ICANN gives .XXX top level domains its seal of approval

In a decision that many will see as long coming, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) has approved the .XXX top-level domain (TLD).

Not surprisingly, the .XXX TLD is a sore spot in the world of domain names, but one that seems to have been finally laid mostly to rest. In the final vote there were two recusals and an abstention, showing the strain around the .XXX issue.

One member of the board of the ICANN called the vote a “lose-lose” situation. There was fear that if the TLD was not approved in its current form, it would be resubmitted in a fashion that would actually yield the TLD less restricted than the version that was passed today. In fact, there are many in the world of adult entertainment who are protesting the .XXX TLD in its passed format, as they deem it too constrained and expensive.

Will we see a .XXX gold rush? At least at some level, yes. Whatever your moral view of pornography, you have to admit that there is money in the industry. As all physical and analog forms of data transmission have collapsed, the world of porn, along with newspapers and music, has shifted to the web.

We have to wonder how many countries will ban the TLD from its first day one the market, but we bet that you can guess the list just as well as we can.