To avoid the damage that cybersquatting and/or phishing can cause to trademark owners, a new protection system has just been launched. AdultBlock allows you to block domain name registrations in the extensions .ADULT, .PORN, .SEX and .XXX.
In 2011, when the .XXX extension was launched, its registry, the ICM Registry, provided a specific and unique mechanism allowing holders of intellectual property rights outside the sex industry to protect their trademarks by blocking related domain name registrations. As the anniversary date of this service approaches, ICM Registry is launching a new extended feature that covers all four extensions of the sex industry and offers two variants, AdultBlock and AdultBlock+.
It should be noted that the procedure does not consist in registering a domain name in .ADULT, .PORN, .SEX and/or .XXX but in requesting that such registrations be prohibited. It allows you to protect your brand from unwanted registrations on adult websites and the subsequent payment of an annual renewal fee for domain names.
Who is this service for?
On the one hand, for the owners of trademarks registered in the Trademark Clearinghouse (TMCH)*, On the other hand, for the holders of intellectual property rights of .XXX Sunrise B. It should be recalled that in 2011 these were the holders who were not members of the sponsored community .XXX. They were able, at the time, to block and make inoperable a name that had no connection with the pornographic industry.
How does it work?
AdultBlock allows trademark owners to block their names in a single operation in the four extensions .ADULT, .PORN, .SEX and .XXX. The so-called « premium » names, with significant economic or symbolic value, as well as names that fall into the public domain, are also covered by this service.
AdultBlock+ adds to this basic service the blocking of all variations of a brand or name. It also covers IDN characters and homoglyphs (characters whose similarity may be confusing). AdultBlock+ also covers more than 20 languages and scripts, including Chinese (simplified and traditional), French, German, Italian, Korean, Portuguese, and Russian.
What are its main advantages?
Protection: the service makes it possible to protect one’s brand against malicious conduct, particularly when it is likely to damage one’s image and reputation (cybersquatting, phishing, etc.),
Warranty: a term of protection of 1, 3, 5 or 10 years,
Cost: reduced compared to the cost of registering a name in the four extensions, for the same duration and without additional costs regardless of the number of variants. In addition, this system avoids disputes and costly procedures.
Expert advice
We encourage trademark owners to block the names corresponding to their main trademarks, and in case of doubt as to which trademark to protect, the question to ask is: « What are the trademarks for which the presence of an adult site of the same name can be harmful to me?”
Good to know: AdultBlock+ is at the AdultBlock price until December 31, 2019. To promote this new service, the registry allows brand owners to benefit from AdultBlock+ at the rate of the AdultBlock basic offer, provided it is subscribed for a period of 10 years.
To take advantage of the new AdultBlock and AdultBlock+ services now and protect your brands under the extensions .ADULT, .PORN, .SEX and .XXX, we recommend that you contact your EBRAND advisor as soon as possible.
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*The Trademark Clearinghouse (TMCH) database aims to protect trademarks registered in the context of the creation of new generic extensions. The presence of a brand in this database gives it priority access to the Sunrise period when opening each new domain name extension. It also allows you to assert your rights in the event of an attempt by a third party to register a domain name corresponding to your trademark.
