The domain name world is facing drastic changes, and next week, trademark holders will face their first major hurdle in the effort to protect their brands.
What’s Changing? There are presently 20 Top Level Domain Names (“TLDs”) in operation (like .com, .net, .edu and .org). However, as early as this summer, the international body that oversees the Internet domain name system, called ICANN, is expected to authorize the introduction of many new TLDs (like .software, .inc, .app, and .cloud). Once this happens the registries that will operate these TLDs can begin to accept registrations for second-level domain
names. A second-level domain name is the text to the right of the “www” and to left of the TLD and can be anything — including your company’s valuable trademarks. (For example, in www.siia.net, “siia” is the second-level domain name.)
Why Should I Be Concerned? The expansion of new domain names will likely lead to trademark infringement and cybersquatting — registering a trademark as a domain name with the bad faith intent of selling it to its rightful owner. To prevent this, trademark holders will want to take steps to register their brands on these new TLDs and to fend off cybersquatters and infringers who may try to register their trademarked brands.
What Is Being Done To Address These Concerns? At the insistence of SIIA and other groups representing brand owners, ICANN created a new tool called the Trademark Clearinghouse. It will officially launch tomorrow.
How Do I Learn More? SIIA members who want to learn more about how to protect their brands can read the full members-only primer on the clearinghouse, or contact me with questions.
Keith Kupferschmid is General Counsel and SVP, Intellectual Property Policy & Enforcement at SIIA.