As the new .XXX domain suffixes go on sale today (7 September), brands are rushing  to protect themselves from sex industry cyber squatters.

The new domain extensions have been created to provide easy identification for the adult entertainment industry. However, the majority of pre-registrations have been from non-adult entertainment companies keen to ensure their brands are not associated with the sex industry.

In an initiative that reflects an understanding of the potential brand damage of hijacked domain use, companies are being given a ‘Sunrise’ period of 50 days to register their brands for free, thus blocking their use by opportunists.

According to Douglas Thomson, a trade mark lawyer at intellectual property firm Marks & Clerk, “As obvious as it may seem, this setup of allowing brands to block their trade marks from possible registration is unique to the .XXX domain. Cybersquatting is a problem across the net, but, with these domains, it has the potential for uniquely embarrassing and damaging consequences.

According to Sarah Harran, CEO of web hosting company Easyspace, as many as 80% of pre-registrations have come from outside the adult entertainment industry. “The early indications are that non-adult industry businesses have realised the need to protect trademarks and brands in dot XXX,” said Haran. “Businesses are taking defensive measures to prevent their brands becoming associated with porn.”