INTA 2015: .sucks, sunrise and pitchforks
WIPR: .sucks is arguably quite provocative, particularly at this conference. Do you see it that way?
JB: The fact of the matter is is that we’re in the middle of sunrise, and we’d be silly not to be here.
WIPR: Is the pricing too high?
JB: $1,999 is the registry price and we’re suggesting that the registrars might charge $2,499, but some have chosen to add only $25 to the price; some have chosen more.
If you compare it to other registries that have launched in the past few years, the price is high. But we view the value of the .sucks domain through the lens of commitment companies make in their broad marketing, customer service and product development.
WIPR: How many sunrise applications have you received so far?
JB: That’s not something I can reveal. What I can say is that we have exceeded my modest expectations.
WIPR: ICANN has asked the US Federal Trade Commission and Canada’s Office of Consumer Affairs to investigate the price of .sucks. What are your thoughts on this?
JB: I don’t think we have done anything outside the lines of ICANN’s rules or national law. I’m quite confident a reasonable person looking at what we’ve done and are trying to do would come to the conclusion that we have done everything in the best way possible.
WIPR: What do you make of criticism, for example by IP owners?
JB: If you were to compare the price of a .sucks domain in the sunrise to a 99 cent other generic top-level domain, you might be shocked there could be such a difference. But if you look at the potential value you could get from a .sucks domain compared to those others … you are compelled to conclude that the potential value far exceeds what is being charged. If we are wrong, we will fail.
WIPR: What makes it so valuable in your mind?
JB: From a corporate perspective it allows companies to curate, collaborate, to create a space to draw criticism and complaints, the opportunity to respond, to refute what’s wrong, to learn what’s right. At this point there are many places for consumers to level a complaint against a company. However many of them are in the dark corners of the internet. When claims are made that are incorrect, it’s often very difficult for a company to refute, to run to ground who the source of the complaint is, and it will continue to show up in their search results.
What we are saying is that by actively engaging you can create an environment of greater customer loyalty, increased ability to devise new products, and create greater value in the brand itself.
WIPR: Is there anything else you want to add?
JB: We have been very happy with the reception we have got here [at INTA] … as I said to somebody, I have not yet seen one pitchfork or one torch yet.
