Changes

==Reserved Names==

==Reserved Names==

Hundreds, even thousands, of celebrity names were placed on permanent reserve lists by ICM registry, stemming the need for individual defensive registrations, and the possibility of exceptional legal action. Beyonce.xxx and BritneySpears.xxx are examples of the well-known names in question. The total reserve list is rumored to be about 15,000 names; this list includes the world's capitals, culturally sensitive affiliations such as various spellings of "Mohamed", and premium names that they intend to auction. ICM registry recieved some flack for protecting the celebrity brand and [[Intellectual Property|intellectual property]] of the individuals on the list but not including other possible trademark and IP holders that will have to defensively register $200 domains to protect their brands from being manipulated under a .xxx string.<ref>[http://www.theregister.co.uk/2011/08/24/domains_with_celeb_names_banned/ Domains with Celeb Names Banned, TheRegister.co.uk]</ref>

Hundreds, even thousands, of celebrity names were placed on permanent reserve lists by ICM Registry, for example Beyonce.xxx and BritneySpears.xxx. This was done in order to avoid the need for individual defensive registrations, and the possibility of exceptional legal action. The total reserve list is rumored to be about 15,000 names; this list includes the world's capitals, culturally sensitive affiliations such as various spellings of "Mohamed," and premium names that they intend to auction. ICM Registry received some flack for protecting celebrity brands and [[Intellectual Property|intellectual property]] of only certain individuals, and not including other possible trademark and IP holders, who will instead be forced to defensively register $200 domains to protect their brands from being manipulated under a .xxx string.<ref>[http://www.theregister.co.uk/2011/08/24/domains_with_celeb_names_banned/ Domains with Celeb Names Banned, TheRegister.co.uk]</ref>

===Defensive Registration===

===Defensive Registration===

Some of the criticism leveled against ICM, starting during their application process and going forward, was the necessary defensive registration for many brand owners. ICM did make a block list for celebrities and certain other entities. It was reported that many Universites were buying .xxx domains related to their schools, as they did not want someone taking advantage of the name of their school, their sports teams, or their mascots and associating it with sexual material.<ref>[http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/2011/11/universities_try_to_keep_their.html Universities Try to Keep Their, Blog.Cleveland.com]</ref>

Some of the criticism leveled against ICM, starting during their application process and going forward, was the necessary defensive registration for many brand owners. ICM did make a block list for celebrities and certain other entities. It was reported that many universities were buying .xxx domains related to their schools, to avoid someone taking advantage of the name of their school, their sports teams, or their mascots and associating it with sexual material.<ref>[http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/2011/11/universities_try_to_keep_their.html Universities Try to Keep Their, Blog.Cleveland.com]</ref>

==Launch==

==Launch==

Following the opening of the general availability of .xxx domains on December, 8th, ICM Registry declared the launch of the name space a victory, and described it as "the most successful launch of any new sponsored top level domain". Indeed, their international, high-profile advertising campaign, and the nature of the domain itself, attracted a great deal of media coverage.<ref>[http://www.circleid.com/posts/icm_announces_general_availability_of_xxx_domain_names/ ICM Announces General Availability of XXX Domain Names, CircleID.com]</ref>

Following the opening of the general availability of .xxx domains on December 8th, 2011, ICM Registry declared the launch of the name space a victory, and described it as "the most successful launch of any new sponsored top level domain." Their international, high-profile advertising campaign and the nature of the domain itself attracted a great deal of media coverage.<ref>[http://www.circleid.com/posts/icm_announces_general_availability_of_xxx_domain_names/ ICM Announces General Availability of XXX Domain Names, CircleID.com]</ref>

 

===Sunrise and Landrush===

===Sunrise and Landrush===

ICM Registry reported that it received 80,000 [[Sunrise Period|sunrise period]] applications, though this figure is pre-trademark verification. Half of the applications were received during the last week of sunrise, causing the registry to delay the auction period of the sunrise as it validated each applicants' trademark claims.<ref>[http://domainincite.com/xxx-sunrise-auctions-delayed-after-80k-applications/ XXX Sunrise Auctions Delayed after 80k applications, DomainIncite.com]</ref> Sunrise auctions are set to begin in January 2012.<ref>[http://www.thedomains.com/2011/12/09/here-come-the-xxx-sunriselandrush-auctions-it-looks-like-they-dont-start-until-january/ Here Come The .XXX Sunrise/LandRush Auctions & It Looks Like They Don’t Start Until January, TheDomains.com]</ref>

ICM Registry reported that it received 80,000 [[Sunrise Period|sunrise period]] applications, though this figure comes from before the trademark verification process. Half of the applications were received during the last week of sunrise, causing the registry to delay the sunrise auction period as it validated each application's trademark claims.<ref>[http://domainincite.com/xxx-sunrise-auctions-delayed-after-80k-applications/ XXX Sunrise Auctions Delayed after 80k applications, DomainIncite.com]</ref> Sunrise auctions are set to begin in January 2012.<ref>[http://www.thedomains.com/2011/12/09/here-come-the-xxx-sunriselandrush-auctions-it-looks-like-they-dont-start-until-january/ Here Come The .XXX Sunrise/LandRush Auctions & It Looks Like They Don’t Start Until January, TheDomains.com]</ref>

The [[Landrush Period|landrush period]] began November 8th, 2011. The price for domains is comparatively high, which could dissuade some [[domainer]]s. However, prominent domainers such as [[Frank Schilling]] and [[Mike Berkens]] have already become involved through the '''Founders Program'''.<ref>[http://domainincite.com/xxx-faces-big-test-as-landrush-kicks-off/ xxx Faces Big Test as Landrush Kicks Off, DomainIncite.com]</ref>

The [[Landrush Period|landrush period]] began November 8th, 2011. The price for domains is comparatively high, which could dissuade some [[domainer]]s. Prominent domainers such as [[Frank Schilling]] and [[Mike Berkens]] have already become involved through the '''Founders Program''', however.<ref>[http://domainincite.com/xxx-faces-big-test-as-landrush-kicks-off/ xxx Faces Big Test as Landrush Kicks Off, DomainIncite.com]</ref>

===Founders Program===

===Founders Program===

The Founders Program allowed ICM to sell and allocate about 1,500 .xxx names to 35 companies ahead of its official launch of September, 2011.<ref>[http://www.domainpulse.com/2011/08/09/icm-registry-concludes-xxx-founders-programme-with-4m-in-sales-for-premium-names/ DomainPulse.com]</ref> The program raised over $4m. The first to go live, in August, 2011, was casting.xxx. 9 addresses sold for over $100,000; the most expensive domain was Gay.xxx, which sold for $500,000 to [[Liberty Media Holdings]].<ref>[http://www.theregister.co.uk/2011/10/07/4500k_for_gay_dot_xxx_address/500k for gay dot xxx address, TheRegister.co.uk]</ref>

The Founders Program allowed ICM to sell and allocate about 1,500 .xxx names to 35 companies ahead of its official launch of September, 2011.<ref>[http://www.domainpulse.com/2011/08/09/icm-registry-concludes-xxx-founders-programme-with-4m-in-sales-for-premium-names/ DomainPulse.com]</ref> The program raised over $4m. The first to go live was casting.xxx, in August, 2011. 9 addresses sold for over $100,000; the most expensive domain was gay.xxx, which sold for $500,000 to [[Liberty Media Holdings]].<ref>[http://www.theregister.co.uk/2011/10/07/4500k_for_gay_dot_xxx_address/ 500k for gay dot xxx address, TheRegister.co.uk]</ref>

The program was developed specifically for adult webmasters, who were interested in developing a .xxx address ahead of general availability of the namespace. It was targeted at those individuals moving their current brands and websites into the new space and also at those who were interested in starting completely new sites on previously unavailable names, such as videos.xxx.<ref>[http://www.todayisp.com/news/MessView.net?IDMessage=9870 TodayISP.com]</ref> It was their hope to see the .xxx become a more content-rich namespace given that many of the most premium [[.com]] addresses are in the hands of professional domainers who keep the pages parked and do not develop them. ICM touted the fact that one of the world's wealthiest domainers, [[Frank Schilling]], got involved with his first [[TLD]] launch by negotiating a 7 figure deal to acquire premium names that he would then develop with prominent companies in the adult industry. Names acquired include free.xxx, hot.xxx, and live.xxx. The founders program involved a strict agreement that required the domain to be developed and not parked.<ref>[http://www.domainnews.com/en/icm-registry-successfully-concluded-its-founders-program-1500-xxx-domains-claimed.html ICM Registry successfully concluded its, DomainNews.com]</ref>

The program was developed specifically for adult webmasters who were interested in developing a .xxx address ahead of general availability. It was targeted at those individuals moving their current brands and websites into the new space and also at those who were interested in starting completely new sites on previously unavailable names, such as videos.xxx.<ref>[http://www.todayisp.com/news/MessView.net?IDMessage=9870 TodayISP.com]</ref> It was ICM's hope to see the .xxx become a more content-rich namespace, given that many of the most premium [[.com]] addresses are in the hands of professional domainers who keep the pages parked and undeveloped. ICM touted the fact that one of the world's wealthiest domainers, [[Frank Schilling]], got involved with his first [[TLD]] launch by negotiating a 7 figure deal to acquire premium names that he would then develop with prominent companies in the adult industry. Names acquired include free.xxx, hot.xxx, and live.xxx. The founders program involved a strict agreement that required the domain to be developed.<ref>[http://www.domainnews.com/en/icm-registry-successfully-concluded-its-founders-program-1500-xxx-domains-claimed.html ICM Registry successfully concluded its, DomainNews.com]</ref>

===General Availability===

===General Availability===

General Availability for .xxx domains was opened on December 6, 2011. It created quite a buzz in the industry, and was picked up by non-industry news sources as well; CNN, for example, highlighted the story as a top feature on its website.<ref>[http://www.thedomains.com/2011/12/06/xxx-launch-makes-front-page-of-cnn-com/ XXX Lanuch Makes Front Page of CNN, TheDomains.com]</ref> The availability was set to open at 16:00 UTC, but was delayed by one hour until 17:00.<ref>[https://twitter.com/#!/LogicBoxes/status/144090056347488258 LogicBoxes, Status, Twitter.com, Dec611]</ref> Their site pushing general availability, buy.xxx, was receiving near 1 million visitors per day surrounding the time of general availability.<ref>[http://www.circleid.com/posts/icm_announces_general_availability_of_xxx_domain_names/ ICM Announces General Availability of XXX domain names]</ref>

General Availability for .xxx domains was opened on December 6, 2011. It created quite a buzz in the industry, and was picked up by non-industry news sources as well; CNN, for example, highlighted the story as a top feature on its website.<ref>[http://www.thedomains.com/2011/12/06/xxx-launch-makes-front-page-of-cnn-com/ XXX Lanuch Makes Front Page of CNN, TheDomains.com]</ref> The availability was set to open at 16:00 UTC, but was delayed by one hour.<ref>[https://twitter.com/#!/LogicBoxes/status/144090056347488258 LogicBoxes, Status, Twitter.com, Dec611]</ref> The site pushing general availability, buy.xxx, received near 1 million visitors per day surrounding the time of the general availability launch.<ref>[http://www.circleid.com/posts/icm_announces_general_availability_of_xxx_domain_names/ ICM Announces General Availability of XXX domain names]</ref>

ICM revealed through a tweet that the first domain purchased during .xxx general availability was IOwn.xxx.<ref>[http://www.thedomains.com/2011/12/06/iown-xxx-becomes-1st-xxx-domain-name-to-be-registered-in-go-live/ IOwnxxx Becomes 1st XXX Domain Name, TheDomains.com]</ref>

ICM revealed through a tweet that the first domain purchased during .xxx general availability was IOwn.xxx.<ref>[http://www.thedomains.com/2011/12/06/iown-xxx-becomes-1st-xxx-domain-name-to-be-registered-in-go-live/ IOwnxxx Becomes 1st XXX Domain Name, TheDomains.com]</ref>

In the first 24 hours of general availability, ICM sold some 55,367 domains. Counting the landrush and sunrise periods, the first day of General Availability brought the total of domains sold to about 160,000.<ref>[http://www.thedomains.com/2011/12/07/icm-xxx-1st-24-hours-of-ga-56000-registrations-a-total-of-160k-domain-names-registered/ ICM xxx 1st 34 hours of GA 56000 registrations, TheDomains.com]</ref> It was estimated that on its first day ICM brought in $3.3 million in revenue, with over half a million of that to be given to its [[IFFOR|International Fund For Online Responsibility]] (IFFOR).<ref>[http://domainnamewire.com/2011/12/07/55367-xxx-domain-names-registered-in-first-24-hours/ 55367 xxx domain names registered in first 24 hours, DomainNameWire.com]</ref>

In the first 24 hours of general availability, ICM sold 55,367 domains. Counting the landrush and sunrise periods, the first day of general availability brought the total of domains sold to about 160,000.<ref>[http://www.thedomains.com/2011/12/07/icm-xxx-1st-24-hours-of-ga-56000-registrations-a-total-of-160k-domain-names-registered/ ICM xxx 1st 34 hours of GA 56000 registrations, TheDomains.com]</ref> It was estimated that on its first day, ICM brought in $3.3 million in revenue, with over half a million of that to be given to [[IFFOR|International Fund For Online Responsibility]] (IFFOR).<ref>[http://domainnamewire.com/2011/12/07/55367-xxx-domain-names-registered-in-first-24-hours/ 55367 xxx domain names registered in first 24 hours, DomainNameWire.com]</ref>

==Notable Deals==

==Notable Deals==

In October, 2011, gay.xxx was sold for $500,000. It was the highest priced domain yet for .xxx.<ref>[http://www.businessinsider.com/this-xxx-domain-name-was-the-highest-selling-of-all-2011-12 This XXX Was the Highest Selling Of all 2011-12, BusinessInsider.com]</ref>

In October, 2011, gay.xxx was sold for $500,000. It is the highest priced domain yet for .xxx.<ref>[http://www.businessinsider.com/this-xxx-domain-name-was-the-highest-selling-of-all-2011-12 This XXX Was the Highest Selling Of all 2011-12, BusinessInsider.com]</ref>

In December, 2011, it was announced that a prominent English pornographer, Paul Raymond, was transferring much of his adult portfolio to .xxx; this involves both previous websites, and destinations related to printed materials. these sites will now include paulraymond.xxx, prpvod.xxx, razzledating.xxx, mensworlddating.xxx, menonlydating.xxx, escortdating.xxx, adultsportdating.xxx, clubdating.xxx, fantasydating.xxx, mayfairdating.xxx, and paulraymonddating.xxx. It was not announced whether or not some of his best-known titles, the magazines Mayfair and Razzle, would also be given .xxx sites. This represents the single largest portfolio migration to date for ICM. The move was expected to take effect by February, 2011.<ref>[http://domainincite.com/paul-raymond-rebrands-under-xxx/ Paul Raymond Rebrands under XXX, DomainInctie.com]</ref>

In December, 2011, it was announced that a prominent English pornographer, Paul Raymond, was transferring much of his adult portfolio to .xxx; this involved both of his previous websites, and destinations related to his printed materials. These sites will include paulraymond.xxx, prpvod.xxx, razzledating.xxx, mensworlddating.xxx, menonlydating.xxx, escortdating.xxx, adultsportdating.xxx, clubdating.xxx, fantasydating.xxx, mayfairdating.xxx, and paulraymonddating.xxx. It was not announced whether or not some of his best-known titles, the magazines Mayfair and Razzle, would also be given .xxx sites. This represents the single largest portfolio migration to date for ICM. The move was expected to take effect by February, 2011.<ref>[http://domainincite.com/paul-raymond-rebrands-under-xxx/ Paul Raymond Rebrands under XXX, DomainInctie.com]</ref> As a result, ICM had been sponsoring numerous Paul Raymond events.<ref>[http://www.thedomains.com/2011/12/01/the-leading-uk-adult-internet-company-rebrands-to-xxx/ The Leading UK Adult Internet Company Rebrands to XXX, TheDomains.com]</ref>

ICM had been sponsoring numerous Paul Raymond events.<ref>[http://www.thedomains.com/2011/12/01/the-leading-uk-adult-internet-company-rebrands-to-xxx/ The Leading UK Adult Internet Company Rebrands to XXX, TheDomains.com]</ref>

It was also announced in December, 2011 that $700,000 worth of domains had been sold to Clips4Sale, which operates a number of clip-oriented porn sites. The sale was made up of a total of 30 domains, with the single most expensive being a $300,000 domain name; two others were sold for over $80,000.<ref>[http://domainincite.com/icm-sells-700000-of-xxx-domains-to-clips4sale/ ICM selles 700000 of XXX Domains to Clips4Sale, DomainIncite.com]</ref>

It was also announced in December, 2011 that $700,000 worth of domains had been sold to Clips4Sale, which operates a number of clip-oriented porn sites. The sale was made up of a total of 30 domains, with the single most expensive being a $300,000 domain name; two others were sold for over $80,000.<ref>[http://domainincite.com/icm-sells-700000-of-xxx-domains-to-clips4sale/ ICM selles 700000 of XXX Domains to Clips4Sale, DomainIncite.com]</ref>

One of ICM's moves to calm worried trademark holders is its aggressive [[cybersquatting|anti-cybersquatting]] policy. The Rapid Evaluation Service hopes to shut off any obvious, registered infringements within a period of days.<ref>[http://www.theregister.co.uk/2011/08/24/domains_with_celeb_names_banned/ Domains with Celeb Names Banned, TheRegister.co.uk]</ref>

In December, 2011, it was announced that the [[National Arbitration Forum]] (NAB) would handle the Rapid Evaluation Service; they would also be running a second, similar service for ICM, the Charter Eligibility Dispute Resolution Policy. The NAB has been a [[UDRP]] evaluator since the late 1990s, and has evaluated over 17,000 domain disputes. The system will be paperless, and the Rapid Evaluation Service allows trademark owners to quickly and efficiently challenge any infringement, while the Charter Eligibility Dispute Resolution Policy allows users to challenge the eligibility of a .xxx domain owner. Those owners are expected to be companies or individuals professionally involved in the adult entertainment industry.<ref>[http://www.thedomains.com/2011/12/05/nab-announces-its-rapid-evaluation-service-to-handle-xxx-disputes-like-the-udrp-but-faster/ NAB Announces Its Rapid Evaluation Service to Handle XXX Disputes like the UDRP but Faster, The Domains.com]</ref>

One of its moves to calm worried trademark holders is its aggressive [[cybersquatting|anti-cybersquatting]] policy. The Rapid Evaluation Service hopes to shut off any obvious, registered infringements within a period of days.<ref>[http://www.theregister.co.uk/2011/08/24/domains_with_celeb_names_banned/ Domains with Celeb Names Banned, TheRegister.co.uk]</ref>

==Opposition, Controversy, and Legal Action==

==Opposition, Controversy, and Legal Action==

Prior to the approval to the .xxx domain, their was a good deal of opposition to the proposed namespace. There were governments that threatened to block the TLD wholesale, which some saw as one-step closer to disrupting the global Internet; there were moral oppositions; but perhaps the most sustained opposition was led by the [[Free Speech Coalition]], an adult industry lobbying and advocacy group, and their Executive Director, [[Diane Duke]]. Much of the debate centered around the fact that ICM was applying for a [[Sponsored Top Level Domain]], which means that there must be a cohesive, supportive community backing the bid. The Free Speech Coalition is the adult industry's largest trade organization, and was vehemently opposed to the creation of .xxx, which raises the question of whether or not ICM actually represented the community that it purported to. Multiple prominent adult industry members, such as Larry Flynt of Hustler, created a documentary together to expose their feelings of misrepresentation by ICM. Concerns include: increased expenses to business owners without additional revenue; the need to defensively register a .xxx address for an existent website; the effect of "ghettoizing" the industry, thereby pushing porn to the periphery of the Internet where it can be easily blocked, censored, and manipulated; ICM causing outside influence on a community and misrepresenting them and their desires.<ref>[http://www.juliemeadows.com/blog/tag/diane-duke/ Diane Duke, JulieMeadows.com]</ref> These issues very much came to a head at [[ICANN 40]] in San Francisco, despite The Free Speech Coalitions staging protests and vocally participating at the event, ICM Registry went on to win approval from the [[ICANN Board]] to run a .xxx sTLD registry.

Prior to the approval to the .xxx TLD, there was a good deal of opposition to the proposed namespace. Certain governments threatened to block the TLD wholesale, which some saw as one step closer to disrupting the global Internet; there were moral oppositions; but perhaps the most sustained opposition was led by the [[Free Speech Coalition]], an adult industry lobbying and advocacy group, and their Executive Director, [[Diane Duke]]. Much of the debate centered around the fact that ICM was applying for a [[Sponsored Top Level Domain]], which meant that there must be a cohesive, supportive community backing the bid. The Free Speech Coalition is the adult industry's largest trade organization, and was vehemently opposed to the creation of .xxx, which rose the question of whether or not ICM actually represented the community that it purported to. Multiple prominent adult industry members, such as Larry Flynt of Hustler, created a documentary together to expose their feelings of misrepresentation by ICM. Concerns included: increased expenses to business owners without additional revenue; the need to defensively register a .xxx address for an existing website; the effect of "ghettoizing" the industry, thereby pushing porn to the periphery of the Internet where it can be easily blocked, censored, and manipulated; and ICM causing outside influence on a community and misrepresenting the adult industry and their desires.<ref>[http://www.juliemeadows.com/blog/tag/diane-duke/ Diane Duke, JulieMeadows.com]</ref> These issues very much came to a head at [[ICANN 40]] in San Francisco: despite The Free Speech Coalitions staging protests and vocally participating at the event, ICM Registry went on to win approval from the [[ICANN Board]] to run a .xxx sTLD registry.

In 2010, ICM CEO, [[Stuart Lawley]], registered on the most popular adult industry forum, xbiz.net, and sustained a conversation with concerned community members for some time. While many points were discussed civilly, some members attacked Mr. Lawley personally, while others merely side-tracked the conversation. A screen-grab of the entire forum thread can be seen [http://www.freespeechcoalition.com/images/pdf/XBIZ.net%20Thread.pdf here]. [[Diane Duke]] and Stuart Lawley partook in a live debate on the merits and drawbacks of .xxx at the inaugural XBiz EU Summit, held in London in September, 2010. A video of the interaction can be seen [http://www.xbiz.com/blogs/139525 here].

In 2010, ICM CEO [[Stuart Lawley]] registered on the most popular adult industry forum, xbiz.net, and sustained a conversation with concerned community members for some time. While many points were discussed civilly, some members attacked Mr. Lawley personally, while others merely side-tracked the conversation. A screen-grab of the entire forum thread can be seen [http://www.freespeechcoalition.com/images/pdf/XBIZ.net%20Thread.pdf here]. [[Diane Duke]] and Stuart Lawley partook in a live debate on the merits and drawbacks of .xxx at the inaugural XBiz EU Summit, held in London in September, 2010. A video of the interaction can be seen [http://www.xbiz.com/blogs/139525 here].

[[Manwin]], one of the most prominent adult content producers on the Internet, filed an Anti-Trust suit against both ICM and ICANN over the creation and implementation of the .xxx TLD. This legal action took place in November, 2011, well after its approval and just before the domain's general availability.<ref>[http://www.thedomains.com/2011/11/16/bbreaking-owner-of-youporn-com-plans-to-file-suit-against-icm-icann-over-xxx/ Owner of YouPorn.com Plans to File Suit Against ICM ICANN over XXX, TheDomains.com]</ref> It also filed an [[Independent Review Panel]] (IRP) Request with ICANN; it is only the second company ever to file such a request, which is somewhat ironic given that ICM was the first to use this mechanism, the outcome eventually overturned the initial denial of a .xxx sTLD. An IRP is a last resort in ICANN beaurcracy, and Manwin filed one because it feels that ICANN's decision to allow .xxx into the root did not “adequately address issues including competition, consumer protection, malicious abuse and rights protection prior to approving the .xxx TLD”.<ref>[http://domainincite.com/youporn-challenges-new-gtlds-with-review-demand/ YouPorn Challenges New gTLDs with Review Demand, DomainIncite.com]</ref>

[[Manwin]], one of the most prominent adult content producers on the Internet, filed an Anti-Trust suit against both ICM and ICANN over the creation and implementation of the .xxx TLD. This legal action took place in November, 2011, well after the TLD's approval and just before its general availability.<ref>[http://www.thedomains.com/2011/11/16/bbreaking-owner-of-youporn-com-plans-to-file-suit-against-icm-icann-over-xxx/ Owner of YouPorn.com Plans to File Suit Against ICM ICANN over XXX, TheDomains.com]</ref> It also filed an [[Independent Review Panel]] (IRP) Request with ICANN, making it only the second company ever to do so (the first being ICM Registry itself). Manwin felt that ICANN's decision to allow .xxx into the root did not “adequately address issues including competition, consumer protection, malicious abuse and rights protection prior to approving the .xxx TLD."<ref>[http://domainincite.com/youporn-challenges-new-gtlds-with-review-demand/ YouPorn Challenges New gTLDs with Review Demand, DomainIncite.com]</ref>

===Countries Banning .xxx===

===Countries Banning .xxx===

It was of great concern to ICANN, its [[GAC]], and the Internet community that .xxx would be a wholly blockable domain extension in the [[Root Zone|root zone]], this was unprecedented. While many restrictive governments block and censor certain sites, it was a new concept to block an entire extension. This fact failed to stop the passage of .xxx, but many countries have stuck to their word and have blocked the name space, they include:

It was of great concern to ICANN, its [[GAC]], and the Internet community, that .xxx would be a wholly blockable domain extension in the [[Root Zone|root zone]]. This was unprecedented. While many restrictive governments block and censor certain sites, it was a new concept to block an entire extension. This fact failed to stop the passage of .xxx, but many countries have stuck to their word and have blocked the name space, including:

* India, the first to block .xxx<ref>[http://100gf.wordpress.com/2011/03/29/india-becomes-first-country-to-block-entire-xxx-domain/ India becomes First Country to Block Entire XXX Domain, 100gf.Wordpress.com]</ref>

* India, the first to block .xxx<ref>[http://100gf.wordpress.com/2011/03/29/india-becomes-first-country-to-block-entire-xxx-domain/ India becomes First Country to Block Entire XXX Domain, 100gf.Wordpress.com]</ref>

* Kenya <ref>[http://www.ynot.com/content/116795-kenya-joins-list-countries-block-dot-xxx.html Kenya Joins List Countries Block dot XXX]</ref>

* Kenya<ref>[http://www.ynot.com/content/116795-kenya-joins-list-countries-block-dot-xxx.html Kenya Joins List Countries Block dot XXX]</ref>

* China <ref>[http://www.ynot.com/content/116795-kenya-joins-list-countries-block-dot-xxx.html Kenya Joins List Countries Block dot XXX]</ref>

* China<ref>[http://www.ynot.com/content/116795-kenya-joins-list-countries-block-dot-xxx.html Kenya Joins List Countries Block dot XXX]</ref>

== References ==

== References ==