ICM Registry, the company behind the unsuccessful bid for a .xxx domain for internet pornography, is to take the United States government to court over the issue.

Earlier this month, a proposal for the creation of the .xxx domain was turned down for fear by some commentators that it would create a legitimate red-light zone on the Internet.

The company claims that independent ICANN was pressurised into making the decision from Washington even though they had given the go ahead last year to look into the feasibility of creating the domain suffix.

The intention of ICM is to prove that the Department of Commerce interfered with the ICANN decision making process. The ICM action follows complaints from EU representatives that the US administration interfered in the process, which resulted in the ICANN board voting 9 to 5 against registration of the domain. The EU believes that the US exerts too much control over the Internet.

In an interview with The Times, Stuart Lawley, the head of ICM Registry said that this information will provide the "extra evidence that provides the irrefutable proof" that the US Government intervened in the issue to prevent .xxx going ahead.

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