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EU: NetNames calls for Competition Commission action over ‘.sucks’

By  |  July 8, 2015

This week NetNames has reached out to the media to highlight its complaint to the European Competition Commission over Vox Populi’s pricing policies for the ‘.sucks’ string.

Online brand protection company NetNames has filed a complaint with the European Commission, arguing that charging brand owners $1,999 per year while others pay just $10 is unfair.

Vox Populi demanded $1,999 from brands during sunrise, with yearly renewals charged at the same rate. But during general availability, which opened in late June, consumers only had to part with $199 for a .sucks domain.

The registry has “created an uneven pricing structure that effectively charges brands a premium fee irrespective of when they applied to register” a .sucks domain, according to NetNames.

Gary McIlraith, CEO at NetNames, said: “This differentiation in price, for the same domain which is determined by whether you are a brand holder or an individual, has created an uneven playing field.”

Full content: The Domains

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