Porn domain firm presses for approval

.xxx writes a stiff letter to ICANN

The company behind .xxx has ramped up the pressure on ICANN to approve its application for a porn-only internet domain.

ICM Registry chairman Stuart Lawley sent a stiff letter to his counterpart at ICANN this weekend, saying there is “no legitimate obstacle” to approving .xxx and “no reason to further delay”.

ICANN's board of directors, which has the final say on which TLDs enter the domain name system, chose to delay approval of .xxx at its meeting in Kenya two weeks ago, saying it lacked a process for approving a six-year-old application.

Lawley points out in his letter that ICANN approved .post last December, even though that application was also six years old, and that .xxx should be treated under the same rules.

ICM's claim on .xxx looked to be dead in the water until an independent review panel last month ruled by majority that ICANN broke its own rules when it approved, then rejected, the application.

A domain for porn has been on the cards for a decade, but received a mixed reception from the adult webmaster community and an outright onslaught of outrage from America's religious right.

ICANN is expected to reveal possible processes for handling .xxx next week. A 45-day public comment period will follow, which should be fun.