Reject the .XXX Scam-Nobody Wants it Except ICMR’s Investors

[Jeff James <jamesjefferson95@xxxxxxxxx>]

Reject the .XXX Scam-Nobody Wants it Except ICMR’s Investors


Dear ICANN,

The ICM Registry falsely declared in their opening proposals that they had the 
support of “most” of the adult industry.  I would estimate that 99.99% of the 
adult industry were then, and continue to be, FIRMLY OPPOSED to the .xxx domain 
name.  The remaining  .01% were promised kickbacks per domain, legal fees and 
possible advertising dollars.

Problems:

1.  ICMR is operated by non-adult industry people.  We are all very impressed 
by businessmen Jason Hendales’ and Stuart Lawley’s sudden concern for our 
children, but I’d be even more impressed if they and their investors didn’t 
stand to make millions of dollars per annum on the .XXX domain name scam.  

2.  A .xxx domain would cost about $75.00/year, TEN TIMES what a typical domain 
does.  If this is about protecting children why would you make it so 
prohibitively expensive that the price itself would put off almost all buyers.  
Conversely, you could argue that if .xxx domains really would help children, 
then the high price provides less protection to our children, because far fewer 
people will buy them.  But this is about money, isn’t it?

3.  Purchasing overpriced .xxx domains will be “voluntary” to START (except for 
those that must purchase them to block those who seek to hijack their brand 
name!)  But is anyone so dumb as to believe that Hendales, Lawley and their 
investors will actually truly try to keep it “voluntary” when it means far less 
money to them?  About as likely as them tearing up a winning lottery ticket on 
moral principle!  Lawley says he will “give” $250,000 to a single lawyer to 
“make certain it stays voluntary.”  If you believe that then there is no hope 
for you.

4.  I am part of the adult online community (softcore) and I assure you we 
VIRTUALLY TO A MAN oppose .xxx.  I cannot think of ANYONE who is actually in 
favor of it. Can anyone give an actual name?  If it were to work it would 
segregate porn into a ghetto, easy to regulate.

5.  Conservatives appear to reject the idea of making a red-light district for 
the spreading of porn.  Oh and by the way letting the world know that tons of 
porn is to be found in all .xxx domains MAKES IT EASIER, not harder, for people 
and children to find it. DUH!!!!   And if you mention the word “filter” to me, 
I will come back at you and say, well if they work so well, why do we need the 
.xxx tld?  DUH again!!!!

6.  I have to admit that by creating a .xxx domain ICANN itself would seem 
kinda sleazy and unprofessional.  You will be making yourselves known forever 
to the world as the allowers and “regulators” of a massive pornographic 
Red-Light District.  I’ve seen it suggested that ICANN could also become liable 
for what goes on in YOUR Red-Light District.  You created that district and 
according to the statement by the government of Canada I just read ICANN is 
only supposed to be concerned with technical aspects of the administration of 
domain names, not entering into a contract with a FOR-PROFIT company (with 
to-be high-paid executives) to create a HIGHLY-REGULATED DOMAIN NAME.  

7.  By segregating adult material (initially voluntarily) into a .xxx ghetto 
you will certainly tempt certain political wings in free countries and certain 
unfree governments the world over to find ways to make .xxx MANDATORY.  
Probably the fastest way in the United States would be to pressure credit card 
processors (or just one, since VISA has 80% market share) to only process 
payments for adult material that exists in the .xxx domain.  That will get them 
around the Constitution, because Visa is a private company.  Right-wingers will 
say you can have all the free speech you want, you just have to say it in .xxx  

All sovereign countries will be free to make any law they please w/ regard to 
the .xxx domains. Many countries will force all adult material hosted from 
their countries into the .xxx domain, and you can be sure, they will include 
all info about abortion, sex ed, feminine issues, homosexuality and anything 
sexual or controversial they and their religious leaders/totalitarian 
governments feel like.  

ICANN, if the .xxx tld goes through, these free speech prohibitions WILL 
HAPPEN, and EVERYONE WILL BLAME ICANN- for the massive litigation and trampling 
on Internet speech that will ensue.  I wouldn’t be surprised if the chaos would 
lead to the stripping of all ICANN’s power.  You’d deserve it if you are so 
stupid or so paid-off as to embroil yourselves in this scam.


I am almost certain .XXX will fail.  Conservatives, liberals, libertarians, the 
Adult industry from hardcore to Playboy (is that .xxx?) OPPOSE it. We all 
thought it was dead already, but a lot of money was invested in this scheme and 
so it keeps creeping back in.

What the hell needs to happen before ICANN finally gets the point NO ONE wants 
the .XXX ghetto?  Ok, except for ICMR’s top investors.

Reject the .XXX domain name scam, for ICANN’s good, for the sake of Freedom of 
Speech and for common sense.  

Thank you

James Treadwell