There might be some good looking Tigers on campus, but new precautions are being taken to ensure that no sexy Tigers show up on the Internet under MU’s name.

ICM Registry has starting selling .xxx domain names as a way to differentiate adult entertainment websites from other websites. Trademarks and big companies can “buy up” URL versions of their brands so as to avoid having a porn site registered under the same name. This pre-release buying period will help companies avoid brand mismanagement when the domain is open to the public.

Division of Information Technology Director Terry Robb is a leader in MU’s effort to prevent porn sites created under the MU name. The university has bought missouri.xxx, mizzou.xxx and missouritigers.xxx, which means adult entertainment enterprises cannot use those URLs. 

“There certainly can be permutations of the university’s name,” Robb said. “It would be expensive to purchase them all.”

To Robb’s knowledge, there has not been a problem with porn sites being associated with MU in the past, but he sees a benefit in the creation of the new domain as a whole.

“It will help parents filter pornography from a computer children may use and that’s a good thing,” Robb said.

Once the domain is publicly available for purchase, individuals and companies alike will be able to purchase a URL of their choice that will go under the .xxx domain. ICM Registry is hoping to encourage self-identification.

“.XXX isn’t just a helpful distinction,” the ICM’s website stated. “It’s the progressive new home for adult entertainment online.”

By becoming a trusted, verified brand online, adult entertainment companies and entertainers hope can increase their traffic and possibility of paying customers. Awareness of this domain will increase awareness of the industry, which will prove beneficial to companies, individuals and customers.

“What companies, including your school, are doing is a pre-emptive move to keep the name from falling into someone else’s hands,” ICM Registry Lauren Pomerantz spokeswoman said.

She said ICM has received 80,000 to purchase .xxx domains so far from trademark and brand holders, and the domain opens to the public Dec. 6.

**Correction:**

The 80,000 names are not on “hold,” like a previous version of this story says. They have been purchased by trademark and brand holders, such as MU.