[LINK] .xxx

[Frank O'Connor]

Much easier than all that damn litigation ... but as you say, and ironically, a payment for a domain name that is not gonna be used for its ostensible purpose.           :)

On 08/09/2011, at 3:44 AM, stephen at melbpc.org.au wrote:

> So, now you can pay not to have a domain name ..
> 
> --
> Sun rises over .xxx smut domain
> 
> By Kevin Murphy, 7th September 2011 16:37 GMT
> http://www.theregister.co.uk/2011/09/07/triple_x_domain_open_for_business
> 
> 
> Businesses in the adult entertainment industry ˆ and outside of it ˆ from 
> today have the opportunity to register or block .xxx domain names that 
> match their trademarks.
> 
> ICM Registry, which has operated .xxx since it signed a contract with 
> ICANN earlier this year, has launched a three-pronged "sunrise period" 
> that will run for the next 52 days.
> 
> The pre-launch phase is designed to allow trademark owners to either snag 
> a .xxx domain if they're in the porn business, or to pay to have their 
> brands blocked forever if they're not.
> 
> While the sunrise has been characterised by many critics as 
> a "shakedown", ICM is doing things a little differently to domain 
> registries that have launched in the past.
> 
> As we have previously reported, a big chunk of the 15,000 names ICM has 
> reserved match the names of celebrities ˆ actors, politicians, sportsmen, 
> singers ˆ to prevent embarrassment.
> 
> It did not extend the same courtesy to big corporate brands.
> 
> However, uniquely to .xxx, any non-porn company wishing to take 
> their .xxx name out of circulation permanently needs only pay a one-time 
> fee, rather than paying up-front and renewing annually.
> 
> These domains will not resolve, and the name of the company requesting 
> the block will not be disclosed in the Whois database.
> 
> Unfortunately for brand owners, the price of this service, which ranges 
> from $200 to $300 at most registrars, is about the same as registering 
> a .com domain for ten years. Any savings will only realistically be seen 
> over the long term.
> 
> ICM's cut is about $160, but the company says it has priced the service 
> on a cost-recovery basis assuming 10,000 defensive applications. Any 
> fewer, and it will lose money.
> 
> For comparison, when Colombia's re-purposed .co extension launched last 
> year, the registry saw 11,000 sunrise period registrations from companies 
> worried about the potential for .com typos.
> 
> ICM is also giving porn webmasters the opportunity to get a .xxx to match 
> their existing domains in other extensions. If you own a .com or .co.uk 
> porn site, you may be able to get the equivalent .xxx.
> 
> When two or more applications are made for resolving .xxx domains, the 
> applicants will have to fight it out at auction.
> 
> However, if a non-porn company wants to block its trademark and a porn 
> webmaster applies because he owns the same string in another extension, 
> the pornographer automatically wins the domain and the non-porn firm will 
> have to seek redress elsewhere.
> 
> All .xxx domains will be subject to ICANN's Uniform Dispute Resolution 
> Policy, which is designed to allow trademark owners to reclaim their 
> brands from cybersquatters. This usually takes several weeks and costs 
> $1,000 and up in arbitration fees.
> 
> ICM has also created a faster, more Draconian system called Rapid 
> Evaluation Service, which will be administered by the National 
> Arbitration Forum in the US.
> 
> Brand owners will be able to use RES, for a cost of $1,300, to have an 
> obviously infringing domain taken down in just a few days. If they win 
> the complaint, the domain will be set to a non-resolving status forever. 
> That's in contrast to UDRP, which transfers domains and their renewal 
> fees to successful complainants.
> 
> Some commentators, such as Andrew Allemann of Domain Name Wire expect 
> that the high price of .xxx domains ˆ around $80 to $100 ˆ will deter 
> many cybersquatters.
> 
> The sunrise period will be followed by a shorter "land rush" phase, 
> during which anybody can pay a premium to apply for the domain they want 
> before the .xxx extension opens up to general registration in December.
> --
> 
> Cheers,
> Stephen
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