For all the reasons I stated already. They have created two new huge revenue streams. They should be focusing on these. You can look at adult tld’s as a separate issue, a separate “potential” revenue stream. It could be hundreds of adult tld’s. Don’t forget all the foreign language adult tld’s. Eg: .sexe or .geschlecht or .sexo

They don’t need to address this for years. But, if they do it just seems crazy. I realize that co’s like ICM registry stand to gain tens of millions in additional revenue, so I get why they want .xxx

Legally can they get away collecting 250k from those 20 or more co’s every year with the hope that one of those years it will be approved. I don’t know, you would have more insight than I on that front.

Is it ethical? I think you know what my position is going to be on this. Absolutely not!!!

Seems like we are seeing alot of unethical people in this industry in positions of power.

If co’s like ICM let that happen to them year after year…I don’t understand the logic behind it. I understand the numbers, but why do this each year if it keeps getting rejected? I understand the potential, but how do they win?

Koz

Many top extensions may go for 5M+ into the eight figures.

And they only need to cover 30 million in costs.

My point about the adult extensions is if they will not be approved, how can ICANN stand back and collect application fees for the extensions, knowing that they won’t be approved.

Something must have changed! Why would they want all this?

We’re talking about huge revenue streams here. With that there is a mind boggling amount of work to be done to accomodate all of that. Alot more people to manage, infrastructure, etc…

Maybe, we need to dig deeper…somebody stands to make alot more money at ICANN for them to open up the tld’s like this. Compensation pkgs must be tied with revenue. Nobody creates more work for themselves only to make the same amount of money!

Your question,
“Plus if they hold back and auction off the top 1,000 domains, what do you think someone would pay for sex.sex or sex.xxx??”

Huge numbers in the tens of millions, I know.

But, ICANN doesn’t get those millions.

To continue…

If it’s really likely that it they would be resposible for the content issues of .xxx or .sex then I think they would just leave it lay for awhile. There’s no hurry to try and get at these dollars, now.

This whole issue might be a moot point, at the present time.

They’ve figured out how to get at a huge revenue stream with generic tlds.

Why would they need those legal problems when they’ve got all those great generic terms that will end up going to auction for millions?

They’ve got another huge stream of $ that will come in from corporate America.

This will be a totaly separate revenue stream as corporate America takes their brands an moves them to the right of the dot.

There won’t be an auction for .coke or .nike, but there are some brands that are also generic that could yield huge numbers from auction like .apple

ICANN’s really got their work cut out for them. The hard part is going to be managing the growth as these new revenue streams start ramping up!

Things are starting to get really interesting!

Koz

ICANN is a non-proft organization, whose conduct is governed by their charter.

The applicant who was turned down 3 times before for .xxx is still around and will be trying again for sure. ICM registry has spend into the seven figures already in the 7 years they have been trying to get the extension approved.

The upside is so big, people will be applying.

I think they last proposal was something like $60 a registration per year. Anyone with a good .com adult names would almost have to try to get the adult extension.

Plus if they hold back and auction off the top 1,000 domains, what do you think someone would pay for sex.sex or sex.xxx??

As far as a change of heart by ICANN as to what their purpose is and what they can do and cannot do by their charter, nothing has changed in the last year to get them to make such a change.

Moreover all the other issues raised, and discussed in rejecting the .xxx application are still present.

Sorry, I haven’t been around to post comments.

Mike, who the heck is going to plunk down 100K-500K knowing that they will have competition for .xxx and they will need to bid in the millions to win it, only to have it nixed (pulled back) by some oversight committee?

Sounds eerily reminescent, doesn’t it?
TUCOWS comes to mind.

Are you sure it’s a non-refundable fee for all bidders?
Maybe, it’s only non-refundable to the winning bidder.

Anyhow, the adult industry on the net is the oldest and most established. The question I have is there more markets for them to tap into that would yield higher annual revenue or would this be a play by the smaller operators that have been trying to compete, but don’t have those killer generics like porn.com or sex.com?

I think the later. They are the newer entrepeneurs that will adapt more quickly to market changes. As an established industry there is limited annual growth on the whole. This will just be competitors duking it out for a bigger slice of the pie.

The question: “So what has fundamentally changed, other than dollars, that would allow ICANN to now approve these extensions now??”

The dollars have always been there, that didn’t change.

What might of changed is they have figured out how to get at those dollars. Maybe, they now have a deeper understanding of the industry they oversee.

How could they be held legally liable for oversight of .xxx or .sex?

They allowed xxx.com/.net/.org and sex.com/.net/.org!

As far as I know, they haven’t been forced
legally to oversee the whole adult industry on the net.

How is this different???

Maybe, legally it’s not. Maybe with the passage of time they’ve figured this out.

If there aren’t any legal issues, then it stands in their best interest to auction these tld’s.

They aren’t a non-profit company are they?

Koz

if it’s really likely that it they would be resposible for the content issues

I would argue if there is more than one adult extension they both will perform poorly

And the draw for the .xxx registry promoters was all the money they’d make. You make a good point, if you get .xxx and .sex and a couple others, you’re not going to make nearly as much money due to dilution.

@ 777 (first comment) VeriSign actually has control of .com, not NetSol

Time will tell what mess will come out with all the mambo jumbo domain name ext. which ICANN intends to approve – I can see lot’s of Legal Action against domain name owners being taken.

Domain name owners should develop their domain names (place relevant content on it) and keep them away from the predators of company’s like Dell, Microsoft and MANY others.