LUXEMBOURG — Manwin today said it will cease "any and all Internet liaisons with the .XXX top-level domain."
Manwin, with the announcement, has banned all activity between its brands and Internet sites registered with a .XXX TLD, including advertising for .XXX websites on its tube sites. In addition, Manwin said it won't permit its content to be used or advertised on .XXX websites.
The move is in addition to its antitrust lawsuit it filed with Digital Playground last month against .XXX operator ICM Registry and ICANN.
“We oppose the .XXX domain and all it stands for,” said Fabian Thylmann, managing partner of Manwin. "It is my opinion that .XXX domain is an anticompetitive business practice that works a disservice to all companies that do business on the Internet.
“The lawsuit was just the beginning,” Thylmann added. “Through this ban, we hope to make a strong statement against the .XXX domain.”
Manwin, which runs Playboy sites as a licensee, claims to be the owner of the largest network of adult websites in the world, with more than 60 million daily visitors, operates, among others, Brazzers, YouPorn and Twistys, as well as Spankwire, Webcams Tube8, ExtremeTube, KeezMovies, Mofos, ExtremeTube, JuicyBoys and PornHub.
ICM's Stuart Lawley told XBIZ that Manwin is confused about whether it wants to bring antitrust claims or commit antitrust violations.
"We find it ironic that a company that's accusing us of anti-competitive tactics is taking such an anti-competitive action that could cause potential financial harm to the same webmasters they claim they're trying to help," he said.
