ICM Registry, the registry operator for the .XXX, .PORN, and .ADULT top-level domains (TLDs), announces the close of its .PORN and .ADULT Sunrise periods today with record setting numbers for new gTLD’s

The Sunrise periods, which allows  trademark owners the first opportunity to secure names in .PORN and .ADULT, resulted in around 4,000 domain name registrations per TLD which is a record for any new gTLD by many times over.

According to ICM, the best previous gTLD launches garnered around 750 Sunrise registrations, “with the average being no more than a few hundred”

I would verify those numbers as being correct.

ICM blew the doors off any other new gTLD in terms of Sunrise registrations

“ICM believes its success results from a variety of factors: ICM offered its Sunrise registrations for standard registration fees and did not charge additional or premium fees. ICM worked closely with the Trademark Clearinghouse (TMCH) to provide promotional pricing for TMCH registrations and also worked closely with registrars to provide promotional pricing for its Sunrise B Program. ICM engaged in pro-active outreach to the trademark community through a series of free educational webinars, as well as actively pursued publications and advertising targeted specifically to the intellectual property community.

Of course, the TLDs themselves also inspired trademark owners to register names to ensure brand consistency as did early adoption by well-known celebrities such as Taylor Swift, Beyoncé, One Direction, Paris Hilton and Miley Cyrus. These efforts resulted in both of ICM’s new TLDs exceeding, by almost double, the initial Sunrise forecasts ICM provided ICANN in its applications for .PORN and .ADULT.

Despite ICM’s successful Sunrise registration numbers, ICM Registry found significant impediments to ensuring that its .XXX stakeholders obtained the names in the manner it originally intended. One of the key impediments was registrars themselves. Many registrars have not yet signed on to sell these new gTLDs and many of the registrars who are set up to sell .PORN and .ADULT names did not offer names during these Sunrise launch periods.

As a result, ICM has expanded eligibility for its Domain Matching Program. The Domain Matching Program will now allow .XXX Sunrise B holders to participate in the .PORN and .ADULT Domain Matching Program. The Domain Matching Program, which launches on May 6^th and ends on May 31, 2015, now allows both .XXX Sunrise B reservants and .XXX domain holders a priority opportunity to acquire directly matching names before those names become available to the general public.

As with all of its pre-launch programs, the .PORN and .ADULT domain names available through the Domain Matching Program will be offered at a reduced fee, in some cases as low as $12.99, depending on the registrar.

Until May 31, both .XXX domain name holders and .XXX Sunrise B participants can register names at participating registrars. Names not registered during the Domain Matching Program become generally available on June 4, 2015.

In light of the complexity of ICANN’s gTLD Program, ICM Registry created an easy to use, free resource that provides domain name holders and brands an efficient tool to use to ascertain whether a name of interest is available in ICM’s TLDs, as well as throughout new gTLDs in general. Visit ICM Registry’s Domain Check Tool to check the status of domain names across ICANN’s gTLD Program.