Last week AVN’s new owner Theo Sapoutzis emailed me this comment regarding .XXX domains: “We haven’t allowed them [.XXX] to advertise in any of our properties and we’ll continue doing so.”

That doesn’t seem to be the case, now, judging by this story concerning AVN’s Webmaster Access which is appearing on www.xbiz.com. Judging by what we read here, XBiz is apparently shilling for .XXX domains and Stuart Lawley as well:

PALM BEACH, Fla. — ICM Registry plans on a marketing blitzkrieg at several adult industry shows in the next three months and has taken sponsorship packages at AVN’s Webmaster Access in September in Amsterdam, as well as the Exotic Dancer Show, slated for next week in Las Vegas, and the Exxxotica shows in Los Angeles later this month and New Jersey in November.

“With the .XXX domain launch starting Sept. 7, we are very pleased to be attending and indeed sponsoring many of the B2B and B2C adult related shows and conferences for the rest of the year on a global basis,” Lawley told XBIZ on Wednesday.

“This outreach will form part of our overall marketing effort including, print, poster and TV.”

Stuart Lawley, ICM Registry’s chairman and president, said that.XXX reps also will have a “strong presence” at the Asia Adult Expo in August, as well as attending next month’s XBIZ EU in London and the European Summit in Prague.

Lawley noted that ICM Registry’s advertising budget for the next three months has been set at $3 million.

“Both industry and consumer will be getting to hear a lot about .XXX between now and the end of the year,” he said.

On Monday, ICM Registry reported that 35 companies were accepted into its just-concluded Founders program, claiming about 1,500 .XXX domain names and booking $4 million in sales from the first stage of the .XXX launch.

Lawley said Wednesday that 15 sites went live yesterday, “and many more coming on-stream over next few weeks from some notable players.”