The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN),
the Internet governing body) has received a request to create .xxx
as a new top-level domain name extension. Unfortunately, however,
the extension is being peddled as a means of controlling adult content
on the Internet. What you are not being told is that anyone can
register Your Name under this extension. Thus, if you don’t register
Your-Name.xxx now, your name can easily be associated with Internet
pornography in the very near future.
What you are also not being told is that anyone
can currently register and have operational any name under the .xxx
domain-name extension through New.net.
There are a couple of reasons as to why you may not be aware of
the existence of .xxx:
-
Newspapers and Internet news sites are in
the business to report news, not to make recommendations. Thus,
you hear about news only as it becomes available, but not the
fact that such an extension, though not sanctioned by ICANN,
already exists. In fact, some major ISPs host websites with
these extensions just as they do .com.
-
Attorneys are not in the business of being
proactive in their warnings against damages to your identity,
unless you are one of the few who has a personal or family attorney
acting as your agent.
There are several reasons
as to why people have not registered their personal names under
the existing extension so as to protect themselves:
-
They believe and/or hope that someone with
the same personal name will register it and not abuse it. These people will not act until, unfortunately, disaster
is upon them.
-
They believe that ICANN can protect them.
Such a scenario is highly unlikely, as it requires legislation
and enforcement, both of which are costly . For example, ICANN
cannot prevent a porn star from registering his/her name under
.xxx.
-
They do not want to take a step that is not
sanctioned by ICANN. However, should ICANN approve .xxx, it
must make provisions for current owners of such domain names.
-
They don’t have a domain-name agent to keep
them informed and protect their interests.
Ten
groups have applied with ICANN for nine new domains: .asia, .cat,
.jobs, .mail, .mobi, .post, .tel, .travel, and .xxx.
You don’t want to be told or find out that an online
search for your personal name results in a list of pornographic
pages. That’s one more reason why you need a personal domain-name
agent to ensure renewal, provide protection, and other sound advice.
The recently ICANN approved .xxx extension will
not protect you either. "Yes there will be no restriction on
registering personalname.xxx , except of course, for any potential
UDRP problems," according to personal communication with Stuart
Lawley, ICM Registry Inc. President.
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