If the registry and the platform are the same, then it means that the 
registry uses its monopoly power over the string to have a competitive 
advantage in a downstream market, which is bad. If 250$ is higher than 
market value for a regular domain, it also mean that they are actively 
using their monopoly power over the string to force ordinary user to use 
their platform. That is bad as well. In a world where a .sucks 
competitor cannot readily spring about, these are legitimate competition 
concerns.

Nicolas

On 30/03/2015 11:45 AM, Amr Elsadr wrote:
> Hi Sam,
>
> Thanks. I hadn’t seen this article. It does suggest that the platform 
> belongs to VOX Populi, but does not make it implicitly clear (at least 
> not to me). It could still be a platform that VOX Populi has 
> contracted with and is using. I’m also not so sure that it would be 
> terribly detrimental if it did own the platform. Folks are always free 
> to elect not to register a domain under .sucks, aren’t they? :)
>
> Also not very concerned with how they define “individual”, but that’s 
> just me. I wouldn’t mind if this product is reserved for actual 
> individuals. This doesn’t mean that CS organisations can’t register 
> .sucks domain names, but just that they can’t use this package. I 
> would at least prefer that to ICANN dictating the rules to Vox Populi 
> on how they can sell to who, and for how much.
>
> Thanks again.
>
> Amr
>
> On Mar 30, 2015, at 5:17 PM, Sam Lanfranco <[log in to unmask] 
> <mailto:[log in to unmask]>> wrote:
>
>>
>> Amr,
>> The following article says that VOX Populi is owned by the Ottawa 
>> based Momentous Corporation and that VOX Populi also owns the 
>> everything.sucks consumer advocacy forum platform. It appears that 
>> VOX Popular as a Registry had a contract with itself as either a 
>> Registrar or a Registrant.As of now there is no public information on 
>> the everything.sucks consumer advocacy forum platform. One concern 
>> from the not-for-profit and civil society perspective is whether or 
>> not the VOX Populi definition of "individual" includes not-for-profit 
>> and civil society organizations, or is it restricted to individual 
>> meaning a single person. Along with you, many are waiting for further 
>> information. At the moment thehttp://www.everything.sucks 
>> <http://www.everything.sucks/>returns a blank page.
>>
>> http://business.financialpost.com/2015/03/27/vox-populi-makes-waves-with-sale-of-edgy-dot-sucks-domain-name/
>>
>> Sam L.
>>
>>
>> On 30/03/2015 11:06 AM, Amr Elsadr wrote:
>>> Is the consumer advocacy platform “everything.sucks” owned by VOX 
>>> Populi? I wasn’t aware of that. I thought they just said that they 
>>> had contracted with them. I may be wrong.
>>>
>>> I’d be interested to learn more about the everything.sucks platform 
>>> as more information becomes available. But I wouldn’t jump to the 
>>> conclusion that it will be a particular concern for NFPs and CS 
>>> until this information is somehow provided.
>>>
>>> Thanks.
>>>
>>> Amr
>>
>>
>