ICANN Approves .xxx Domains for Porn
ICANN has approved the measure that porn sites will have the right to use a domain name with the .XXX domain extension. The voluntary initiative for the porn industry to differentiate its web site URLs with the .XXX domain name is heralded by some as being a good first step to end confusion over which sites carry adult material and which do not. However, being a voluntary measure, this will not stop porn sites from using common .com, .org or .net extensions.
“This is a voluntary initiative,” Robert Corn-Revere, a Washington lawyer who helped ICM develop its proposal, told Reuters. “We’re not trying to put it forward as the ultimate solution for everything.” If anything, the .XXX domain names may be more of a money maker than a deterent for Internet users to not mistakenly open a pornographic site. XXX domains are rumored to be around $75 for the domain purchase – $75 a year. Secure a domain such as Search.xxx or sex.xxx and you’ll be sitting on one mountain of money.
I read a post by Vanessa Tan on her blog Vantan.org which brought up an interesting point “Porn websites now have a new domain extension – xxx (why are we not surprised). But I’ve felt all along that nobody really uses these fancy suffixes – I’ve visted a few .tv sites (which have nothing to do with the actual country, Tuvalu), and now there’s going to be .jobs and .travel … but who needs those when you already have sites like monster.com and condenast.com?
Whatever needs a website, already has a website, and it’s most probably found at a familiar .com, .net or .org. Of course, this won’t stop people from rushing to register new names, domain squatters and legitimate trademark owners alike.”
