Approximately 100,000 .XXX domain names will go on sale today to the general public.

Established sites and brands that may not want to leave themselves open to unwanted exposure have already been given 50 days to register their domain names, while the adult entertainment industry were second on line to bag their favourite porn sites.

The ICM registry, who issues the domain names, currently has a ticker counting down on its website to 4pm when the public will be able to purchase their preferred .XXX domains. The company says that the arrival of the .XXX domains will help protect people who don’t want to search for adult content by making the sites easier to avoid.

"While adult entertainment is enjoyable to many adults, it is not appropriate for all audiences.  We created .XXX to address the unique needs of the online adult entertainment industry," said Stuart Lawley, CEO of ICM Registry.

Pre-order registration for the .XXX domains is said to be very high.

"The public response has been overwhelming as consumers and the adult entertainment providers are excited about the benefits and infinite possibilities of .XXX," said Lawley.

XXX domain names can only purchased via accredited registrars. A convenient portal, www.buy.xxx, lists all the registrars and includes an easily accessed domain lookup tool.