PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. — With .XXX domain prices dropping down to .com prices for the month of May, there's at least one registrar that is marketing .XXX domain names under a 10-year blocking program.
Encirca.com, according to TheDomains.com, sent out an email last night advertising a 10-year blocked domain for $120 in May.
“Back when .XXX launched also three years ago, it cost over $200 for a 10-year block of your brand name," the ad says.
Blocking applications during ICM Registry's Sunrise B period prior to the TLD's launch in December 2011 cost between $200-$400.
Encirca.com's email also said that no registered trademark is required despite that "eligibility for blocks was restricted to registered trademark owners" prior to yesterday's announcement over the .XXX price reduction.
"A business may protect any company name or product name they wish, provided it is not already registered."
Yesterday, ICM Registry, the registry operator for the .XXX top-level domain, announced that .XXX domain registrations created from May 1 through May 31 will be available at .com prices. The reduction was part of a legal settlement with Manwin, ICM Registry and Manwin announced.
ICM Registry also said it is making significant moves to protect .XXX participants with its recent applications to operate three additional adult entertainment-related TLDs — .sex, .porn and .adult.
If awarded these new TLDs, ICM Registry will offer a “grandfathering” clause and will automatically reserve matching names at no additional cost to those who already have .XXX domains.
.XXX registrants can chose to do nothing and the matching names will never be released under the new TLD suffixes, ICM Registry CEO Stuart Lawley said.