The Board of Directors of the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) has determined that the proposal for a new top level domain submitted by ICM Registry, Inc. has met the criteria established by ICANN. Accordingly, ICM Registry will now move forward into technical and commercial contractual negotiations with ICANN to generate a voluntary .xxx top-level domain (TLD).

.XXX will be a sponsored TLD specifically for adult oriented websites willing to adhere to a set of industry best practices. Among other things, creation of a top level domain for adult websites will aim at helping protect children from exposure to online pornography and also have a positive impact within online adult entertainment through voluntary efforts of the industry.

“We are pleased with the ICANN Board’s decision. By moving forward with .xxx, the online adult-entertainment industry is taking part in a pro-active approach to its presence on the Internet, making an identifiable commitment to responsible behavior and to the development of best business practices,” said Stuart Lawley, Chairman and President of ICM Registry.

An international cross-section of the responsible online adult-entertainment industry has expressed its support for the new TLD and indicated its willingness to work through the International Foundation for Online Responsibility (IFFOR), the Canadian non-profit, multi-stakeholder organization that is sponsoring the TLD to combat child pornography and to regularize business processes and to ensure that children and others who do not wish to access adult entertainment online can easily avoid it.

Parry Aftab, Executive Director of WiredKids.com and the Wired Safety Group, a worldwide leader in online safety and parent and child Internet education applauded ICANN’s decision. “Creating the .xxx top-level domain gives parents a valuable tool to protect their children from inappropriate content on the Internet. It isn’t a complete solution but it is a very important step in the right direction,” said Aftab.

Robert Corn-Revere, a partner at Davis Wright Tremaine LLP and outside counsel to ICM Registry for free expression issues said, “This approach demonstrates that voluntary initiatives that harness the power of technology and the self-organizing principles of the Internet are preferable to efforts that would impose top-down command-and-control regulation.” He added, “Individuals should be able to use these tools to make their own decisions about what to read or watch, and not have those choices imposed by governments. In this regard, creation of a voluntary .xxx domain is a step in the right direction.”