A Stitch in Time…..The New gTLD Trademark Clearinghouse
Opens. Have You Planned Your Brand Protection Strategy?
The start of the new gTLD system is upon us. The Internet
Corporation For Assigned Names and Numbers
(“ICANN”) anticipates making the first
of around 1900 new gTLDs available in mid-2013. Release will
happen on a staggered basis with the first likely to be Chinese
followed by other foreign language domain names and then gTLDs in
English that have no competing bidders. A full list of the
proposed new gTLDs is set out on the ICANN website.
There are significant consequences in all of this for brand
owners and the likelihood of a very substantial spike in
cybersquatting. After much debate and negotiation, the
Trademark Clearinghouse has been developed to help alleviate some
of the risks. The Trademark Clearinghouse will enable brand
owners to register their trade marks to a centralised database
which will facilitate both a “Trademark Claims”
