With the use of the Internet and the constant emergence of new domain extensions, brand owners face new challenges in maintaining their reputation and preventing misuse of their brand names and trademarks. Thankfully, effective solutions are available, such as domain blocking services like Adultblock or DPML and now GlobalBlock, that empower brand owners to protect their intellectual property in various extensions.
One notable pioneer in brand protection services is the ICM Registry, which introduced a groundbreaking protection service for validated right holders in 2011 through the dotXXX Sunrise B program. This service enabled trademark holders to block their brands in adult-themed extensions for a decade. Over the years, the ICM Registry has further enhanced this blocking service, extending its coverage to include other adult-themed extensions like dotPORN, dotADULT, and dotSEX. By continually improving their product, ICM Registry offers brand owners advanced protection.
Another example is the Domain Name Protected Marks List (DPML) blocking service offered by Identity Digital, which blocks domains from being registered in over 250 popular extensions. These include .group, .finance, .email, to name a few! While beneficial for brand owners, these blocking services have been somewhat selective and only cover a small number of extensions. Brand owners can safeguard their reputation and maintain a consistent online presence by proactively blocking potential infringements.
However, starting January 31st, 2024, a new blocking service called GlobalBlock will be launched, empowering brand owners to take control of their online identity like never before. GlobalBlock is the first unified domain-blocking service that provides instant protection across an impressive 558 domain extensions in a single transaction. This extensive list includes popular extensions such as .info, .credit, .ink, and numerous ccTLD subzones. And the best part? The coverage is set to expand even further to encompass around 750 TLDs by the end of 2024.
GlobalBlock also offers some remarkable features for brand owners' peace of mind. It will identify any previously registered domains that become available and instantly include them in the brand owner's block. This proactive approach prevents cybersquatters and fraudsters from registering dropped domains and tarnishing the brand owner's reputation. With the ability to unblock and register a domain within the block at any time, brand owners will also have complete control over their online presence.
On top of the standard GlobalBlock package, GlobalBlock+ provides brand owners even better protection from homoglyphs/mistypes of your brand often used in phishing attacks and other abuse activities.
The launch of GlobalBlock is exciting news for brand owners seeking comprehensive and proactive brand protection in the digital space. Using these tools, brand owners can uphold their integrity and defend against trademark infringements.
Contact our team directly through a call at +44 (0)1908 200022 or send your queries via email to contactus@safenames.net.
Linh Farid
Senior Brand Protection Analyst
We can customise a solution to fit your business needs.
+44 (0) 1908 200022
+1 703 574 5313