ICM postpones sunrise auction

ICM (the .xxx-registry) has announced they’ll postpone the auction for sunrise applications until December. Reason for this is the amount of applications which were filed during the sunrise, approximately 80.000, and the fact the registry needs more time to process all those applications.

During the sunrise period for .xxx, which started on September 7th and ended on October 28th, members of the Sponsored Community could register their trademark or domain name under .xxx and owners of a registered trademark who don’t have anything to do with the Sponsored Community could block their name under .xxx. Names for which 2 or more persons filed a valid application would be sold during an auction after the sunrise to the highest bidder. This auction normally would have started quickly after the sunrise.

ICM now postpones this auction until the beginning of December. This is the time they think to need to process all the applications. During this 6 weeks running sunrise period the registry received approximately 80.000 applications. Half of those applications however were only filed during the last week of the sunrise. That’s why the registry now needs more time to verify all applications.

The further course of the release of this extension doesn’t change. On November 8th the landrush will begin. This phase will end on November 25th. During the landrush members of the Sponsored Community can file an application for any name they want register under .xxx. Names for which 2 or more persons file a valid application will be sold during an auction after a sunrise to the highest bidder. The auction for landrush applications will normally start on December 12th.

On December 6th the so called go-live will begin for the .xxx extension. From then on everyone who wishes to do so can register or block a name under this extension. From then on, applications will also be treated on a first come, first served basis.