Categories: Web

.XXX domains go on sale today, brands and celebrities given chance to block certain addresses

.XXX domains go on sale today

ICM Registry, the body responsible for managing the new .xxx adult entertainment domain, has today begun to allow brands, celebrities and public figure to secure their .xxx domains, marking the beginnings of the so-called ‘online red light district’.

It’s hoped that .xxx domains will allow users “to surf porn safely” as the .xxx TLD (top-level domain) effectively verifies the legality of the site’s content, while also making it easier to parents, guardians and various institutes to filter out pornographic content.

ICM Registry is allowing brands and public figures up to 50 days to claim their domain as a means of guarding against cybersquatters. A one-off fee of around $200 will allow companies, celebrities and politicians to safeguard against domains like google.xxx, georgiasalpa.xxx or endakenny.xxx being used.

More than 4,000 celebrities, including Angelina Jolie, have already had their .xxx addresses blocked by ICM Registry. A further 15,000 .xxx domains have been blocked at the request of international governments and child protection groups.

After an initial 50-day period, a further 17 days is assigned for the exclusive selling of .xxx domains to those involved in the adult entertainment industry. Around 1,500 .xxx domains have already been scooped up by 35 different porn companies ahead of the TLD’s public launch on December 6th. ICM Registry are hopeful that 500,000 domain names will be sold by February 2012.

The .xxx domain is the first such TLD to be approved by ICANN since .CO in July 2010.

Image courtesy of Ryan Christopher VanWilliams on Flickr

Albizu Garcia

Albizu Garcia is the Co-Founder and CEO of Gain -- a marketing technology company that automates the social media and content publishing workflow for agencies and social media managers, their clients and anyone working in teams.

View Comments

  • Good blog you've got here.. It's hard to find quality writing
    like yours these days. I really appreciate people like
    you! Take care!!

Recent Posts

Byte-sized solutions: How tech is transforming life with food allergies 

Nine-year-old Addie Lao from California lives with severe allergies to peanuts, tree nuts, sesame seeds,…

2 days ago

Credibl appoints sustainability leader Viral Thakker as Chief Business Officer to help more businesses achieve regulatory ESG compliance 

Sustainable investment in the US has faced political backlash in 2025 after the current administration's…

2 days ago

CATALYST Launches Real-Time Satellite Intelligence Service for National Defense Agencies

For many decades, satellite images have played an important role in the arena of national…

5 days ago

Digital ID is the key to unlocking digital identity for the DPI panopticon

Your biometrics are your identification, your identity is you; together they feed the interoperable digital…

5 days ago

AI enterprise Prezent wins back-to-back Inc. Power Partner Award

Inc.'s Power Partner Awards present the definitive list of B2B partners in the U.S. and…

6 days ago

Allie AI raises $5.2 million to advance autonomous intelligence in global manufacturing systems

AI continues to transform the operations of enterprises across the globe, including in manufacturing. In…

6 days ago