Are You a Triple-X Brand?

Triple-X domain names go into advance release today for trademark holders and brand holders. One purpose of this sunrise period for brands is to prevent cybersquatters from claiming domain name rights to things like "www.sesamestreet.xxx" or to any other brand which the squatter doesn't own. It also gives brands the opportunity to prevent adult entertainers from using their name as a .xxx domain. If you've ever typed in whitehouse.com instead of whitehouse.gov, you'll know why this could be a problem for some. Basically, the folks in charge of teh interwebz are giving brand holders the opportunity to avoid this problem by squatting on their own .xxx domain names.

So, claim the name under your pen name(s) now if you're concerned about this type of brand dilution. It's a one-time fee rather than an annual fee, and it might be worth the $200 or so this is estimated to cost.

If you write erotica, you might want this domain name for actual use, rather than to squat on your own trade name. If you currently have a domain name like www.mydirtypenname.com, you can take advantage of this early registration period and claim the .xxx version of your domain name. Do it now, before this sunrise period ends. Otherwise, you have to wait for the sunrise period to end before you can register a .xxx domain.

So, those are the two sunrise options: get the .xxx for a domain name you already own, or get a .xxx for your established brand to prevent anyone else from doing so. The erotic romance authors are caught in the middle, but that's no real surprise. Do you want to use a .xxx domain? Some of you might. Or maybe you just want to claim it and have it roll over to your .com site. For those of you who have considered the issue, what do you plan to do?

Theresa