New GoDaddy CEO explains his company’s reversal of support for SOPA.
GoDaddy just pulled its support of Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA), a bill designed to protect intellectual property.
The reversal came after a call for a boycott of GoDaddy because of its support hit a fevered pitch yesterday. Although GoDaddy has supported SOPA from the beginning, its name was included in a list of supporters that was published this week.
Warren Adelman, who became CEO of GoDaddy upon the closing of an investment by KKR, Silver Lake and Technology Crossover Ventures last Friday, told Domain Name Wire he was able to take a step back and evaluate the company’s support of SOPA.
“I’ve been in this role as CEO for exactly a week,” he said. “I had the luxury of coming in and looking at this from that vantage point and make this decision.”
Adelman was president and COO of the company before stepping into the CEO role.
The uproar from customers and the media over the past twenty-four hours helped shape his opinion.
“We’ve heard from our customers and it’s clear there’s no consensus in the internet community” supporting the bill, he said. “We also don’t think the bill is ready in its current form.”
Adelman said the company won’t step back from taking an active role in internet legislation. The company has backed previous legislation for shutting down rogue internet pharmacies. It has also worked to protect children on the internet.
The company didn’t see an abnormal number of outbound domain name transfers yesterday, he said. But Adelman said the company “acted quickly” because of customer feedback about the company’s stance on SOPA.
Louise says
Godaddy angling for liability protection from the government for taking down sites, period. It would be a coup for godaddy.
Registrars always had this authority from RAA, but chose not to exercise it, since it would diminish profits. It’s all about profits for godaddy, nothing else.
Louise says
Registrars such as Godaddy could always take down trademark violation sites, but chose to not exercise it. See sale of Paylpal.com:
http://www.recoverdomainname.com/PayLpal.JPG
But Godaddy wants liability protection to take down legitimate sites and either hold the domain hostage for $200.00 reinstatement fee, or auction the domain, or generate parking profit for itself.
Dan says
Hi,
What a ‘Crock’
““We also don’t think the bill is ready in its current form.”
How about NO BILL Period?
Already more than enough Laws on the books for these Self Interest Groups lobbying to pass these bills. ( SOPA & Protect IP Act)
Like:
Pro-IP Of 2008
LANHAM ACT
DMCA safe harbors
And more…
Merry Christmas To All
‘D’
Uzoma says
This new year, I want urge all “domainers”, again, especially, the blogging class, to use their heads. We can restructure this industry, by making it fair, transparent, level, and relevant. This can only be achieved by stripping the unfair, and unwarranted hegemonic dictatorial powers granted to Francois of Domaining.com. Why should he be allowed to operate an exorbitant exclusive industry trade platform, that gauges money from domainers with simple RSS feeds of blogs? Why shouldn’t we organize a non-profit place where all these blogs are centralized? If domain bloggers are really as smart as they claim to be, why are they being charged $1500 for 10 ads? Whereas, their blogging is rendered free, daily to this cat? On top of that, forced to display his logos, and businesses? Why? In this economy where most domain bloggers are starving, why should this guy be the fat cat feeding on this industry? Yet, he competes head to head with any ideas presented herein? When will you guys learn that this industry will never be strong as far as it is so centralized? The newbies have no chance in hell of making it with structure. All he is concerned with is charging money to domainers. Flooding the market with useless names?
I, again, urge a new beginning this year. We need an arbitrage where all of us can have an input. There’s simply no excuse for giving all your hard work, and money to this private outfit, where an industry organization is required. Coming here and reading same RSS news feeds from 200 people, on the same news that can easily be extracted from RSS subscription to Sedo or Aftrenic, or Godaddy makes no sense. Besides, what do we care what those guys sold this week? Bloggers, use your heads and let’s get the year right, and do some business. It’s insanity to keep doing the same thing, and expect different result.
Thank you.
jp says
Amazing what a Mountain of venture Capital Will do to a company. Godaddy is like a real Corporation now. That same money will probably also save a few elephants lives. From what I hear though, this may be a problem for the villagers. Soon tech support Will be outsourced and those company holiday parties are going to be a far cry from what they once were.
Microking4u says
Do you believe them? NO TO SOPA! I transferred 20+ domains to SmartStartWeb.net, been around forever, cheap, free DNS, Sale prices have not changed for years! Time for change!
Jp says
This last spam comment from Microking4u is just so bad. I had a feeling so I followed the link and he is bashing GoDaddy (in the best English he/she could) and then recommending a transfer to this other registrar, which if you go to it is clearly a GoDaddy reseller account. Made me laugh, had to share. Sometimes spam is really funny.