Vox Loses Appeal in Bid to Register '.sucks’ Logo as a Trademark

Vox Populi Registry Ltd. can’t register its stylized “.SUCKS” logo as a trademark, the Federal Circuit ruled, upholding a trademark tribunal’s decision.

Vox, the company behind .sucks domain names, wanted to register “.SUCKS” in a retro, pixelated font as a trademark. Vox appealed after the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board ruled against the domain registry operator in a 2020 decision.

Substantial evidence supports the TTAB’s decision that “.sucks” will be perceived by consumers as one of the many generic top-level domains, rather than as a designator of Vox and its registry services, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the ...