No Cybersquatting on .XXX, ICM Registry Says

TORONTO, Canada — Despite speculation in the media and on webmaster boards that the .XXX sponsored top-level domain could invite a wave of cybersquatting, Jason Hendeles, vice president of ICM Registry, told XBiz that his company has multiple measures in place to prevent such underhanded tactics.

The World Intellectual Property Organization said that in 2004 it mediated 1,110 disputes related to cybersquatting, the act of registering domains, usually related to specific brands or trademarks, and holding them hostage.

In the most widely publicized case of cybersquatting in the adult entertainment industry, Steve Cohen was found guilty in 2001 of using forged documents to steal the domain Sex.com from its rightful owner, Gary Kremen, and ordered to pay $65 million to Kremen.

In response to the growing number of cybersquatting incidents, WIPO has suggested restricting registrations of new domains to copyright and trademark owners first and opening registrations to the general public only after a specified period of time has elapsed.

According to Hendeles, however, ICM Registry is carefully reviewing WIPO’s analysis of intellectual property concerns associated with the launch of new sTLDs, “and we plan to integrate the WIPO's recommendations into our administrative procedures for the initial limited launch and for addressing cybersquatting concerns on an ongoing basis.

“We have developed a robust and fair procedure to safeguard the online adult-entertainment community against the possibility of cybersquatting once the .XXX TLD goes live,” Hendeles said.

Among those safeguards, ICM will require registrants to be bona fide publishers or other members of the online adult entertainment community.

Also, prior to the general launch of the .XXX domain, ICM will run a “STOP,” or Start Up Trademark Opposition Process, as well as "limited launch" period, during which webmasters who are “readily able to be authenticated as having an established presence in the adult content business” will have an exclusive opportunity to lock down their names and brands.

“We firmly believe that we and ICANN share the same interest in ensuring that the launch of .XXX does not become an opportunity for cybersquatters or others with questionable motivation to damage the very community we intend to promote and to serve,” Hendeles added.

Copyright © 2025 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

Texas Resumes AV Lawsuit Against Aylo Following SCOTUS Decision

A district court judge in Texas has unfrozen the state’s $1.6 million lawsuit against Aylo for allegedly failing to comply with age verification requirements, Bloomberg Law is reporting.

JuicyAds Wins Trademark Infringement Case Against Fraudulent Domain

JuicyAds has won its World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) case against a website using a similar domain to impersonate the company's site and defraud customers.

Anissa Kate, Jordan Starr Top AEBN for Q2 of 2025

AEBN has published its top-selling stars for the second quarter of 2025, with Anissa Kate landing atop the leaderboard for straight theaters and Jordan Starr heading up the gay rankings.

AEBN Reveals Eva Maxim as Top Trans Star for Q2 of 2025

AEBN has published its top trans stars list for the second quarter of 2025, with Eva Maxim landing atop the leaderboard.

France Reinstates Age Verification Rule for EU Sites

France’s highest court, the Council of State, on Tuesday reinstated age verification rules for EU-based sites under the country’s Security and Regulation of the Digital Space (SREN) law, ruling in favor of the French government and against Hammy Media.

Whisper Fans Joins Pineapple Support as Supporter-Level Sponsor

Whisper Fans has joined the ranks of over 70 adult businesses and organizations committing funds and resources to Pineapple Support.

Utherverse Launches 'Red Light Center' Virtual World

Virtual reality and metaverse technology company Utherverse has launched its new virtual world, RedLightCenter.io.

European Commission Approves AV Guidelines, Unveils Prototype App

The European Commission on Monday released its final, approved guidelines for protecting minors online under the EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA) and made public a “white label” age verification app intended to help sites and platforms comply with age verification rules under the DSA.

Show More