Brand protection services are the industry's answer to high-cost voluminous defensive domain registrations. Via a single product purchase, the future ability for another party to register a domain matching your brand is blocked – across hundreds of domain extensions. These programs are highly cost effective as compared to defensive domain registrations and offer peace of mind to your brand and legal teams.
Defensive domain registrations and monitoring to detect cybersquatting can be tricky on the web today. With domain extensions such as .REVIEWS to adult extensions such as .PORN or .XXX or potentially damaging ones such as .FAIL available for anyone to register, our portfolio of Brand Protection products simplify your efforts to defend your brand.
Brand Protection programs allow you to block third parties from registering your trademarks as domain names in selected TLDs.
Versatile and Easy
Protects your brand name, trademarks and keywords containing your marks.
Comprehensive Solution
Defends your brand across 600+ domain extensions from 5 registries.
Affordability at Scale
Defend your brand from infringement, at a fraction of the cost (of standard defensive registrations).
How Brand Protection Works
- Depending on the Brand Protection program you would like to subscribe to, a valid Trademark Clearinghouse (TMCH) Signed Mark Data (SMD) file, or Brand Safety Alliance (BSA) IP Rights (IPR) number will need to be acquired before you can place your subscription order. In order to qualify for a brand protection program, you'll need to first demonstrate use and/or ownership of the specific brand/term you’re looking to block. This verification process varies slightly by product, however all result in you being provided with a verified code that can then be used during future brand protection program purchases.
- Review the Brand Protection programs below and contact us for a consultation.
- We will contact you for verifying your trademark and advise you on fees and next steps.
- Domain names containing the protected marks are made unavailable for registration for 5 or 10 years.†
- Sit back & relax, your brand and trademarks are protected online in each of the domain extensions covered in your selected program.
Brand Protection Programs and Options
| Registry program | # of covered extensions | Misspelling protection | Homonym protection | Premium names covered | Min. Term |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GlobalBlock | 600+ | 1 year | |||
| GlobalBlock+ | 600+ | 1 year | |||
| DPML — Identity Digital | 308 | 0 | 1 year | ||
| DPML Plus — Identity Digital | 308 | 3* | 1 year | ||
| Abuse Shield — NameBlock | 55 | ‡ | 1 year | ||
| Brand Lock — NameBlock | 23 | 1 year | |||
| Uni EPS — UNR | 10 | SMD* | 1 year | ||
| Uni EPS+ — UNR | 10 | SMD* | 1 year | ||
| Trademark Sentry — .CLUB | 1 | Extra fee | 5 years | ||
| AdultBlock — ICM Registry | 4 | 1 year | |||
| AdultBlock+ — ICM Registry | 4 | 1 year |
*SMD – Misspellings covered in the Trademark Clearinghouse Signed Mark Data (SMD) file are protected.
‡ on a per-extension basis.
Note: 1. Each brand protection program covers its own range of domain extensions and none of them is a replacement for another.
2. Sunrise B protection on .XXX domains from 2011 expires in December 2021. AdultBlock is a solution to help brands continue to protect labels covered under Sunrise B across 4 adult domain extensions. Learn more about AdultBlock.
3. The 300+ extensions protected by DPML includes some extensions in languages that use non-ASCII characters and are not included on this page. This count also includes some 3rd level .PRO subzones not listed here. Please contact us for the latest list of covered extensions.
4. GlobalBlock and GlobalBlock+ are constantly adding new extensions, please contact us for the latest list of covered extensions.
Protect Your Brand
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Brand Protection Program Details
Brand Safety Alliance
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Program Overview: GlobalBlock instantly blocks all available names matching your brand in over 600 domain extensions simultaneously, providing a level of protection for brand owners not previously possible.
Key Features: Both GlobalBlock and GlobalBlock+ offer instant match coverage across 600+ domains, including premium domain names. GlobalBlock+ offers increased protection that additionally blocks a select range of look-alike variations that are often used in online scams.
Eligibility: GlobalBlock & GlobalBlock+ are open to registered trademarks, unregistered trademarks, company or organization names and celebrity names. New applicants will first need to undergo a verification process to demonstrate mark ownership or brand proof of use. This process is free of charge, and existing TMCH SMD files will be honoured as valid forms of verification.
Domain Count:
600+
Please contact us for the most up to date list of domains for this program.
Identity Digital
DPML & DPML+
Program Overview: DPML, or Domains Protected Marks List, is a service that allows brand owners to block the registration of their trademark-related terms in all the Identity Digital TLDs.
Key Features: Both DPML and DPML+ blocks the registration of your brand on all the extensions Identity Digital manages. DPML+ offers variant blocking and blocking of premium domain names.
Eligibility: New applicants will first need to undergo a verification process to demonstrate mark ownership. The verification process involves a one-time fee and results in the issuance of a Signed Mark Data (SMD) file that you will use as part of future DPML purchases.
NameBlock
Program Overview: AbuseShield addresses gaps in domain blocking strategies with intelligent identification and blocking of potentially malicious domains confusingly similar to a brand name, across multiple domain extensions.
Key Features: AbuseShield's abuse variants algorithm is in a constant state of evolution, adapting to the ever-changing strategies deployed by cybercriminals. This dynamic approach ensures that your brand remains shielded from not just current risks, but future ones as well.
Eligibility:
The Block Label must not be an IDN or start with xn--. In addition, the applicant must either:
- Own the Block Label Domain Name registration, a valid BrandLock block, or a valid block in other NameBlock approved third party blocking service in the TLD for which the AbuseShield Block is ordered; OR
- As it relates to order for an AbuseShield Package, own a valid SMD file covering the term for which the AbuseShield Package order is placed.
NameBlock
Program Overview: BrandLock safeguards your brand online by blocking identical domain names across one or multiple TLDs. It offers a straightforward way to protect brands and when a blocked domain is searched for, it’s listed as unavailable indicating that it’s securely held and not open for registration.
Key Features: BrandLock offers a robust solution for anyone – whether they have a trademark or not – who wishes to protect an idea or product name online. By preventing the registration of identical domain names across multiple extensions, BrandLock serves as a strong proactive line of defense for your brand and significantly reduces risks like cybersquatting and typo-squatting that could compromise your brand’s integrity.
Eligibility: The Block Label itself must meet certain requirements (e.g. not include special characters or be an IDN, not begin or end with a hyphen, must consist of at least 3 characters, etc.). For a full list of technical and syntax requirements, please reach out to one of our experts.
UNR
Uni EPS & Uni EPS+
Program Overview: The Uni EPS service covers both standard and premium domains the UNR registry manages. (Note: The UNR registry offers its platform to other registries, and they can opt to add their extensions to both the Uni EPS and Uni EPS+ services.) The Uni EPS+ service is an enhanced version of the basic Uni EPS with the key differences being that Uni EPS+ includes all Unicode IDN variants at no extra cost and includes all additional labels in the SMD file.
Key Features: Uni EPS blocks one label contained in the SMD file, while Uni EPS+ blocks all labels contained in the SMD file, plus all homoglyph lookalike domain variations.
Eligibility: New applicants will first need to undergo a verification process to demonstrate mark ownership. The verification process involves a one-time fee and results in the issuance of a Signed Mark Data (SMD) file that you will use as part of future Uni EPS purchases.
.CLUB Domain
Trademark Sentry
Program Overview: A service launched by .CLUB Domains, LLC, offering comprehensive protection in the .CLUB namespace.
Key Features: Blocks a trademark from appearing in any portion of a domain with the .CLUB extension.
Eligibility: The trademark must be fanciful, as defined by the USPTO, and meet the .CLUB Registry’s additional requirements. Please contact us for more information on what a fanciful trademark is and what the additional requirements are.
Domain Count: 1 (.CLUB)
ICM
AdultBlock & AdultBlock+
Program Overview: This program protects your trademark across four different extensions used by the adult industry.
Key Features: Both AdultBlock and AdultBlock+ have the same powerful features of domain blocking across all four adult themed TLDs, where the names are not currently registered. This includes premium domain names, as well as the future registration of names already registered. AdultBlock+ goes even further by providing unlimited blocking of all additional look-alike names generated using the Unicode Consortium standard.
Eligibility: Trademark holders with a valid SMD file issued by TMCH, dotXXX Sunrise B participants, and registered trademark, unregistered trademark, company names or celebrity names that can supply appropriate documentation for verification of rights. Please contact us for more information on the verification process and the documentation required.
Frequently Asked Questions
When you register your protected marks as actual domains, you pay the full price for each unique domain name and if you wish to cover related terms such as typos, homonyms etc. you will need to invest in each of the additional domain registrations across all the TLDs. You can use each of these registrations to direct them to the same or separate website of your choice. With Brand Protection programs, all the trademarks that you wish to protect are blocked for everyone on the internet, and you will not be able to use the names unless you request an override.
Comprehensive: Brand protection programs allow you to protect your brand and trademark across all the different gTLDs or new domain extensions each respective registry manages. This prevents your competitors and bad actors from infringing and registering domain names that contain your brand or trademark.
Control and Flexibility: Brand protection programs offer a high degree of control and flexibility. Not only can you block domain registrations that contain or directly match your trademark, but some programs offer the flexibility to unblock domains for specific campaigns or promotions, giving you the freedom to move domains in and out of your blocklist as needed.
Simple: Brand protection programs offer a comprehensive solution to ensure all attempted domain name registrations associated with a brand or trademark are safeguarded. Once a block is put in place it provides a blanket of protection against potential threats for the subscribed term. This all-encompassing coverage eliminates the need for individual domain registration, thereby reducing costs associated with monitoring, administration, and maintenance.
Affordable: Brand protection programs offer an effective solution against trademark infringement. Traditionally, resolving domain disputes involved submitting a Unified Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy (EDRP), with separate fees, ranging from $1000 - $2000+ for each complaint. This could become costly, especially when multiple domains were in contention.
An alternative to this approach is to register all domain names that contain a brand’s keywords and variations. However, this can be an expensive option, particularly for organizations with extensive domain portfolios.
With the advent of new domain extensions, protecting your trademark and brand has become more affordable. This makes brand protection programs a cost-effective mechanism for trademark protection.
For basic brand protection programs, marks submitted must be an exact match or contain the exact match of your trademarks.
- One to two letter characters are not permitted; and
- Three-character terms are only accepted if they are an exact match of the trademark submitted
Here is an example of acceptable vs. unacceptable terms:
| Trademark | Trademark Term | Is Term Valid | Reason |
|---|---|---|---|
| Webnames | Webnames | Yes | Trademark term is an exact match of trademark |
| Webnames | MyWebnames | Yes | Trademark term contains the trademark |
| Webnames | WebnamesEmail | Yes | Trademark term contains the trademark |
| ABC | ABC | Yes | Trademark term is exact match of trademark |
| ABC | ABCservices | No | Trademark term is not eligible for a "contains" block |
| AB | ABservices | No | Trademark is fewer than four characters in length |
| A | AServices | No | Trademark is fewer than four characters in length |
| Webnames | W3bnames | No | Trademark term is a misspelling that does not contain the exact match of the trademark |
| Webnames | Websnames | No | Trademark term contains an extra "s" and does not contain an exact match of the trademark |
Note: Brand protection programs that offer a "plus" version will have additional protection against misspellings, "contains" and/or homographs. Please contact us for more information on the protection provided in the program you are interested in subscribing to.
As you may have noticed, we have 5 separate brand protection programs listed above. If you sign up for all of them, your brand will be covered across their entire portfolio of 600+ domain extensions. Please note that your brand could potentially still be vulnerable on other domain extensions which are not included under these programs, and we recommend that you register domain names for the others.
When subscribing to a brand protection program, not all your marks labels will be blocked automatically by one subscription.
For example, if your company was called "Trade & Mark", you may have registered three variants of your label to be trademarked:
- TradeandMark
- Trade-and-Mark
- Trade-Mark
In this example, Trade & Mark would need to purchase three blocks to cover all the labels they own.
Note: Brand protection programs that offer a "plus" version will typically allow additional marks without having to subscribe to more blocks. Please contact us for more information on the protection provided in the program you are interested in subscribing to.
A domain block is the opposite of a domain registration. With a block in place for a particular term/brand/mark, no domain registrations matching that term/brand/mark may be performed – by anyone – globally. A single domain block covers a single term/brand/mark across multiple domain extensions. The number of extensions covered varies by product, ranging from just a few to many hundreds. Domain blocks typically also exist in two variations, the regular of which blocks an exact match to a term/brand/mark, while a Plus variant adds in coverage for misspellings and other variations worthy of protection.
Domain names that have already been registered (i.e. by another Trademark owner) will remain unblocked. The only way to block or claim the domain name is if it expires and is not renewed.
Yes, you can unblock specific domain names that your organization wants to use. Each brand protection program has different methods and fees associated with these unblocking mechanisms. Please contact us for more information on how to unblock on the program you are interested in. Note: Some programs have fees associated with unblocking and some don’t, but with all these programs you will need to pay the registration fee to register the domain once it's unblocked.
A domain block isn’t a domain registration but protects your brand across all the domain extensions covered by that domain blocking service. The blocked domains will not result in a domain name that resolves on the public internet but will be published in the WHOIS database and will show the domain is blocked from being registered. Domains that MATCH or CONTAIN your trademark are protected.
The Sunrise period allows trademark holders that have successfully validated their trademarks through the TMCH to register individual and fully operational names that MATCH the labels in their SMD file.
During this time, you may register exact matches to your trademark, even if they have been previously “blocked” by another party’s domain blocking service.
To ensure that your brand and trademarks are protected, we recommend participating during the Sunrise Periods of domains that you feel are most at risk.
† Each brand protection program has different terms of service and protection. Some plans cover premium domains, homonyms/homographs, and misspellings as part of their select program variants. Plan terms can also span between 1 to 10 years of protection. Complete details will be provided to you upon receiving your inquiry.