You can now protect your name from porn; but It may cost more to opt out than to register for a triple X tag.
XXX, the new top-level domain (sTLD) for the adult entertainment industry, is open for registration to brand and IP holders inside and outside of the sponsored community. The new namespace has been created to promote a responsible approach to adult content on the Internet and offer clear signposts to its location online. The new domain is managed and supported by the Florida (US)-based ICM Registry. XXX registrations begin with a 50 day Sunrise period that gives businesses both inside and outside of the adult industry an exclusive timeframe to register or exempt themselves from .XXX, ending on 28th October 2011. This means if you are a celebrity, you can pay a small fee to ensure no one uses your name to launch an XXX site.
ICM Registry is working closely with over 50 individual domain registrars around the world who are handling the registration process for .XXX.
Running concurrently, Sunrise A registers interest from the sponsored adult community, while Sunrise B has been specifically designed for companies outside the adult industry. During this timeframe, businesses have a cost-effective solution which permanently safeguards their Intellectual Property (IP) within the .XXX registry.
Says Stuart Lawley, CEO of ICM Registry: “We believe .XXX creates a “win, win, win” situation, with benefits for consumers of adult material, for adult entertainment providers and for those wishing to avoid adult content. With all the sites malware scanned daily and properly labelled, it’s a win for consumers of adult content who are now able to identify and select the sites they wish to visit more easily and safely. It is also a win for the adult entertainment industry as .XXX helps to ensure that responsible adult content is easily identified online, leading to greater and more predictable revenues. And finally it’s a win for those who want to avoid adult content online, with internet users in no doubt about the underlying content of the sites and having the tools to help avoid them..”
To ensure the extension is launched responsibly, each .XXX site will be scanned daily by McAfee for malware. .XXX web addresses are the only domains in the world to benefit from this as standard, making .XXX sites amongst the safest on the internet. Every .XXX site will also come with a Metacert “electronic label” making it easier for users and parents to adjust their browser settings to choose which family members can get access to labelled adult sites. In addition .XXX will be overseen by The International Foundation for Online Responsibility (IFFOR), a global non-profit entity that will serve as the policy-making body for the new extension.
After the close of Sunrise, a Land Rush period starting on 8th November will run for 17 days where businesses from the adult entertainment industry will have premium access to remaining .XXX web addresses, following which general availability will ensue. Sunrise applicants using registered marks to qualify will be required to own a subsisting trade or service mark registration of national effect.
Lawley added, “ICM Registry is also sensitive to non-industry brand owners who do not want their trademarks associated with adult content. Our unique Sunrise period offers an exclusive window for trademark owners’ outside of the sponsored community to apply to opt-out of the registry, enabling businesses to be proactive in avoiding brand conflicts.”
CNET quotes the Washington Times to say application fees cost between $80 and $110, while each .xxx domain will cost around $100 a year. Companies that want to block their names from being used with a .xxx address have to pay an "opt-out" registration fee of $200 to $300.
For more information http://www.icmregistry.com
Our video slot on the home page features an explanatory viideo for a few days. Sep 8 2011