Remember a little over a year ago, we were reporting dot XXX domains were going to be allowed for the adult industry? ICM was expecting a giant windfall of cash as porn moguls all over the world scrambled to register their trademarked company names with them.

“The decision should soon bring to fruition our six-year effort to create a specific Web address for online adult entertainment, and comes on the heels of an independent review that declared that ICANN’s previous decision to deny dot-xxx was wrong,” said Stuart Lawley, chairman of ICM, way back when.

Not a chance in hell, says Hustler.

“Like many other companies in the adult industry, Hustler will not allow its trademarks to be bought, sold or used by any other entity nor will be we be shaken down by ICM,” Hustler President Michael Klein said. “We are prepared to take whatever legal action may be necessary.”

Hustler says they've tried repeatedly to handle the issue privately with ICM but the company refuses to respond to their attempts at contact.

“ICM’s silence is particularly disconcerting, especially in light of ICM’s supposed aim of ‘working proactively to balance the rights of ... existing domain name holders, and other trademark and intellectual property holders,’” said Jonathan Brown, attorney for Hustler.