The internet address Gay.xxx was recently purchased for $500,000, making it "the most expensive domain name sold in an extension that is not yet publicly open for registration" reports TheRegister.co.uk.
Liberty Media Holdings, better known as gay production company Corbin Fisher, scooped up the NSFW address. In the coming months more domain names with the .xxx extension will go on sale, but the Gay.xxx deal was already completed as part of "the Founders Program" operated by ICM Registry.
In March the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), which oversees the Internet's naming system, approved the creation of the special extension for pornographic websites. Soon after India became the first country to ban .xxx.
A press release on Marketwatch.com regarding the Gay.xxx sale reads in part:
"This is also the 5th highest sale price of any domain name sold in 2011 and one of the top 30 most expensive domain names sold in the last 3 years...
ICM has now sold nine premium .XXX domain names for $100,000 or more, which is unparalleled in any other domain launch and reports that there are many other similar deals in progress...
Domain names in most other TLDs typically sell for 1-10% of the value of their .com equivalent. The .XXX names are already selling for 30-40% and we are just getting started," said [Stuart Lawley, CEO of ICM Registry]."
The next auction will take place at the upcoming T.R.A.F.F.I.C. Conference later this month and titillating addresses like Juicy.xxx, Orgy.xxx, and Blondes.xxx will be sold to the highest bidder.
TheRegister.co.uk notes that before this deal, the largest amount paid for a pre-launch extension was $350,000 by Overstock.com for the address O.co in June 2010.
A press release from Corbin Fisher lays out the gay porn company's plan to use the Gay.xxx address as "a game-changer for the industry" and promises "if it has to do with gay sexuality -- news, comics, advice, chat rooms -- it belongs on Gay.xxx."
Porn sites can bring in big money and expensive Internet addresses are commonplace in the industry. Last year Sex.com went for $13,000,000.