07 April 2005

Dot-sux

Not entirely facetiously, I suggest that ICANN seriously consider adopting a .sux TLD for "criticism sites" that would explicitly fall outside of the UDRP. I'm getting sick to death of seeing large companies that can't take a joke, or criticism—and, for that matter, small medical practices that can't take a joke, or criticism—attack someone who puts up a [businessname]sucks.com (or .net, or .whatever) site. Instead, the "legitimate" mark-owner should be forced to fulfill all of the requisites of a full-blown trademark action, including proof of action in the stream of commerce. If they're going to attack, they shouldn't be doing so through such a mark-holder-favorable set of rules that gives them an unfair opportunity to squelch criticism.