Brands have an extra fifty days to opt in or out of the XXX domain

BRAND HOLDERS have a fifty day sunrise period in which to stake their claim, or at least foreclose others from taking interest in their brand names, in the upcoming .xxx domain.

The ICM Registry, which is responsible for the triple X, adult friendly domain, has extended the sunrise period because of the sheer weight of interest, interest that might be caused by firms looking to avoid being embarrassed by its top shelf connotations.

"The new sponsored top-level domain (sTLD) going live later this year, has been created to clearly signpost adult entertainment on the Internet and to meet the needs of the adult entertainment industry," it said.

"ICM Registry received nearly 900,000 expressions of interest for .XXX domain names during its pre-reservation process. The 'Sunrise' period, due to commence in fifty days time, has been designed to both permit domain registration from members in the adult entertainment business, and to assist brand managers from other industries who want to protect their trademarks ahead of wider availability."

The newly extended period has will now finish on 28 October, having started on 7 September last year, the firm said, and will give it a chance to process the applications from "existing domain name and trademark owners who have applied to either opt their brand in or out of the .XXX registry".

Trademark owners will be able to pay a one-off fee to exempt them from being being associated with the pornographic top level domain, and ICM said that this will ensure that related addresses can not be registered by others later.

"We believe the Sunrise period offers businesses a comprehensive rights protection mechanism where they can protect their brands and trademarks," added Stuart Lawley, CEO of ICM Registry.

"We are advising businesses to either opt-in or opt-out and want to give them the best opportunity to do so at the launch of our new TLD. Given the high level of interest in the domain, we see that many businesses wish to be proactive in avoiding any brand conflicts... We recognise there is also an audience who would like to opt-out and safeguard their IP prior to the domain going live." µ