Putting the XXX Back in Online Porn

.XXXAlthough it seems to have been a very long time coming, the exclusively adult top-level domain has finally hit the World Wide Web. Officially launching its Sunrise period (accepting applications from trademark owners only) on September 7th, ICM Registry, the company charged with administering the launch of the controversial new url suffix, appear to be on the verge of raking in the cash thanks to yearly fees of $100 to $300 a year. And it’s not just porn companies that will be enjoying the .xxx domains – come December anyone who is willing to pony up the dough can register their very own XXX website, even for something as inoffensive as a Shia LaBeouf fansite.

We’ll have to wait a few months before we see whether or not prominent pornsites migrate to a new XXX domain or remain where they are, sitting quite comfortably on dot coms, dot nets, and (if you can believe it) dot bizs. Is this new XXX domain signaling a sea change that will further separate the adult entertainment industry from its mainstream brother or is it the start of an apparently ever-increasing amalgamation of the two worlds? Only time, and ICM Registry’s annual reports, will tell.

Leave a Reply