XXX Domains? They’re doing what with my business name?!

Last week .XXX domains were officially launched in a flurry of activity.

ICANN (Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers)  approved the XXX domain earlier this year after years of wrangling and debate.

Names went on pre-sale in September.

Why make XXX domains available now?

It’s an effort to better regulate adult related websites and provide greater protection for their users. Campaigners against adult sites have fought for years against an official adult domain. They think that by making them available and regulating the domains is tantamount to condoning the industry.

To have an XXX domain actually live on the Internet, owners must become part of a sponsored community and will have access to McAfee virus/malware checking and a secure micro payment process.

The thing is, legitimate adult entertainment businesses are not exactly leaping with joy that .xxx domains are now available. The domain costs significantly more than any other TLD to buy, that’s around $60 before the resellers set their prices. Manwin, which operate the Playboy web sites, has filed an antitrust suit against ICANN. Fabian Thylmann, a managing partner of Manwin stated,

“It uncovers a pernicious monopoly at the very heart of the Internet. Ending anticompetitive practices by ICM and ICANN will not only protect our business, but help other companies compelled to pay a fee to keep their names unassociated with a .XXX designation.”

Obviously it will be very easy to block any .xxx domain. Censorship is not high on the porn business agenda…

Don’t get me wrong, sales of these domain names have gone through the roof, there were in excess of 100,000 names pre-ordered before the official opening date. Not surprisingly, not all of these are legitimate adult sites. Brands, organisations and universities queued to protect their names.

ICM Registry screenshot - xxx domains are here

The ICM Registry may state that a .xxx domain is the coolest thing on the Internet and will benefit the adult entertainment industry but, after the launch it is looking like a bit of a damp squib. Legitimate adult businesses aren’t flocking in droves to make their sites live. Brands and organisations are registering their domains to protect names and trademarks.

The cost and domain registration process to make a site live on the net will make it unattractive for those who buy brand and company domain names and rely on people stumbling on their sites. I think the hype surrounding the xxx issue is putting the pressure on businesses to buy their domain rather than any extra risk involved.

Should you register your company XXX domain?

That depends on how you view the risk of someone using your business or brand name. If you want to protect your name against any possibility of it being used with adult sites, then register your name. There’s no need to actually have a live site, registering the name simply stops others from using it.

It’s been reported on the BBC website that estimated that costs will vary between £100-£200 per domain. You can get your .xxx domains at Namecheap for just over £50 each per year.

ICM Registry XXX Domain Membership Validation Process

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Will you be registering your XXX domain name?