nserver:      C.NIC.SUCKS 2001:dcd:3:0:0:0:0:10 37.209.196.10
nserver:      X.NIC.SUCKS 156.154.172.82 2610:a1:1074:0:0:0:1:82
nserver:      Y.NIC.SUCKS 156.154.173.82 2610:a1:1075:0:0:0:1:82
nserver:      Z.NIC.SUCKS 156.154.174.82 2610:a1:1076:0:0:0:1:82
ds-rdata:     59257 8 2 0eb720a2c0284375766effebd01edd5255397bafcce4a8aaa46f0bf13fca9a5b

whois:        whois.nic.sucks

status:       ACTIVE
remarks:      Registration information: http://www.voxpopregistry.com

created:      2015-02-19
changed:      2023-12-07
source:       IANA