What if you built a domain especially for porn, and nobody wanted anything to do with it? That’s the situation the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) faces.

The organization that decides on domain names last week gave the go-ahead to a “.xxx” domain. But it turns out even pornographers want little to do with the good old triple-X. The Free Speech Coalition, which represents many in the porn industry, opposed the creation of the domain.

“Of course we are disappointed, but we are not surprised by the ICANN Board’s decision,” said FSC executive director Diane Duke in a statement. “Worse, they have disregarded overwhelming outpouring of opposition from the adult entertainment industry—the supposed sponsorship community—dismissing the interests of free speech on the Internet.”

Taken as a whole, the porn industry was worth about $50 billion a couple of years ago. But the industry has already had to contend with an array of amateurs, a decline in DVD sales, and piracy issues. All of this has left porn purveyors worried about the economic future of its industry.

And now it has to contend with the push for a .xxx domain name, an extension that is getting push back from some more understandable corners—governments in socially conservative nations. The Economic Times reports today that India may block all sites with the .xxx domain.

"India along with many other countries from the Middle East and Indonesia opposed the grant of the domain in the first place, and we would proceed to block the whole domain, as it goes against the IT Act and Indian laws," a senior official at the Indian ministry of IT tells the Economic Times. "Though some people have said that segregation is better, and some countries allow it. But for other nations transmission and direct distribution of such content goes against their moral and culture,"

And it isn’t just the Indian or other governments that could be squeamish about .xxx. Others could easily block the domain as well, relegating the Internet’s red-light district to, well, a restricted-access red-light district.

For porn companies, too, popping the $60 for a “.xxx” domain is an expense they’d rather not be bothered with, and one that can backfire as well, as Michael Humphrey of Forbes points out. That’s because if a company has a .xxx domain, its other, more innocuous .com or .net addresses could also be targeted for censorship.

For those of us with a little mileage, it's certainly an interesting development that the industry that essentially invented the triple-X now wants to hide from it like a guy exiting a seedy theater with his raincoat collar turned up.

To hear why ICANN officials decided to move ahead with .xxx, watch this video.

Get more business intelligence from Portfolio.com:

• Apple of Business' Eye: Consumer-favorite Apple becomes the dominant player in the business-to-business space, knocking down two-year leader Southwest Airlines as the top B2B brand for 2011, according a Business Journals survey of small- to mid-sized business owners.
• 2011 Power Brands, an Interactive Look: Tour through the 25 top brands for businesses and see if your favorite is among them.
• Best Brands 2011, Inside the Categories: Building a successful and respected brand takes work, especially in tough times like these. A look at the companies that are winning the brand game by focusing on value, innovation, leadership, relevance, momentum, customer service, and ethics.