Change is Coming
Change is coming to domain name registrations and it could affect you. The international group that has assigned domain names for many years now, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) has created a new .xxx domain. This is the result of many years of discussion on how to segregate and distinguish adult-oriented websites from all others. Scheduled for implementation in December 2011, the .xxx domain registration means that the owner of a domain name that also is a registered trademark such as trademark.com can be associated with a new domain name trademark.xxx without any awareness, permission, or consent. Potential XXX domain registrants see obvious opportunity in being associated with familiar and famous domain names that are also registered trademarks. Needless to say, this pending change and closing deadline has given trademark and service mark owners reason to worry that their goodwill and brand recognition may be associated with adult websites. Thankfully, mark owners can take action to prevent this association.