Agency Rejects .xxx Suffixes for Sex-Related Sites on Internet

A longstanding proposal to create a specialized .xxx suffix for sex-related entertainment Web sites received a final rejection yesterday by the agency governing the Internet address system.
The plan, first introduced seven years ago by ICM Registry, was rejected by a vote of 9 to 5 by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers, or Icann, at a meeting in Lisbon.

Board members who voted against the plan expressed concern that it would compel Icann to become involved in regulating content, among other issues.

Some who objected to the proposal included companies in the sex-related entertainment industry as well as religious groups. The entertainment executives raised fears that use of the domain, although voluntary, could open the way for governments to isolate sex-oriented Web sites into a single part of the Internet.

Others warned that the move would create a bonanza for ICM Registry, since companies with existing Web sites would be compelled to buy .xxx domain names to prevent someone else from creating sites using their company names.

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