Would be porn domain registrar takes on Uncle Sam

Stan Beer
Sunday, 21 May 2006 21:11

Your IT - Home IT

ICM Registry, the US-based internet company that for six years had planned to register a .xxx domain for "adult" content has filed a Freedom of Information demand against the US Department of Commerce. ICM claims the US Government agency exerted political influence to have the creation of the domain quashed.

The intention of ICM is to prove that the Department of Commerce interfered with the ICANN decision making process. The ICM action follows complaints from EU representatives that the US administration interfered in the process, which resulted in the ICANN board voting 9 to 5 against registration of the domain. The EU believes that the US exerts too much control over the internet.

ICANN chairman, Paul Twomey, who voted against registration of the domain, rejected the allegations of political interference, calling them ignorant.