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Line 121: + + + + + + − 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>+ Line 110:
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Line 145: + + + − + + + + + + + + + + + + − ===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, 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> − * 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> − + +
→Negative Reaction
| founders = [[Jason Hendeles]]
| founders = [[Jason Hendeles]]
| ownership =
| ownership =
| headquarters = Suite 2500 130, <br> Adelaide Street West, <br> Toronto, Ontario M5H 2M2
| headquarters = PO BOX 30129<br>Palm Beach Gardens <br>Florida
| country = Canada
| country = USA
| businesses =
| businesses =
| products =
| products =
| linkedin =
| linkedin =
| twitter = ICMRegistry
| twitter = ICMRegistry
| keypeople = [[Stuart Lawley]], Chairman and President <br>
| keypeople =
[[Stuart Lawley]], Chairman and CEO <br>
[[Len Bayles]], Chief Technical Officer
[[Len Bayles]], Chief Technical Officer
}}
}}
'''ICM Registry''' is the registry operator behind the [[.xxx]] [[registry]]. The [[International Foundation For Online Responsibility]] (IFFOR) is the sponsoring organization,<ref>[http://www.icmregistry.com/about/icm.php About ICM Registry]</ref> though it is seen by some as not being sufficiently independent, and essentially an extension of ICM.<ref>[http://domainincite.com/lawley-quits-as-xxx-sponsor-chairman/ Lawley Quits as XXX Sponsor Chairman, DomainIncite.com]</ref> [[.xxx]] is the Internet's 22nd [[gTLD]].<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 Registry''' is the registry operator behind the [[.xxx]] [[registry]]. The [[International Foundation For Online Responsibility]] (IFFOR) is the sponsoring organization,<ref>[http://www.icmregistry.com/about/icm.php About ICM Registry]</ref> though it is seen by some as not being sufficiently independent, and essentially an extension of ICM.<ref>[http://domainincite.com/lawley-quits-as-xxx-sponsor-chairman/ Lawley Quits as XXX Sponsor Chairman, DomainIncite.com]</ref> [[.xxx]] is the Internet's 22nd [[gTLD]].<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> As of April 2012, an estimated 250,000 .xxx domain names were already registered after five months of operations according to Stuart Lawley, CEO of the company.<ref>[http://www.bloomberg.com/video/91151787/ Bloomberg Interview with Stuart Lawley]</ref>
== History up to Approval of .xxx at ICANN 40 ==
== History up to Approval of .xxx at ICANN 40 ==
* 2007 - In January, ICM posted another iteration of the registry agreement for public comments.<ref>[http://www.webcitation.org/5gAwFTjYy "ICANN Publishes Revision to Proposed ICM (.xxx) Registry Agreement for Public Comment"]</ref> In March, the [[GAC]] noted that it did not believe that the ICANN Board had sufficiently answered GAC questions regarding ICM and the sponsorship criteria. Subsequently, at [[ICANN 28]] in Lisbon, the Board voted down the ICM's application for .xxx. They noted that their decision was made based on the following findings: ICM did not meet the sponsorship requirements; the GAC believed that this lack of clear sponsorship would create public policy issues; the application raised significant law enforcement issues that it did not seek to rectify; the Board and GAC agreed that the implementation would involve ICANN overseeing a significant amount of Internet content, which would overstep the organization's technical mandate.<ref>[http://www.icann.org/en/minutes/draft-icm-rationale-18mar11-en.pdf Draft ICM Rationale 18Mar11, ICANN.org]</ref>
* 2007 - In January, ICM posted another iteration of the registry agreement for public comments.<ref>[http://www.webcitation.org/5gAwFTjYy "ICANN Publishes Revision to Proposed ICM (.xxx) Registry Agreement for Public Comment"]</ref> In March, the [[GAC]] noted that it did not believe that the ICANN Board had sufficiently answered GAC questions regarding ICM and the sponsorship criteria. Subsequently, at [[ICANN 28]] in Lisbon, the Board voted down the ICM's application for .xxx. They noted that their decision was made based on the following findings: ICM did not meet the sponsorship requirements; the GAC believed that this lack of clear sponsorship would create public policy issues; the application raised significant law enforcement issues that it did not seek to rectify; the Board and GAC agreed that the implementation would involve ICANN overseeing a significant amount of Internet content, which would overstep the organization's technical mandate.<ref>[http://www.icann.org/en/minutes/draft-icm-rationale-18mar11-en.pdf Draft ICM Rationale 18Mar11, ICANN.org]</ref>
* 2008, June - ICM notified ICANN of its request for [[Independent Review Panel]] (IRP) proceedings, which is the ultimate appeal under [[ICANN Bylaws]] for any individual or entity that feels they have received a inconsistent, or wrong ICANN ruling.<ref>[http://www.icann.org/en/irp/icm-v-icann.htm ICM-v-ICANN, ICANN.org]</ref> They were the first entity to ever utilize ICANN's IRP option, which was put into place around 2004.<ref>[http://blog.icann.org/2010/02/landmark-step-in-icanns-use-of-accountability-mechanisms/ Landmark Step in ICANNs Use of Accountability Mechanisms, Blog.ICANN.org]</ref> ICM noted that ICANN followed procedure improperly, claiming that the Board had approved its sponsorship requirements, proceeded to the next phase of contract negotiations, and then unjustly backtracked to sponsorship issues. ICM alleged that the Board did not apply the same sponsorship criteria to other [[sTLD]] applicants as they did to ICM. They alleged that negotiations were not held in good faith, and that ICANN was overstepping its technical mandate by considering public policy issues. ICANN responded that they always held the right to reject ICM's proposal, despite its stage in the process, and that ICM knew this; further, ICANN altered procedure to the benefit of ICM, giving them more time and delaying votes in order to accommodate addendum's to ICM's application; additionally, they noted that the ICANN Board is required to consider the public policy positions of its GAC. Documents related to the ICM IRP process can be found [http://www.icann.org/en/irp/icm-v-icann.htm here].
* 2008, June - ICM notified ICANN of its request for [[IRP|Independent Review Panel]] proceedings, which is the ultimate appeal under [[ICANN Bylaws]] for any individual or entity that feels they have received a inconsistent, or wrong ICANN ruling.<ref>[http://www.icann.org/en/irp/icm-v-icann.htm ICM-v-ICANN, ICANN.org]</ref> They were the first entity to ever utilize ICANN's IRP option, which was put into place around 2004.<ref>[http://blog.icann.org/2010/02/landmark-step-in-icanns-use-of-accountability-mechanisms/ Landmark Step in ICANNs Use of Accountability Mechanisms, Blog.ICANN.org]</ref> ICM noted that ICANN followed procedure improperly, claiming that the Board had approved its sponsorship requirements, proceeded to the next phase of contract negotiations, and then unjustly backtracked to sponsorship issues. ICM alleged that the Board did not apply the same sponsorship criteria to other [[sTLD]] applicants as they did to ICM. They alleged that negotiations were not held in good faith, and that ICANN was overstepping its technical mandate by considering public policy issues. ICANN responded that they always held the right to reject ICM's proposal, despite its stage in the process, and that ICM knew this; further, ICANN altered procedure to the benefit of ICM, giving them more time and delaying votes in order to accommodate addendum's to ICM's application; additionally, they noted that the ICANN Board is required to consider the public policy positions of its GAC. Documents related to the ICM IRP process can be found [http://www.icann.org/en/irp/icm-v-icann.htm here].
* 2009, September - ICM and ICANN submitted briefing papers and a written testimony, then participated in a 5 day hearing with a 3 member IRP panel.<ref>[http://www.icann.org/en/minutes/draft-icm-rationale-18mar11-en.pdf Draft ICM Rationale 18Mar11, ICANN.org]</ref> The IRP panel was under the discretion of [[International Centre For Dispute Resolution]] of the [[American Arbitration Association]].<ref>[http://www.icann.org/en/irp/icm-v-icann/transcript-testimony-icm-independent-review-proceeding-21sep09-en.pdf Transcript Testimony ICM Independent Review Proceeding 21Sep09, ICANN.org]</ref>
* 2009, September - ICM and ICANN submitted briefing papers and a written testimony, then participated in a 5 day hearing with a 3 member IRP panel.<ref>[http://www.icann.org/en/minutes/draft-icm-rationale-18mar11-en.pdf Draft ICM Rationale 18Mar11, ICANN.org]</ref> The IRP panel was under the discretion of [[International Centre For Dispute Resolution]] of the [[American Arbitration Association]].<ref>[http://www.icann.org/en/irp/icm-v-icann/transcript-testimony-icm-independent-review-proceeding-21sep09-en.pdf Transcript Testimony ICM Independent Review Proceeding 21Sep09, ICANN.org]</ref>
* 2011- June, 25th - The ICANN Board approved the proposal at [[ICANN 40]] in San Francisco, USA, thereby authorizing the implementation of .xxx in the [[Root Zone|root zone]].<ref>[http://www.nytimes.com/glogin?URI=http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/26/technology/26domain.html&OQ=_rQ3D1Q26srcQ3Dbusln&OP=10b995d5Q2Fzq@yzQ7E!Q5Do6!!DXzXCjCzCQ51zXQ51zD@Q5DQ2F_!5!Q7BQ26zXQ51Q7E!uiQ20_,Q2FDu5 Miguel Helft (June 25, 2010). "For X-Rated, a Domain of Their Own"]</ref>
* 2011- June, 25th - The ICANN Board approved the proposal at [[ICANN 40]] in San Francisco, USA, thereby authorizing the implementation of .xxx in the [[Root Zone|root zone]].<ref>[http://www.nytimes.com/glogin?URI=http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/26/technology/26domain.html&OQ=_rQ3D1Q26srcQ3Dbusln&OP=10b995d5Q2Fzq@yzQ7E!Q5Do6!!DXzXCjCzCQ51zXQ51zD@Q5DQ2F_!5!Q7BQ26zXQ51Q7E!uiQ20_,Q2FDu5 Miguel Helft (June 25, 2010). "For X-Rated, a Domain of Their Own"]</ref>
==Registration Statistics==
In January, 2012, [[Afilias]], the technical back-end provider for .xxx, announced that the 3-month old [[.xxx]] extension had over 200,000 registrations. However, more than half of these were not signed into the [[Root Zone|root zone]], meaning that many of the registrations were [[Defensive Registration|defensive acquisitions]] by trademark owners, reserved names, or pre-blocked domains by [[ICM Registry]] that will never be resolving domains.<ref>[http://www.thedomains.com/2012/01/18/afilias-xxx-breaks-200k-domains-under-management-a-look-inside-the-numbers/ Afilias XXX 200k Domains Under Management a Look Inside the Numbers, TheDomains.com]</ref> As of June 2, 2013, .xxx had 122,000 active registrations, after a peak at 142,000 in December 2012. During May 2013, [[ICM Registry]] cut the prices for .xxx names down to .com-level prices, resulting in a large number of registrations during that month.<ref>[http://domainincite.com/13245-icm-price-cut-sees-10-times-more-xxx-sales ICM Price Cut sees 10 times more xxx sales, Domain Incite] Retrieved 19 Sept 2013</ref>
==Marketing==
==Marketing==
ICM Registry announced in September, 2011, that it would be sponsoring world champion Mike Seebold's powerboat. The boat was unveiled at the 2011 [[T.R.A.F.F.I.C.]] conference in Fort Lauderdale, a week before its racing debut at the World Championship in Key West.<ref>[http://domainnamewire.com/2011/09/30/coming-soon-the-xxx-speedboat/ Coming Soon XXX Speedboat, DomainNameWire.com]</ref> ICM Registry was a top sponsor for T.R.A.F.F.I.C 2011.<ref>[http://www.targetedtraffic.com/ TargetedTraffic.com]</ref> In November, 2011, Mike Seebold and the .XXX boat won for place in their class at the World Champions Final, despite the boat having trouble on two prior qualifying races. Unfortunately, the week of racing was marred by numerous deaths. [[Michael Berkens]] notes via his blog that as a result of the championships, there was a great deal of public interest and acceptance regarding .xxx.<ref>[http://www.thedomains.com/2011/11/16/death-victory-acceptance-my-weekend-watching-the-xxx-boat-race-in-the-world-championship/ Death, Victory, Acceptance, TheDomains.com]</ref>
ICM Registry announced in September, 2011, that it would be sponsoring world champion Mike Seebold's powerboat. The boat was unveiled at the 2011 [[T.R.A.F.F.I.C.]] conference in Fort Lauderdale, a week before its racing debut at the World Championship in Key West.<ref>[http://domainnamewire.com/2011/09/30/coming-soon-the-xxx-speedboat/ Coming Soon XXX Speedboat, DomainNameWire.com]</ref> ICM Registry was a top sponsor for T.R.A.F.F.I.C 2011.<ref>[http://www.targetedtraffic.com/ TargetedTraffic.com]</ref> In November, 2011, Mike Seebold and the .XXX boat won for place in their class at the World Champions Final, despite the boat having trouble on two prior qualifying races. Unfortunately, the week of racing was marred by numerous deaths. [[Michael Berkens]] notes via his blog that as a result of the championships, there was a great deal of public interest and acceptance regarding .xxx.<ref>[http://www.thedomains.com/2011/11/16/death-victory-acceptance-my-weekend-watching-the-xxx-boat-race-in-the-world-championship/ Death, Victory, Acceptance, TheDomains.com]</ref>
ICM Registry was reported to have spent $1 million USD on specifically advertising to eligible trademark owners to [[Defensive Registration|defensively register]] their .xxx domains.<ref>[http://domainnamewire.com/2011/10/31/xxx-domain-nets-13-million-from-sunrise/ XXX Doman Nets 13 million from Sunrise, DomainNameWire.com]</ref>
Other parts of ICM Registry's marketing plan include video ads featuring a character, Gavin, who flashes between living his normal life with his [[.com]] address and his possible new life as a rich porn dealer, made possible by [[.xxx]].<ref>[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-kXYrikqtmk YouTube.com]</ref> The videos were noted as viral hits, and reached international audiences thanks to the variety of subtitles available for them.<ref>[http://blog.dotsub.com/2011/10/03/dotxxx-launches-globally-with-subtitled-videos/ dotXXX Launches Globally With Subtitled Videos, blog.dotsub.com]</ref> Some of the more controversial Gavin videos, such as one in which two porn-star types suggestively play with a hotdog, were pulled from YouTube as "deceptive." Apparently, 4 or 5 videos had been yanked by YouTube.<ref>[http://www.theregister.co.uk/2011/11/30/youtube_ads/ YouTube ads, TheRegister.co.uk]</ref>
Other parts of ICM Registry's marketing plan include video ads featuring a character, Gavin, who flashes between living his normal life with his [[.com]] address and his possible new life as a rich porn dealer, made possible by [[.xxx]].<ref>[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-kXYrikqtmk YouTube.com]</ref> The videos were noted as viral hits, and reached international audiences thanks to the variety of subtitles available for them.<ref>[http://blog.dotsub.com/2011/10/03/dotxxx-launches-globally-with-subtitled-videos/ dotXXX Launches Globally With Subtitled Videos, blog.dotsub.com]</ref> Some of the more controversial Gavin videos, such as one in which two porn-star types suggestively play with a hotdog, were pulled from YouTube as "deceptive." Apparently, 4 or 5 videos had been yanked by YouTube.<ref>[http://www.theregister.co.uk/2011/11/30/youtube_ads/ YouTube ads, TheRegister.co.uk]</ref>
At least one critic has labelled ICM Registry's business model, from the domain itself to its advertising, as an "intimidation TLD."<ref>[http://domainshane.com/xxx-sucks-what-is-the-next-indimidation-tld/ XXX .sucks What is the Next Intimidation TLD, DomainShane.com]</ref>
At least one critic has labelled ICM Registry's business model, from the domain itself to its advertising, as an "intimidation TLD."<ref>[http://domainshane.com/xxx-sucks-what-is-the-next-indimidation-tld/ XXX .sucks What is the Next Intimidation TLD, DomainShane.com]</ref>
In November, 2011, [[Manwin]] Licensing International filed a lawsuit in response to ICM Registry advertisements that used pressure tactics, such as running ads with wording like: ".XXX LANDRUSH IS NOW OPEN. PROTECT YOUR BRAND" or "SECURE YOUR DOMAIN. PROTECT YOUR REPUTATION."<ref>[http://www.techdirt.com/blog/?company=icm Blog, TechDirt.com]</ref>
In November 2011, [[Manwin]] Licensing International filed a lawsuit in response to ICM Registry advertisements that used pressure tactics, such as running ads with wording like: ".XXX LANDRUSH IS NOW OPEN. PROTECT YOUR BRAND" or "SECURE YOUR DOMAIN. PROTECT YOUR REPUTATION."<ref>[http://www.techdirt.com/blog/?company=icm Blog, TechDirt.com]</ref>
In May 2013, a settlement was reached between Manwin Licensing and ICM Registry, in which ICM registry agreed to significant financial concessions in order to settle the case. ICM agreed to donate $2 for every .xxx domain created into "a fund designated by Manwin to support the adult entertainment industry".<ref>[http://domainincite.com/12846-youporn-spanks-icm-as-xxx-prices-slashed YouPorn spanks ICM as xxx prices slashed] Domainincite, published May 1 2013; retrieved December 3rd 2014.</ref> ICM indicated it will offer price reductions in the future, although it is not clear whether or to what degree this is due to the settlement.<ref>[http://domainincite.com/12846-youporn-spanks-icm-as-xxx-prices-slashed YouPorn spanks ICM as xxx prices slashed] Domainincite, published May 1 2013; retrieved December 3rd 2014.</ref>
===Search.xxx===
In September, 2012, the .xxx centric search engine at search.xxx was launched by ICM Registry. The search engine does not have a direct revenue model, but is instead a means of directing greater traffic to .xxx sites. Touted benefits of the search engine include: a pornographic focused search rather than a search that could result in non-pornographic sexual material, a safe and focused search for adults, the ability to search via sexual orientation, and not saving or recording searches to one's Google search history. The long-term goal is to increase the market-share of .xxx.<ref>[http://www.cnbc.com/id/49212131/ CNBC.com]</ref>
==Reserved Names==
==Reserved Names==
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>
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>
===Vatican.xxx===
On December 21, 2011, the Vatican claimed that a "mysterious buyer" had acquired vatican.xxx.<ref>[http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/12/21/us-vatican-porno-idUSTRE7BK1JW20111221 Mystery buyer acquires vatican.xxx web address, reuters.com]</ref> It quickly came to light, however, that vatican.xxx had been placed on the reserved names list by ICM Registry, which was revealed via Whois data. Possible reasons for its reservation are the Vatican City's status as a country, as all country names were reserved, as well as its religious significance.<ref>[http://www.theregister.co.uk/2011/12/22/vatican_xxx_buyer/ Smut baron buy-up of Vatican.xxx rumour exploded, the register.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|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>
Some of the criticism leveled against ICM, starting during their application process and going forward, was the necessary [[Defensive Registration|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>
CEO Stuart Lawley stated in an interview that ICM does not encourage defensive registration of .xxx domains.<ref>[http://technolog.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/12/13/9394862-cybersquatters-pick-up-xxx-trademark-domains Cybersquatters Pick Up XXX Trademark Domains, technolog.msnbc.msn.com]</ref>
CEO Stuart Lawley stated in an interview that ICM does not encourage defensive registration of .xxx domains.<ref>[http://technolog.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/12/13/9394862-cybersquatters-pick-up-xxx-trademark-domains Cybersquatters Pick Up XXX Trademark Domains, technolog.msnbc.msn.com]</ref> However, as of December, 2011, of the 95,000 names in root zone ending in .xxx, 84,000 were defensive registrations.<ref>[http://jl.ly/ICANN/xxxzone.html John R. Levine, Who's registering .XXX domains]</ref>
===Adult Performer Program===
In anticipation of the launch of .xxx, ICM Registry reserved some 3,500 names of prominent adult entertainers and pornography stars to later be allocated via the "Adult Performer Program". The program was launched in February, 2012, in conjunction with [[Name.com]], and saw ICM giving those stars their personalized .xxx domain registered through Name.com for one full year. The performers would be free to transfer the domain, and it would be there responsibility to renew and maintain the domain after the first year.<ref>[http://www.thedomains.com/2012/02/21/icm-name-com-announce-details-of-adult-performer-program-3500-xxx-domain-names/ IC Name com Announce Details of Adult Performer Program 3500 xxx Domain names, TheDomains.com]</ref><ref>[http://domainincite.com/icm-offers-free-xxx-domains-to-porn-stars/ ICM offers Free XXX Domains to Porn Stars, DomainIncite.com]</ref>
==Launch==
==Launch==
===Sunrise and Landrush===
===Sunrise and Landrush===
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> ICM Registry split its [[Sunrise Period|sunrise]] into two phases: the first was for trademark owners within the adult industry to register names; the second, '''Sunrise B''', was for trademark owners outside of the adult entertainment industry to register .xxx names put their trademarks on a reserved list, so that no one could register it, for a one time fee.<ref>[http://www.domainmonster.com/domain-registration/xxx/sunrise/ xxx Sunrise, DomainMonster.com]</ref><ref>[http://www.patentable.com/the-new-domain/ The New Domain, Patentable.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> Given that the wholesale price for a .xxx domainw was $162, the sunrise alone, before related auctions, brought ICM an estimated $13 million USD.<ref>[http://domainnamewire.com/2011/10/31/xxx-domain-nets-13-million-from-sunrise/ XXX Domain Nets 13 million from Sunrise, DomainNameWire.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 split its [[Sunrise Period|sunrise]] into two phases: the first was for trademark owners within the adult industry to register names; the second, '''Sunrise B''', was for trademark owners outside of the adult entertainment industry to register .xxx names put their trademarks on a reserved list, so that no one could register it, for a one time fee.<ref>[http://www.domainmonster.com/domain-registration/xxx/sunrise/ xxx Sunrise, DomainMonster.com]</ref><ref>[http://www.patentable.com/the-new-domain/ The New Domain, Patentable.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>
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>
It was later reported, in March, 2012, that those domains blocked by trademark holders during '''Sunrise B''' produced 1.3 million [[DNS]] queries per day, which were directed to non-monetized placeholder pages.<ref>[http://domainincite.com/sunrise-xxx-domains-get-1-3-million-hits-a-day/ Sunrise XXX Domains Get 1.3 million Hits a Day, DomainIncite.com]</ref>
===Founders Program===
===Founders Program===
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 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>
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> On December 16, it was brought to light that only approximately 95,000 domain names existed in the .xxx root zone. Roughly 84,000 of the domains were defensive registrations, and 14,400 were registered by the adult entertainment community. Of this, 3,200 were parked at [[Domain Control]], and approximately 4,000 were parked at various other parking services. Thus, half of the community registrations were parked or for sale.<ref>[http://jl.ly/ICANN/xxxzone.html John R. Levine, Who's registering .XXX domains]</ref>
===Alleged Contract Discrepancies===
In a January 2013 [[CircleID]] post, [[George Kirikos]] emphasized that ICANN needs to be much better at being clear and thorough in contract creation by analyzing a few apparent discrepancies in its contract with ICM. He notes that the language of the contract has ICM paying its sponsoring organization, [[IFFOR]], $10 for every $60 wholesale domain, but that should the wholesale price ever raise or lower from that point ICM would be responsible to pay 15% of the wholesale price. This means that should ICM raise the wholesale price by a penny in either direction it would then only be responsible for paying $9 to IFFOR. He goes on to note that this is to be paid per "resolving registration", and asks what exactly that entails. Given that so many of ICM's 250,000+ domains are rumored to be blocked these do not count as "resolving", but Mr. Kirikos asks about the many domains that ICM has parked for its own purposes, for which there is a [[Whois]] record and the domain technically resolves to a parked page. The unavailability of financial disclosures regarding the IFFOR payouts leaves this as speculation, though he concludes that it is unlikely ICM is paying IFFOR for its 100,000+ parked pages. The [http://www.circleid.com/posts/20130109_loopholes_and_ambiguities_in_contracts_that_icann_oversees/ entire post] reads more as a look at ICANN contract management skills than an attack on ICM Registry.<ref>[http://www.circleid.com/posts/20130109_loopholes_and_ambiguities_in_contracts_that_icann_oversees/ Loopholes and Ambiguities in Contracts, CircleID.com]Published & Retrieved 9 Jan 2013</ref>
==Notable Deals==
==Notable Deals==
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>
==Premium Auction==
ICM's initial premium auction brought in over $5 million, and in October, 2012, the company announced it was having a second premium auction and putting out another 1,000 registry reserved names. Prices range from $220,000 for girls.xxx to $330 for provide.xxx, with a combined sale price of $7.7 million. It provided a guide to traffic expectations based off of its search.xxx platform that launched just weeks prior. The two aforementioned premium auctions both took place after its general availability, the Founders Program sale was a pre-launch auction. CEO [[Stuart Lawley]] reports that there are another 500 names that the company will continue to hold on to.<ref>[http://domainincite.com/10845-icm-puts-7-7-million-of-xxx-domains-up-for-sale ICM puts 7 7 million of xxx domains up fro sale DomainIncite.com]</ref>
==Cybersquatting==
==Cybersquatting==
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>
===Rapid Evaluation Service===
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>
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>
Between December 6, 2011, and February 8, 2012, the [[National Arbitration Forum]] announced that it had taken down a dozen .xxx domains through the use of the Rapid Evaluation Service. 15 complaints had been filed in that time frame. In every instance the complainant won, and in 11 of 12 instances the complainant was a trademark holder. It costs $1,300 to file a complaint, and while the service can suspend a site within 2 days, it has been taking up to 12 days in many of the cases to render a final decision.<ref>[http://domainincite.com/a-dozen-xxx-sites-hit-by-rapid-takedown/ A Dozen XXX Sites Hit by Rapid Takedown, DomainIncite.com]</ref>
===Unilateral Domain Seizure===
===Unilateral Domain Seizure===
ICM Registry's registration agreement also gives them the right to suspend or seize all .xxx domains from any registrant that is found to have infringed on trademarks. ICM is able to do this where other registries are not because it verifies the identity of its registrants and requires an registrar-registry agreement.<ref>[http://www.theregister.co.uk/2011/12/14/xxx_squatter/ XXX Squatter, TheRegister.co.uk]</ref> This clause had previously been suspected as being a played-down safety net for trademark owners, and given the December seizure it could prove to many companies that there [[Defensive Registration|defensive registration]] of .xxx domains were a waste. Still, it is unclear whether ICM will continue to be vigilant in unilaterally and immediately seizing infringing domains.<ref>[http://domainincite.com/icm-opens-can-of-worms-with-xxx-domain-seizures/ ICM Opens Can of Worms with XXX domain Seizures, DomainIncite.com]</ref>
ICM Registry's registration agreement also gives them the right to suspend or seize all .xxx domains from any registrant that is found to have infringed on trademarks. ICM is able to do this where other registries are not because it verifies the identity of its registrants and requires an registrar-registry agreement.<ref>[http://www.theregister.co.uk/2011/12/14/xxx_squatter/ XXX Squatter, TheRegister.co.uk]</ref> This clause had previously been suspected as being a played-down safety net for trademark owners, and given the December seizure it could prove to many companies that there [[Defensive Registration|defensive registration]] of .xxx domains were a waste. Still, it is unclear whether ICM will continue to be vigilant in unilaterally and immediately seizing infringing domains.<ref>[http://domainincite.com/icm-opens-can-of-worms-with-xxx-domain-seizures/ ICM Opens Can of Worms with XXX domain Seizures, DomainIncite.com]</ref>
===UDRP===
Through December, 2011 & into January, 2012, five UDRP cases were filed against .xxx domains. These include foxstudios.xxx, richardbranson.xxx, valero.xxx, heb.xxx and markafoni.xxx.<ref>[http://domainincite.com/fox-files-cybersquatting-complaint-on-xxx-domain/ Fox Files Cybersquatting Complaint on XXX Domain, DomainIncite.com]</ref>
==Opposition, Controversy, and Legal Action==
==Opposition, Controversy, and Legal Action==
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].
===Threats of Banning .xxx===
It was a 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 would be 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, and while India, Kenya, China, and Egypt have all threatened to ban the extensions, no national censorship has been put in place in these countries or elsewhere.<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><ref>[http://www.ynot.com/content/116795-kenya-joins-list-countries-block-dot-xxx.html Kenya Joins List Countries Block dot XXX]</ref><ref>[http://www.ynot.com/content/116795-kenya-joins-list-countries-block-dot-xxx.html Kenya Joins List Countries Block dot XXX]</ref><ref>[http://venturebeat.com/2012/03/28/egypt-porn-ban/ Egypt Porn Ban, VentureBeat.com]</ref>
===Manwin Lawsuit===
===Manwin Lawsuit===
[[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>
[[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 [[IRP|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>
In January 2012, ICANN and ICM both filed motions to dismiss the case. ICANN argued that, as it was an organization not engaged in "trade or commerce," the US anti-trust laws did not apply to it; additionally, both ICM and ICANN argued that Manwin's filing was essentially complaining about the possible increase in competition for them. ICM stated that Manwin had previously attempted to approach them with a supposed mutually-beneficial agreement, in which Manwin would acquire various premium .xxx domains for free, and in exchange sharing the profits of these domains with ICM. When ICM turned down the agreement, Manwin Managing Partner Fabian Thylmann said that he would do whatever he could to stop .xxx.<ref>[http://domainincite.com/icann-antitrust-law-does-not-apply-to-us/ ICANN: antitrust law does not apply to us, domainincite.com]</ref> ICANN's and ICM's motions to dismiss can be found [http://domainincite.com/docs/icann-manwin-motion-to-dismiss.pdf here] and [http://domainincite.com/docs/manwin-icm-motion-to-dismiss-2.pdf here] respectively.
In mid-February, Manwin, ICANN and ICM Registry announced that they were in talks and hoping to resolve some or all of the outstanding complaints. The motions to dismiss the case filed by ICANN and ICM were temporarily put on hold.<ref>[http://domainincite.com/icm-and-youporn-in-antitrust-settlement-talks/ ICM and YouPorn in AntiTrust Settlement Talks, DomainIncite.com]</ref> On February 17, the company amended its anti-trust lawsuit against ICANN and ICM Registy. According to Manwin's counsel Kevin E. Gaut, two related state law claims were dropped to avoid potential risks of trial delays.<ref>[http://www.thedomains.com/2012/02/21/manwin-amends-complaint-against-icm-icann-drops-2-state-claims-talks-of-settlement/ Manwin Amends Complaint Against ICM & ICANN & Drops 2 State Claims & Talks Of Settlement]</ref>
In August, 2012, a mixed ruling by the Central District of California District Court accepted only 2 out of ICANN and ICM's 7 motions to dismiss. The court ruled that ICANN would be subject to anti-trust law, as ICM pays fees to them in order to be permitted to run the .xxx domain space, and that the trial would proceed with focus on the "defensive registrations" market.<ref>[http://domainincite.com/10149-court-rules-youporn-can-sue-icann-for-alleged-xxx-antitrust-violations Court rules YouPorn can sue ICANN for alleged .xxx antitrust violations, domainincite.com]</ref> Later that month, ICM Registry hired a new team of lawyers to handle the antitrust lawsuit. Gordon & Rees senior partner Richard Sybert took over as lead counsel for the case, replacing [[Becky Burr]] from Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr, as she left her position at the firm. The team also included veteran domain industry lawyer [[Bret Fausett]], who represented the Coalition For ICANN Transparency in its antitrust case against ICANN and Verisign. The results of this suit set a precedent for Manwin's case against ICANN and ICM.<ref>[http://domainincite.com/10279-icm-hires-fausett-to-help-with-youporn-antitrust-case ICM hires Fausett to help with YouPorn antitrust case, domainincite.com]</ref>
In October, 2012, ICM filed a counter-suit against Manwin. The company alleged that Manwin has cost them at least $120 million in damages by using its adult industry market power to convince other companies not to do business with the .xxx TLD.<ref>[http://domainincite.com/10653-icm-files-120m-lawsuit-over-manwins-xxx-boycott ICM files $120m lawsuit over Manwin’s .xxx “boycott”, domainincite.com]</ref> ICM's counter-suit was later thrown out of court; the judge stated, "“Harm to ICM only is not sufficient to constitute antitrust injury. It must allege harm to the competitive process.” ICM can redraft its claims to be resubmitted to the court.<ref>[http://domainincite.com/12011-icms-claims-against-manwin-thrown-out-of-court ICMs Claims Against Manwin Thrown Out of Court, DomainIncite.com] Retreived 28 Feb 2013</ref>
==Applications for .adult, .porn, and .sex TLDs==
On April 12, 2012, ICM Registry confirmed its application for three additional adult TLDs with ICANN's [[New gTLD Program|New gTLD expansion program]]. The new gTLD string proposals intended for the use of the adult entertainment community include [[.adult]], [[.porn]] and [[.sex]]. According to Lawley, all registered domain names under the .xxx gTLD will be grandfathered under these domain names if approved by the internet governing body. Matching names will be automatically reserved under the proposed .adult, .porn and .sex TLDs without any cost to the domain names owner. In case a registrant decides to activate and use any of the reserved counterpart domain names, a minimal fee will be charged. Lawley said that his company invested less than $2 million to support its applications for the TLDs submitted by the newly created subsidiary companies; ICM Registry SX LLC, ICM Registry PN LLC, and ICM Registry AD LLC.<ref>[http://www.icmregistry.com/press/xxx-operator-applies-to-icann-for-more-adult-top-level-domains/ .XXX Operator Applies to ICANN for More Adult Top-Level Domains]</ref><ref>[http://www.bloomberg.com/video/91151787/ Bloomberg Interview with Stuart Lawley]</ref>
The Christian group, [[Morality In Media]], which also fought hard against .xxx, launched a letter-writing campaign in July, 2012 against ICM's three new TLD applications. The group claims that its prediction about .xxx, that it would create more porn and not less, has been vindicated, as porn sites under the [[.com]] TLD have not moved to .xxx, and additional new sites have been created under the .xxx extension.<ref>[http://domainincite.com/9728-christian-group-opposes-sex-porn-adult Christian group opposes .sex, .porn, .adult, domainincite.com]</ref> With its campaign, MIM asked the U. S. Congress and [[ICANN]] to take action against the spread of porn on the Internet by not allowing the three new TLDs into the [[Root Zone|root zone]].<ref>[http://www.waronillegalpornography.com/action-oppose-porn-sex-and-adult-domains/ ACTION: Oppose .porn, .sex and .adult domains!, waronillegalpornography.com]</ref>
== References ==
== References ==
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== External links ==
== External links ==