News of a new release of domain names in the imminent future is sending businesses scrambling to make plans for securing the .xxx for their brand – so cybersquatters don’t get in first!
The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) is set to begin registering the first .xxx domain names this month. The .xxx is designed to cater specifically for websites related to the adult industry. Apparently with the intention of enabling law enforcement authorities and parents of young children to identify and filter out these types of sites, by centralising their location.
But the release of the .xxx domain names could impact your brand if an adult site were to register your trademark as a .xxx.
Traffic heading for your site could end up in the .xxx leaving a question mark over the real services your business provides!
Or some crafty cybersquatters might feel taking a .xxx with your trademark might be a business venture that gives them the opportunity to get some money out of you.
What can you do?
Firstly, you must have a trademark registration in order to apply for a .xxx domain. So the very first thing to do is get your house in order – quickly!
If you do have a trademark registration already, you now have a small window in which you can reserve your trademarks, to stop third parties from registering them as .xxx domain names.
If you don’t have a trademark – give us a call so we can work out a strategy with you.
If you are interested in protecting your trade mark(s) from the .xxx domain name scheme, let us know. We would be happy to talk further with you about the costs and implications of this process.
More information
For information regarding possible implications for your business, contact Aspect Legal on 02 8006 0830, or [email protected]