Porn Giant Suing Over New .XXX Adult Domains

YouPorn owner Manwin Licensing International SARL has filed a lawsuit against those that are running the new .XXX top level domain. According to the suit, which was obtained by the Wall Street Journal, the company claims that the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Number (ICANN) as well as ICM, the organisation tasked with managing the .XXX domain, have engaged in "monopolistic conduct, price gouging, and anticompetitive and unfair practice." 

Approved in March, .XXX domains are aimed squarely at those with adult or sexually explicit websites. The idea behind the genre-specific domain is a more regulated and secure environment for online payments; it also makes it extremely easy for schools and parents to block porn on computers frequently used by children. ICM Registry said at the time of launch that it had seen tremendous interest in the new domain and claimed that more than 200,000 have already applied to reserve domains. However, it seems not all the companies interested in .XXX domains are pleased with how ICM and ICANN are doing business.

Manwinn Licensing International, which owns many different sites and manages Playboy's web presence as well as that of Digital Playground, says that at $60 a pop, the new domains are costly, especially if you have countless brands and websites that each need their own address. Though the .XXX domain is voluntary and no company has to purchase the .XXX version of their current web address or company name, many feel they have to in order to prevent domain squatters from moving in.

According to PC Mag, Marwin's legal time has dubbed the new domain "an unnecessary cost on everybody" and hopes to stop the sale of .XXX domains and have price constraints put in place.

Jane McEntegart works in marketing communications at Intel and was previously Manager of Content Marketing at ASUS North America. Before that, she worked for more than seven years at Tom's Guide and Tom's Hardware, holding such roles as Contributing Editor and Senior News Editor and writing about everything from smartphones to tablets and games consoles.

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  • amk-aka-Phantom
    Wow, that's a lot of pr0n news on Tom's lately. I suggest creating a separate website for them - Tom's Porn.
    Reply
  • neoverdugo
    I smell Rule 34 the moment Tom's Hardware decide to create Tom's Porn.
    Reply
  • aznguy0028
    lol rule 34. "hi ma'am, so it's okay if i stick my video card into your pci-e slot?" nothing is safe! xD
    Reply
  • velocityg4
    Frankly I hope they win. I see no reason as to why they should have to pay more for this domain then others.

    Personally I would like to see all these additional domain types dropped. I know the stated purpose is to allow for more web sites or to better target different types of websites. In reality this adds little value to companies or consumers.

    Companies are blackmailed by ICANN into purchasing all these variants to protect their brand image. While consumers have .com programmed into their minds or .co.whatever depending on country. Most don't understand these variants or use them. They just google the company every time they want to go to the site then click on it in the results. The web addresses are too complicated to remember nor do they understand how bookmarks work.

    Sorry if this becomes a double post. My initial one did not show up. For some reason Tom's doesn't remember me, cookies are turned on. I have to log in every time I try to post.
    Reply
  • livebriand
    Screw those idiots. Who cares?
    Reply
  • Azn Cracker
    amk-aka-PhantomWow, that's a lot of pr0n news on Tom's lately. I suggest creating a separate website for them - Tom's Porn..xxx
    Reply
  • de5_Roy
    "giant porn scruing over new xXx adult domains!"
    According to PC Mag, Marwin's legal time has dubbed the new domain "an unnecessary cost on everybody" and hopes to stop the sale of .XXX domains and have price constraints put in place.
    porn is unnecessary!
    Reply
  • memadmax
    .xxx is a failure.
    Why?
    Not a whole lot changed except create alot more sites...
    The original .coms are still there.....
    Reply
  • amk-aka-Phantom
    memadmax.xxx is a failure.Why?Not a whole lot changed except create alot more sites... The original .coms are still there.....
    That's what I think, too. Add the fact that it will be easier to block porn sites and it's a lose-lose situation for the porn industry.
    Reply
  • spentshells
    Rule 34 ? Toms Hardware....writing itself today
    Reply