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First .xxx domain name prices revealed

Kevin Murphy, May 11, 2011, 10:31:38 (UTC), Domain Registrars

New .xxx domain name registrations could retail for as much as $158 a year, a markup of almost $100 over the wholesale registry fee, it has emerged.
Key-Systems, one of the first registrars approved to sell .xxx names, plans to charge €92.44 ($133), or €110.00 ($158) including VAT, per name per year during general availability.
The prices were revealed on the German company’s consumer-facing web site, DomainDiscount24.com.
ICM Registry’s wholesale fee is $60 per year. Excluding VAT, Key-Systems stands to make a whopping $73 margin on .xxx domains.
For comparison, the registrar’s margin on .com domains is less than $10.
Prices for trademark holders that wish to register .xxx names defensively will be even higher.
In the first sunrise period, reserved for porn companies with trademarks, the company will charge a non-refundable application fee of €134.95 ($194), plus €130.90 ($188) per name per year.
In a second sunrise, which “grandfathers” registrants of porn domains in other TLDs, domains will cost €95.20 ($137) in non-refundable application fees, with the same again for the first year’s registration.
If you’re a non-porn trademark holder, and you want to block your brand from the .xxx namespace – say you’re Disney and you want disney.xxx permanently reserved – it will cost €450 ($648).
That’s a “one-time fee”, but it’s not yet clear how many years it covers for 10 years, which works out to €45 per year.
Landrush fees, for non-trademark holders, will be €80 ($115) per application, non-refundable, plus €95 ($137) per domain per year.
Key-Systems is the first registrar to disclose its pricing plans. It’s possible other registrars will offer lower (or, I suppose, higher) prices.

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Comments (7)

  1. J. Meiser says:
    May 11, 2011 at 11:07 am

    “That’s a “one-time fee”, but it’s not yet clear how many years it covers.”
    -> The blocking of domains covers the period for which the ICM Registry has the license to operate .XXX. This is currently 10 years.

    Reply
  2. Bret Moore says:
    May 11, 2011 at 11:54 am

    Wow, that’s significantly higher for non-porn TM blockers than what seemed (to me) to be suggested on ICM’s site. And it’s a little confusing – I mean, ostensibly you’ve requested to reserve your names for the Sunrise B period with the registry itself. Would have thought that means you pay them, but maybe you have to then go to a registrar and pay them for the registration?

    Reply
  3. Charles says:
    May 11, 2011 at 4:03 pm

    FYI Mailclub is the 1st French registrar to have been accredited by ICM, and we shall have very agressive prices, lower than those indicated in ths article. Do not hesitate ton contact us for our offer, depending on the volume.

    Reply
  4. Pricing competition begins in .xxx | DomainIncite - Domain Name News & Opinion says:
    May 13, 2011 at 12:38 pm

    […] First .xxx domain name prices revealed […]

    Reply
  5. Susan Thompson says:
    May 13, 2011 at 7:28 pm

    101domain.com prices are lower too.

    Reply
  6. UnitedDomains.com says:
    August 2, 2011 at 8:18 pm

    See United Domains’ .xxx pricing here:
    https://www.uniteddomains.com/new-top-level-domain/xxx-domain-registration/
    Florian

    Reply

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