General registration begins for .xxx top level domains

ICM Registry has begun accepting general registrations for the .xxx top level domain (TLD), allowing site owners and businesses to lay claim to the new adult-only addresses.

The domains went on sale officially at 16:00 GMT, and can be claimed through partnering registries or the buy.xxx portal.

The general availability follows the 'sunrise period' during which companies were allowed to claim addresses related to owned trademarks.

ICM Registry said that it has yet to compile detailed figures of the first day of domain availability, but demand for .xxx domains has been strong. The sunrise period was extended through late October following higher than expected interest.

Designed primarily for adult sites, .xxx seeks to create a clear and verified system for identifying and isolating adult content. All sites within the domain will be scanned with anti-malware tools from McAfee to guard against attack sites commonly associated with adult services.

"We created .xxx to address the unique needs of the online adult entertainment industry," said ICM Registry chief executive Stuart Lawley.

"The public response has been overwhelming as consumers and the adult entertainment providers are excited about the benefits and infinite possibilities of .xxx."

The launch marks a milestone in the controversial history of the .xxx domain. Advocates of the system have pushed for an adult-only TLD as far back as 2005, but the campaign was dealt a blow in 2007 when Icann turned down the proposal. The decision was overturned by the organisation in 2010.

The .xxx launch is the second major TLD release in as many years following the sale of .co addresses in 2010.