What is digital brand protection?
Digital Brand Protection involves proactively defending your brand in the digital space through the creation of a solid brand protection strategy to prevent illegal brand use and intellectual property violations’, by means of continuous monitoring of all data circulating the internet. Digital brand protection strategies involve managing your domain name portfolio through registering, recovering and acquiring new domain names to reinforce your brand identity and visibility and avoid costly litigation through digital brand enforcement.
Why is digital brand protection needed?
Implementing a digital brand strategy helps to safeguard your brand from various online abuses from cybersquatting/domain-squatting, trademark infringement, brand-jacking, typo squatting, web traffic diversions, unlawful defamation on various digital channels and other fraudulent, unauthorised online activity. Such cases of cybercrime ultimately steal from your bottom line. As the threats to brands evolves, so must your brand protection strategy. Digital brand protection increases your brand’s global reach by protecting your brand equity and optimising your brand positioning in the global marketplace.
Who needs digital brand protection?
All enterprises, both SMB’s and global brands, operating in the digital space require an effective digital brand strategy. Safeguarding your digital assets (domain names, digital channels & social media platforms, brand identity, website) is essential to an organisation’s success in the todays digitised world.
Can dotNice deliver a digital brand protection strategy for my business?
Yes. dotNice provide a complete suite of digital brand protection services. We provide expert account management and consultancy services to our clients in safeguarding their digital assets.
What is domain name portfolio management?
Domain name portfolio management involves proactively securing, developing and optimising an enterprises domain name portfolio including the registration, recovery, transferral, acquisition and brokerage of domain names globally. Domain name portfolio management requires ongoing analysis and account management to guarantee a brand’s digital assets are protected and safeguarded.
What is ICANN?
ICANN stands for the Internet Corporation of Assigned Names and Numbers. It is the governing body that regulates the allocation of domain names across the namespace of the internet. ICANN are the regulatory body that have introduced the new gTLD program.
What are Generic Top Level Domains (gTLD’s)?
Since January 12th 2012, ICANN released a series of new top level domains. Before this date a small number of top level domains names existed on the internet namespace (.com, .org, .net). A generic Top Level Domain is the extension at the end of a domain name.
How much do gTLD’s cost.
The price of a particular gTLD varies according to the price set by the registry in question.
What are ccTLD’S
Country code Top Level Domains internet Top Level Domains that are issued for a particular country or geographical territory. Examples include .ie (Ireland), .uk (United Kingdom) or .au (Australia).
What are IDN’s
Internationalised Domain names (IDN’s) are internet domain names that are presented in a particular native alphabet or language specific script. Examples include Chinese, Hebrew or Arabic.
What steps should my business take to benefit most from the new gTLD program?
To optimise your brand’s domain name portfolio dotNice recommends the following steps be taken:
a. List and register all trademarks with the Trademark Clearinghouse.
b. Assess all gTLD registrations/applications.
c. Review and analyse your existing domain name portfolio. Confirm that your business is compliant with all relevant domain name policies set by regulatory bodies.
d.Analyse your defensive registration strategy. Develop your defensive registration strategy
e. Where trademark infringement is occurring, pursue any cases with the URS and UDRP.
What should my defensive registration strategy be?
Protecting your Trademarks is crucial to the success of your business. With ICANN’s introduction of thousands of new gTLD’s it is highly recommended that you develop your domain name portfolio strategy. Defensively registering new domain names is a cost effective way to defend against potential future cyber-squatters or domain-squatters profiteering from your trademarks and ensure that your marks/brands are fully safeguarded.
Can dotNice register my mark across all new gTLD’s?
Yes.dotNice provides all related registration services across all international gTLD registries.
What is the Trademark Clearinghouse?
The Trademark Clearinghouse (TMCH) is a centralised database of authorised trademarks which allow brand owners to protect their marks. During Sunrise Periods, trademark holders or private persons can register their marks as domain names. Alerts are sent to the rights owners any time a replica of the domain name is registered. The TMCH focuses on protecting the intellectual property of trademark holders.
Can dotNice manage all my domain names in the Trademark Clearinghouse?
Yes. dotNice provide comprehensive management of all Trademark ClearingHouse processes.
Why should my business consider submitting Trademarks to the TMCH?
By registering your Trademark with the Trademark ClearingHouse, you will receive alerts and notifications anytime a domain is registered that already is connected to a trademark. This allows trademark owners to monitor their marks closely and prevent against potential trademark infringement.
What is the Uniform Rapid Suspension (URS)
The Uniform Rapid suspension provides streamlined support to trademark owners in cases of trademark violation, by suspending a particular domain name. In circumstances where infringement is unambiguous, the URS provide a cost effective and time efficient resolution service. In cases of trademark abuse where infringement is ambiguous, trademark owners must file a dispute with the Uniform Domain Names Dispute Resolution Policy (UDRP).
What is the Post-Delegation Dispute Resolution Procedure?
The Post-Delegation Dispute Resolution Procedure (PDDRP) protect rights owners or trademark owners against misconduct and malpractice by a registry operator. It serves as a platform for filing complaints against various registries.
Does dotNice provide any assistance in regard to violations against gTLD abuses?
Yes. dotNice provides all services required in protecting against trademark infringement and domain name violations’ or abuses’.
