Secure Your Trademarks with Sunrise Domain Registration
During Sunrise periods, trademark holders have priority to secure domains under new gTLDs before they open to the public.
EBRAND manages the entire Sunrise process for you, monitoring new launches, validating trademarks, and filing applications on time, so your brand stays protected worldwide.
About Sunrise Domain Registration
The Sunrise period is the first phase of a new generic Top-Level Domain (gTLD), giving trademark holders exclusive rights to secure matching domains before public availability, reducing cybersquatting, impersonation, and disputes.
Missing this opportunity allows cybersquatters, counterfeiters, and impersonators to register valuable names first, leading to phishing, brand abuse, and costly recovery actions. Each registry sets its own rules for eligibility, trademark proof, and submission deadlines, which makes global portfolio protection complex.
Purpose
Grants trademark owners priority access to register matching domains before General Availability, ensuring they control critical brand assets from the start.
Coverage
Applies to new gTLDs and other qualifying launches, with specific eligibility and documentation requirements set by each registry.
Notice
Works alongside the Trademark Clearinghouse (TMCH), which issues Claims Notices to alert registrants if they attempt to register a domain name matching an existing mark after the Sunrise period.
Outcome
Provides defensive ownership of high-value domains, reducing infringement risk, phishing exposure, and the need for costly enforcement actions in the future.
Sunrise and TMCH Programs
ICANN’s rights-protection mechanisms give trademark owners priority to register domains in new generic Top-Level Domains (gTLDs) and provide alerts on potential conflicts. Preparing trademarks in advance ensures you can secure essential domains before public launch and minimize infringement risks.
TMCH Sunrise Service
To access Sunrise, trademarks must first be validated in the Trademark Clearinghouse (TMCH). The TMCH then issues a Signed Mark Data (SMD) file, which authorizes exact-match registrations during each registry’s Sunrise phase. Because timing, eligibility criteria, and allocation methods vary across TLDs, early planning is critical. EBRAND streamlines the process by identifying relevant launches, validating marks, and submitting applications on time, ensuring your brand secures must-have domains before They Become Available to the General Public.
Sunrise Execution
Managing Sunrise registrations manually involves handling TMCH validation, SMD files, registry-specific rules, and strict deadlines; any misstep can result in the loss of priority rights. Partnering with a specialist like EBRAND reduces operational risk and ensures critical domains are secured without delays.
Preparation
Audit your trademark portfolio to identify exact-match labels, confirm ownership records, and validate marks in the Trademark Clearinghouse (TMCH). Obtain SMD files and map each trademark to relevant gTLDs, including language scripts and IDNs where applicable.
Execution
Submit Sunrise applications within each registry’s designated window, in line with allocation policies (first-come or auction-based). Retain confirmations for every submission and track contention sets until they are resolved.
Follow-Up
Enable TMCH Claims to alert against matching registrations, monitor General Availability for lookalike domains, and apply defensive registrations or blocking services where cost-effective. If preventative measures are insufficient, consider pursuing formal dispute mechanisms, such as URS or UDRP.
Conclusion
The Sunrise phase provides the most effective route to proactive domain protection, but it is operationally complex. EBRAND coordinates validation, filings, and monitoring across multiple registries, ensuring your priority domains are secured on time and within budget.
