FSC Blasts ICM's Letter to ICANN

CANOGA PARK, Calif. — FSC Executive Director Diane Duke fired back at ICM's Stuart Lawley after he posted a response to FSC's letter it sent to ICANN this week.

“ICM’s attack on FSC seems disingenuous and a clear attempt to distract the ICANN Board from the real issues at hand and our request for transparency,” Duke told XBIZ.

ICM's letter claims that FSC’s comments “contain a variety of erroneous statements and repeated accusations that have been debated and refuted several times in the past seven years.”

Lawley says FSC’s letter addresses questions that have “been long asked and answered” by the board, that decided in Brussels that these issues shouldn’t be reopened.

“While the FSC is respected as a tireless supporter of First Amendment rights in the U.S., it is not and has never been “the” trade association for the global adult entertainment industry. The board is well aware of this, as it was a topic of discussion between Dr. Twomey and Ms. Duke in the public forum in Lisbon in 2007,” the letter said.

Lawley, in his response, examines the definition for a .XXX sponsored community, saying it hasn’t changed in the last seven years and has been defined as online adult entertainment and service providers, who have voluntarily determined that a system of self-identification would be beneficial.

The letter also addresses the materials posted specify “the IFFOR baseline policies in detail and articulate the processes by which additional policies and procedures will be developed by its Policy Council that includes elected representatives of the sponsored community and that contain extensive protections for minority interests.”

Lawley said these processes ensure that ICM Registry lives up to its committments to the sponsored community.

In discussing ICM’s pre-reservation service, Lawley said that “the assertion that webmasters were tricked into pre-reserving names by promises of any kind is completely unfounded. The pre-reservation service permits registrants to identify any names submitted as defensive registrations.”

Lawley also addressed that claim that there isn’t enough information about the .XXX sTLD.

“The notion that either ICANN or the public has insufficient information regarding the .XXX sTLD, ICM Registry, or IFFOR is patently absurd. Voluminous and detailed information has been made available to the public in the course of ICANN’s consideration of the sTLD.”

ICM’s letter can be found in the public comment area of ICANN’s website.

Related:  

Copyright © 2026 Adnet Media. All Rights Reserved. XBIZ is a trademark of Adnet Media.
Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission is prohibited.

More News

Missouri Governor Signs Bill Making AV Regulations State Law

Missouri Governor Mike Kehoe signed a bill into law on Thursday requiring adult websites to age-verify users in the state, finalizing a legislative “stamp of approval” for AV rules after Missouri’s attorney general unilaterally imposed similar regulations last year.

Utherverse Launches 'Adult Game Fest' Virtual Convention

Virtual reality and metaverse technology company Utherverse is launching its inaugural Adult Game Fest convention and trade show, taking place Sept. 24-26.

Ofcom Fines Fapello $845,000 for AV Noncompliance

U.K. media regulator Ofcom on Thursday imposed a fine of 630,000 pounds (about $845,000) against adult website fapello.com for failing to comply with provisions of the Online Safety Act.

KiwiSourcing Joins Pineapple Support as Sponsor

Outsourcing and consulting firm KiwiSourcing has joined the ranks of over 70 adult businesses and organizations committing funds and resources to Pineapple Support.

AdultHTML Introduces AI-First Development Services

AdultHTML has introduced an AI-first development service, giving clients access to experienced software developers who use AI to streamline software development.

Texas Court Orders Adult Site Domain Locked for AV Violations

A district court in Texas has issued a writ requiring domain registry Verisign to “lock” an adult website’s domain over noncompliance with the state’s age verification law.

Adult Web Hosting Service 'QloudHost' Launches

QloudHost, a new web hosting service for adult websites, has launched.

Peter Hooke Launches New Paysite

Peter Hooke has launched an official website through PAYSITE.

Pineapple Support Names Ny Ny Lew as Brand Ambassador

Pineapple Support has named Ny Ny Lew as its newest brand ambassador.

Federal AV Proposal Passes House, Faces Senate Opposition

The U.S. House of Representatives on Monday passed the Kids Internet and Digital Safety (KIDS) Act, which includes provisions to make age verification by adult websites federal law, but the bill still faces tough going in the Senate.

Show More