ICM Registry – Stallers dot XXX

Recounting the steps to where I am today, with my .XXX domain. ICM has dragged me along, and continues to do so with all of the performers, still waiting to purchase our .xxx extensions. It looks like each time I take a step closer, they take a step back. Recounting my steps, from the beginning of this whole mess.

Rewind to august.

There was an article online, announcing the launch of .XXX, displaying a billboard of iFriends (with the .XXX extension) at Times Square.

Curiously, I wanted to know if anyone had pre-registered my handle (amanda36c.xxx). Lo and behold – it was indeed “reserved by ICM Registry”. I immediately contacted them to inquire about who had it reserved. Since I am the owner of the .com and figure a grandfathering rule should apply, therefore granting me proprietary rights to obtain this .XXX domain over anyone else, including the owner of amanda36c.net (who just happens to be the aforementioned company, with the billboard).

ICM Registry said I can purchase it under the Sunrise program. Since I owned the .com, this would mean I qualify to register under the Sunrise A plan. I jumped for joy and applied. Waited … waited … waited … 2 whole days passed and still no reply. They seemed all rushy rushy to get this out, which left me wondering what was taking so long for them to get back to me. So, I did what any impatient but sane person would do; I asked.

(note: tweets are displayed in ascending order, so read from bottom to top):

I attempted to apply under Sunrise A but was blocked (never given the choice to enter under Sunrise A). This is when I first heard the term “Performers Program”. I asked about who tried to reserve amanda36c.xxx prior to myself. Look at their answer:

Receiveda reply via e-mail from ICM.

So, I’m now shoved into this Talent Program. They start with “You will be pleased to know…” — I will be pleased to know that I have just been granted the right to have no rights? Lucky me! So let’s see. I wanted to register amanda36c.xxx under the Sunrise A program, which would entitle me to own this .xxx domain, as well as have the right to demand to know who tried to obtain amanda36c.xxx under any other application. Now, with this special program, those rights have been snatched from right under me, with no prior warning or even a choice to still purchase it under Sunrise A.

Yes, lucky me indeed!

Shortly after,  a change of name for this supposed program (at this point, I’m wondering when they’re going to just come out and announce that this whole thing was just a big ugly joke, so we can all breathe a sigh of relief and move on with our lives). Performers Program was to be the new name.

I checked the Whois report to see if anything had changed, as far as ownership and it did. What it said before was “Reserved by ICM Registry” with little information below, with no ownership details below.

Fast-forward to today >>> Not only are there details galore about the owner (ICM) of amanda36c.xxx , but it is now held by  “Registrant Name:ICM Registry Performer Escrow Account”. http://whois.domaintools.com/amanda36c.xxx  Nowhere in their TOS, Registry/Registrant Agreement, does it state that this account will be turned over to me once purchased, giving me full ownership. Well heck, at least I know it’s in their safe hands. I mean, I can trust them, right?

To recap: on the 13th of september, ICM claimed they would be “announcing details shortly” on the program (just insert current change of name here). Had I joked about it not happening until Christmas, I would have underestimated them. Good thing I didn’t do that. Wouldn’t want to look dumb here, would I?

I asked them again on november 22nd. They tweeted back to me:

I patiently waited.

Waited.

Waited.

My patience does wear thin, eventually. I’d like to call this ‘normal’.

I asked again, 8 days later.

They never replied.

I asked again, on dec 7th, when the details of thie Performers Program will be released. They never replied to that question.

I went at them a little more, on their TOS, which has me worried, and asked them on dec 16th, another question, this time, concerning ownership of my .xxx domain:

They replied, with a url to the updated version of their TOS. The wording exactly (as seen here in paragraph 2 – if it hasn’t changed again): http://t.co/5Fgk05fZ

In their own words: “In the interest of clarity, this TOS does not apply to any content or Personal Information you post on .XXX sites that are not owned by ICM. ICM does not obtain any rights to your content or Personal Information if you post content or provide your Personal Information on a .XXX site that is not owned by ICM.”

This is clearly a play on words by ICM.

Back to the ogirinal topic (and my main concern): On dec 18th, I wrote:

Their reply was:

Again, ambiguous and not answering directly.

Again, with their brush-off tactic:

On the 21st of december:

It is now the 23rd of december. I sure hope this will all be “announced shortly”.

Everything with this company is rushed out. Bang bang bang, buy it! Get your .XXX now! Boasting a mobile home with XXX and a select few company names on it, along with boats, bikini-clad women partying like it’s 1999 and people who appear to be living like they’re Donald Trump, pre-registration! Ahhh, the good life!

Mother asks child: “Did you clean up your room?”. Child answers “I was in my room all morning.”. – Did the child answer the question correctly?