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Domain bids start internet porn row


Source:
http://www.australianit.news.com.au/story/0,,25742270-15306,00.html?from=public_rss


Andrew Colley | July 07, 2009

A BIDDING war for the rights to operate adult-theme generic top-level
domains (GTLDs) is expected to stir debate over internet red light
districts.

The world's peak internet regulator rejected a US internet name
registry's proposal to establish one such district under the top-level
domain .xxx in May 2006 after it attracted protests by both porn
industry groups and Christian lobbyists.

But Australia's top-level-domain registry operator AusRegistry has
confirmed it has been approached by several parties seeking support
for bids to register several adult-themed GTLDs, including .xxx, when
the peak names regulator starts accepting them next February.

AusRegistry chief Adrian Kinderis said the registry had been
approached by several entities willing to put up the $185,000 fee to
register adult-themed names, including .xxx.

Under the new bidding process, non-community-based bids, known as open
bids, will go to auction if two or more entities seek control of the
same name.

Some of the names could be worth millions to the operators, Mr
Kinderis said.

"Steering away from the likes of .sex, I think some names like
.adultweb, which would legitimately be going up against .com, could be
going for tens of millions of dollars at auction."

Previously the names regulator, the Internet Corporation for Assigned
Names & Numbers (ICANN), had limited the availability of TLDs to
country codes such as Australia's .au and a handful of others
including .org, .com and .net.

In 2005, it opened a process to consider the creation of a number of
special TLDs including a plan to allow the US-based ICM Registry to
operate .xxx.

ICANN's board rejected the proposal on the grounds that ICM could not
demonstrate sufficient adult industry support for the plan. But the
new approval process could be looser.

ICANN is finalising its rules for the GTLD applications, but under
current plans the bids will not be subject to any decision by its
board.

Sectors of the adult entertainment industry and Christian lobbyists
are in a rare alliance opposing the creation of internet red light
districts.

Christian groups fear it would make it easier for children to find
porn on the web.

But Robbie Swan, of Australia's Eros Association, said: "We think the
opposite will happen -- once governments are able to corral all adult
industries under one domain, they can easily blacklist it."

The EROS Association has already begun lobbying ICANN to block
creation of the domains.

Former communications minister Senator Helen Coonan also opposed the
creation of the .xxx TLD.

-- 
Clean Feed, it "cleans" the Internet in the same way that Ethnic
Cleansing "cleanses" the population.

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