The .xxx top-level domain will be opened up on Wednesday to brand and intellectual property holders for registration, ahead of a wider opportunity to register.
At around 4pm UK time, a 50-day 'sunrise period' will begin, ICM
Registry, the company that is running the new top-level domain (TLD), said
in a statement. During this period, companies inside and outside the
adult industry will be able to either register their .xxx domain name
or exempt themselves, blocking anyone else from creating a .xxx URL
using their brand name.
Icann, the organisation that manages TLDs, approved
the new extension in March. According to ICM Registry, all .xxx sites will be automatically scanned by McAfee for malware. The .xxx TLD will be the only one in existence to come with this protection as
standard.
"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," ICM Registry chief
executive Stuart Lawley said.
Lawley explained that consumers would be able to easily identify
adult content through the use of .xxx, and would also benefit from the
malware protection that comes with the TLD. Using the TLD will also
help adult entertainment companies achieve "greater and more
predictable revenues", and those wishing to avoid adult content will
be able to do so more easily, by simply avoiding sites with URLs
ending in .XXX, he added.
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.
– Stuart Lawley, ICM registry chief executive
In addition to the malware scanning, each .xxx site will also have
a Metacert electronic label, so people can adjust their browser
settings to limit access to such sites. A global non-profit
organisation, The International Foundation for Online Responsibility
(IFFOR), has also been set up to create policy for the new extension.
In the run-up to the sunrise period launch, ICM ran a 'founders program' where 35 companies were allowed to launch 1,500 .xxx sites as a showcase for the domain.
Once registered trademark owners have had their chance to opt in or
out of the system during the sunrise period, a 'land-rush' period will begin on 8 November, when other adult entertainment businesses can register .xxx URLs. On 25
November, members of the public will be able to register remaining
URLs.
The creation of the online red light district has been long coming.
Icann originally
approved the idea in 2005 and was set to give ICM Registry its
licence to run .xxx, but the Bush administration and conservative
groups pushed
back. The TLD became an increasingly political issue, and was one
of several sticking points that eventually led Icann to gain
independence from the US government's control.
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