Manwin, ICM Registry Ink Settlement Deal

LOS ANGELES — Manwin and ICM Registry jointly announced today that they have settled their legal disputes with an agreement made public.

The deal ends a two-year battle between one of the largest adult entertainment companies and .XXX's operator.

According to the deal announced today, Manwin said the company negotiated a lower price for newly created .XXX domains created this month.

 ".XXX domains will be made available to registrars at a substantially  discounted wholesale price of $7.85, which is the current wholesale price of a .com. ICM will run similar price promotions in future years as well," Manwin said. 

"Furthermore, ICM has agreed to contribute $2 for every new .XXX domain name registration created after April 30. The monthly contribution will be made to a fund designated by Manwin to support the adult entertainment industry. These funds are in addition to ICM's contributions to IFFOR."

With the agreement, Manwin said that it will now permit content from or advertising for .XXX websites on its tube sites.

"In addition, Manwin related properties will allow websites hosted on .XXX sites to participate in any of its affiliate and promotional programs generally available to other website operators."

ICM Registry, with the deal, acknowledges that websites hosted on their adult -specific TLDs are not the only responsible and safe adult content websites, Manwin said.

"Both parties feel that these arrangements will set precedent for trade and consumer benefit and protection for the online space," Manwin said.

The legal battle between the two entities began after ICM Registry won approval from ICANN, also a party to the original antitrust suit, to provide .XXX registry services for the Internet.

Manwin and Digital Playground filed their original suit in November 2011, alleging that ICM Registry received the original and renewal registry contracts without competition, charges above-market .XXX prices, imposed other anticompetitive .XXX sales restrictions and has, because of its ICANN contract, precluded other adult-oriented top-level domains from operating.