YNOT – Members of adult industry trade group Free Speech Coalition will gather in San Francisco on Thursday to present a public display of opposition to the proposed porn-specific sponsored Top Level Domain dot-xxx. The protest rally will take place during a conference hosted by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers, one day after former U.S. President Bill Clinton delivers a keynote address during an ICANN-hosted gala.
Scheduled to take place from 12:30-2 p.m. on the sidewalk outside the Westin St. Francis Hotel in San Francisco’s Union Square, the rally will offer adult industry insiders an opportunity to be heard while the ICANN conference occurs inside the hotel. ICANN has scheduled a public comment period from 4-6 p.m. as part of its board of directors meeting. Afterward, the board is expected to vote on whether to approve dot-xxx.
FSC and a significant portion of the American adult industry have battled dot-xxx for more than seven years, objecting to the proposed domain because they believe it will cost adult website operators millions annually in unnecessary fees, make adult websites easier for governments to block by governments and could fragment the internet.
Immediately following the rally, FSC will host a press conference offering perspective from industry leaders including Evil Angel founder John Stagliano, Pink Visual President Allison Vivas, Kink.com founder Peter Acworth, attorney Paul Cambria, trade publisher YNOT Group LLC President Connor Young, Wasteland.com founder Collin Rowntree, FSC Chairman Jeffrey Douglas and FSC Executive Director Diane Duke. The press conference will take place at the Chancellor Hotel, located one-half block from the Westin St. Francis at 433 Powell St.
“Although a majority of the adult industry’s largest companies have sent letters to ICANN expressing their opposition to the dot-xxx sTLD, efforts to quash the proposed ‘sponsored’ Top Level Domain have not persuaded the ICANN board to reject [registrar-hopeful] ICM [Registry]’s proposal,” Duke said. “The Governmental Advisory Committe that consults with ICANN also has expressed its disapproval of dot-xxx.”
FSC believes the rally finally may convince the ICANN board approving the proposed sTLD would be a mistake.
“Dot-xxx is supposed to be approved, accepted or whatever by the ‘community’ of people already in the adult community,” Stagliano wrote in a letter to ICANN. “As the owner of Evil Angel, an adult producer and distributor, and a defender of our right to exist since 1983, I do not support this. I would support it only if there were different criteria for the creation of this entity, that would allow anyone to open a dot-porn, or whatever that would compete with dot-xxx. The effect now is to create a monopoly for one company in this area. The adult community has invested in how it is structured now. It is unfair to us all to add an additional expense to our business without competition for the services that this new business, dot-xxx, would provide.”
Pink Visual’s Vivas said she believes it is crucial for the adult entertainment industry to ensure its voice is heard prior to the ICANN board’s expected vote.
“Right now we feel that it is important for Pink Visual to raise its voice in this controversial matter at the ICANN conference, because we can’t imagine showing support for any for-profit entity whose business model and business practices are not yet defined and which hasn’t demonstrated a proven ability to benefit our industry,” she said.
“We are unconvinced that a business model that charges roughly six times market price for the product is a fair and beneficial business model for the industry,” Vivas added. “On day-to-day business matters we don’t retain the services of vendors without having an understanding of what those vendors can actually do for our company. Why would we throw in behind the establishment of a top-level domain about which we have the same question?”
FSC’s Duke voiced frustration about ICANN’s process.
“Over the past seven years, we have tried to communicate the adult industry’s opposition to dot-xxx at every opportunity, using every means and forum available,” she said. “We have participated in public comment periods, letter writing, conversations with stakeholders and testimony at ICANN’s public meetings. All three of the world’s existing adult trade associations have issued statements in opposition to dot-xxx.
“Although we appreciate the GAC’s responsiveness to our concerns, it is clear that the ICANN board of directors has not heard us,” Duke continued. “We hope that Thursday’s rally will raise the volume, enabling ICANN to get the message, once and for all, that ICM’s dot-xxx application does not have the required support of the sponsored community.”
Any adult industry professional who would like to participate in the protest rally is asked to contact FSC by calling 818-348-9373 or [email=joanne@freespeechcoalition.com]emailing[/email] Membership Director Joanne Cachapero. Industry members who would like to express their opposition but cannot attend the rally may participate in a “We Don’t Want Dot-xxx” campaign FSC will stage throughout Wednesday and Thursday on Twitter.
