ICM Registry, the organization that wants to serve as the registry for the proposed dot-xxx sponsored Top Level Domain (sTLD), has submitted a revised agreement to the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN).
The agreement is open for public comment and addresses concerns set forth by ICANN, ICANN’s Government Advisory Committee (GAC), and the U.S. Department of Commerce.
ICANN will consider the agreement, which has changed little since it was submitted in August 2005, at its May 10 board meeting.
ICM President Stuart Lawley says he’s not worried that the comment period might have a negative effect on ICM’s chances to control the potentially lucrative piece of adult industry real estate, although he says dot-xxx is far from a done deal.
“It’s been a difficult journey,” Lawley told AVNOnline.com. “We’ll see what happens.”
ICANN also has posted a letter from Lawley specifically addressing concerns expressed by ICANN, the GAC, and the DOC, which, although it has no direct control over ICANN, has stepped in twice and raised issues about dot-xxx.
In Lawley’s response, he addresses ICANN’s issues with a possible change in ICM’s ownership.
“ICM has agreed to notify ICANN in advance of any proposed change of control,” Lawley writes. “If ICANN notifies ICM that it is concerned that the proposed change in control may undermine ICM’s compliance with the Registry Agreement, or ICANN’s ability to enforce that agreement, ICM will not effect the change until such concerns have been resolved.”
Meanwhile, the GAC, which interjected its concerns in November, felt ICM provided insufficient support for the supposed public interest benefits of dot-xxx, the prevention of illegal content, and the protection of trademarks and intellectual property.
The DOC expressed similar concerns, causing ICM to add a catch-all compliance statement in regards to illegal activities and to enter into an agreement with ICRA that makes labeling mandatory.
“In addition, registrants must agree to adhere to best practices developed with the participation of the child safety and advocacy community, and must prohibit practices designed to attract children or suggest the presence of child pornography,” Lawley writes. “ICM has indicated in writing, and is therefore obligated under the ‘catch all’ commitment…to prohibit virtual child pornography (which is legal in many jurisdictions) and to require registrants to clearly label their sites (including sites to which they redirect) using Internet Content Rating Association (ICRA) tags. Widespread adoption of ICRA labeling will enhance the effectiveness of many parental monitoring technologies already on the market.”
Public comments about the agreement can be viewed here.
