ICM Registry deprives porn fans of annwiddecombe.xxx

INTERNET DOMAIN REGISTRAR ICM Registry is allowing celebrities and companies the chance to protect their names from porn web site hijacking by registering .xxx domain names.

The move, which comes ahead of the launch of the .xxx top level domain (TLD), will mean that brands can request to have their name blocked from use with the new suffix. It is intended to make it easier to either access or avoid sexually explicit content online and will go live next year.

ICM Registry will also allow existing adult web sites to submit their application to reserve a spot in the .xxx top level domain namespace.

Brand and trademark holders wanting to register now have 50 days to submit their applications. After that a "land rush" period will run for 17 days, allowing prospective adult web sites to register for the remaining .xxx addresses. Then the TLD will run on a "first come, first served basis", ICM said.

Those wanting to disassociate themselves with pornography can pay a one-off fee of between $150 and $300 (£100 to £300), depending on which company they register their domain with.

ICM Registry could be set to earn a tidy sum from celebrities and companies eager to protect their names. We think theinquirer.xxx has quite a nice ring to it, even if we forget to grab it. µ