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