Taylor Swift beat Internet trolls to the punch this week by purchasing the “TaylorSwift.porn” and “TaylorSwift.adult” domain names before anyone else could snatch them up.
According to CNN Money, the nonprofit Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) will expand the available generic top-level domains (gTLDs), like .com and .net, to include variations like .sucks and .porn. The new domain names will be available to the public beginning June 1.
However, CNN reports that ICANN is holding a so-called “sunrise period” in which certain big-name brands and celebrities are able to purchase potentially damaging or controversial domain names before the public. Microsoft has reportedly already taken advantage of the heads-up, registering both “Office.porn” and “Office.adult” ahead of the June 1 deadline.
ICM Registry CEO Stuart Lawley told CNN that Taylor Swift similarly took advantage of the grace period, registering both “TaylorSwift.porn” and “TaylorSwift.adult.” According to the Hollywood Reporter, it remains unclear what the pop star plans to do with the domains, or whether she plans to do anything at all except sit on them.
Adweek reports that the “.sucks” domain name will soon be joining the ranks of “.porn” and “.adult,” although those wishing to register that domain name using the name of a hated company may have to dig deep; the “.sucks” names reportedly start at $2,500 for some of the world’s biggest companies.