GlobalBlock
Why block domains?
Implementing a defensive domain registration strategy and using the TMCH Sunrise Service require trademark holders to invest human and financial resources. The domain blocking services offer a cost-effective alternative to protect your brand against unauthorised domain registrations. Depending on the selected service and provider, registrations under the corresponding character strings are blocked.
- Exact match block
- One block per label
GlobalBlock
With the GlobalBlock domain blocking service, you can protect your trademark rights under more than 600 domain extensions for up to three years. With the Priority AutoCatch feature, domains containing your brand terms are actively monitored around the clock. If they are not renewed, AutoCatch blocks them directly at the registry before they are released for general registration.
- Protects exact-match trademarks under more than 600 TLDs
- Priority AutoCatch secures squatter domains that become available
- One block per label
- Validity 1 / 2 / 3 years
- All main labels
- Homoglyph confusable characters
GlobalBlock+
GlobalBlock+ offers the most comprehensive blocking protection.
This service additionally blocks homoglyphs, i.e. similar-looking characters, for all main labels in the IPR number and the SMD file.
- Protects all main labels in the IPR number and the SMD file
- as well as (homoglyph) variants
- Priority AutoCatch secures squatter domains that become available
- one block for all main labels
- Validity 1 / 2 / 3 years
- GoDaddy
- Identity Digital
- ShortDot
- Uniregistry
The services AdultBlock & AdultBlock plus by GoDaddy are explicitly intended for protecting trademarks and brand labels under the adult TLDs .xxx, .porn, .sex and .adult. Holders can use these services to proactively protect online reputation by preventing registrations relevant to their trademark under these TLDs.
AdultBlock
AdultBlock+
With the Domains Protected Marks List service (DPML service) trademark holders can protect their trademarks in the new gTLD cosmos under all Identity Digital TLDs. The DMPL blocking service as well as the DMPL plus blocking service can be booked with different periods directly at InterNetX in AutoDNS.
DPML
DPML+
The domain blocking service offered by ShortDot covers many keyword variations. Depending on the selected service, exact match combinations, homonyms, IDNs and premium domains in different languages can be protected against unauthorised registration. Five names can be blocked per trademark.
ShortBlock Business
ShortBlock Homonym
ShortBlock Wildcard
The Uni EPS blocking service & Uni EPS plus blocking service include ten top-level domains, under which unauthorized domain registrations can be prevented. Trademark holders can block brand keywords that they have registered in the Trademark Clearinghouse (TMCH). The period for both services is one year.
Uni EPS
Uni EPS+
| Registry program | TLDs included | SMD file required | Typo protection | Homonym protection | Premium domains | Period in years |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
600+ |
No |
– |
|
|
1 | 2 | 3 |
|
GlobalBlock+ |
600+ |
No |
|
|
|
1 | 2 | 3 |
|
AdultBlock service (GoDaddy) |
4 |
|
– |
|
|
1 | 3 | 5 | 10 |
|
AdultBlock service plus (GoDaddy) |
4 |
|
– |
|
|
1 | 3 | 5 | 10 |
|
DPML blocking service (Identity Digital) |
275+ |
|
via Add label |
|
|
1 | 3 | 5 | 10 |
|
DPML blocking service plus (Identity Digital) |
275+ |
|
3 |
|
|
1 | 3 | 5 | 10 |
|
ShortBlock service business (Shortdot) |
5 |
|
– |
|
|
1 | 3 | 5 | 10 |
|
ShortBlock service homonym (Shortdot) |
5 |
|
variable labels |
|
|
1 | 3 | 5 | 10 |
|
ShortBlock service wildcard (Shortdot) |
5 |
|
variable labels |
|
|
1 | 3 | 5 | 10 |
|
Uni EPS blocking service (UNR) |
10 |
|
like SMD file |
|
|
1 |
|
Uni EPS plus blocking service (UNR) |
10 |
|
like SMD file |
|
|
1 |
Alle Services zeigen
The ordering process.
Step 1
Register trademark at TMCH
Many providers require the fulfillment of Trademark Clearinghouse (TMCH) criteria before providing the service. This means that trademark holders must be able to provide proof of a valid entry in the TMCH database. The validity of trademark ownership is issued by means of a signed mark data file through the TMCH entry.
InterNetX is an offical TMCH agent and can take care of this procedure for business partners (subject to a fee).
Step 2
Submit signed mark data file (SMD)
As soon as the trademark has been successfully registered in TMCH, a signed mark data file ("SMD – signed mark data") is made available. The SMD contains all the essential information about the mark and any other sub-brands and clearly proves the ownership of trademark rights. The registries trust the validity of the validation process.
Step 3
Select domain blocking service
Trademark owners then decide under which top-level domains they want to protect their brand names and any relevant character combinations (exact match / typo variations) and check which registry offers a blocking service for the selected TLDs.
Note: With 1,589+ TLDs in the DNS, this can be a tedious process. InterNetX provides support and offers comprehensive and cost-effective solutions with the DomainBlocking-Service Premium packages.
Step 4
SMD validation
Once the trademark holder has opted for one or more services, InterNetX takes care of the process and transmits the SMD to the respective blocking service providers. The selected blocking service solutions takes effect after validation is complete.
Step 5
Character strings are blocked
The registries block the trademark keywords with the exact corresponding character string (exact matches), possibly with typos (if selected) as well as mixed script or homoglyphic variations of the domains (typo variations) under the relevant TLDs, thereby preventing unlawful registrations by third parties for the duration of the booked period.
Note: As with domains, the tasks CREATE, TRANSFER, UPDATE and DELETE apply for domain blocking services.
FAQ.
Domain blocking is an effective brand protection tool for professional digital brand domain management. By preventing unrestricted domain registrations in advance, trademark abuse in the DNS is curbed.
Depending on the selected blocking service and the responsible registry, this is done by blocking registrations of a registered brand trademark as exact match (and potentially also in different variations such as plural, last letter doubling, homographs, typo variations etc.) under one or more top-level domains during a defined period (minimum 1 year).
Domains that are currently registered remain unaffected by the service. They can only be included in the service after they have been deleted. As with domains, the tasks CREATE, TRANSFER, UPDATE and DELETE apply for domain blocking services.
Domain blocking services offer a cost-effecient means of proactively protecting a brand in the domain name system. Along with Trademark Clearinghouse Claims and Sunrise Service or defensive domain registrations, they work effectively against trademark infringements in the DNS.
A huge advantage: In contrast to both other brand protection mechanisms, domain blocking services are very efficient, effective and resource-friendly. As the service can be booked for longer periods, financial and human resources are generally much lower.
Domain blocking is well-suited to protecting brands and product names against damage to reputation and image, especially in the world of new gTLDs. Trademark holders can use domain blocking to prevent domain registrations with their mark under, for example, .xxx or other adult TLDs or to prevent customer data ending up in the wrong hands due to domain or typosquatting.
A defensive domain registration strategy follows a different approach. It is used to generate a stronger reputation in the domain name system and tap into international markets. A broad domain portfolio creates more points of contact with the brand and allows for the targeted use of “speaking” domains like yourbrand.shop, yourbrand.blog or yourbrand.jobs.
The costs and invoicing variants for domain blocking services differ according to the selected offer and provider. This is a short overview:
- GlobalBlock (invoicing per label)
- GlobalBlock+ (invoicing for all labels)
- DPML (invoicing per SMD file)
- DPML+ (invoicing per SMD file)
- Uni EPS (invoicing per label)
- Uni EPS+ (invoicing per SMD file)
- AdultBlock (invoicing per SMD file)
- AdultBock+ (invoicing per SMD file)
- ShortBlock Business (invoicing per SMD file)
- ShortBlock Homonym (invoicing per SMD file)
- ShortBlock Wildcard (invoicing per SMD file)
Please note: The InterNetX Domain-Blocking Services are only available to customers that have specified "Post payment" as the payment method in AutoDNS.
Override is the only exception under which blocked domains can be registered. It is always subject to a fee. It is only possible for trademark owners who have registered an identical mark in the Trademark Clearinghouse. The party wishing to carry out an override must have an identical trademark as well as a valid SMD file issued by the TMCH. An override can only be granted if these requirements are met. Request for overrides may naturally be submitted to InterNetX.
Get more information about the override in the InterNetX Help Center.
Yes. If the service is not canceled, it is automaticall renewed (auto-renew) by a period of one year. A cancelation must be submitted in writing and is – like the Create – a manual process.
Please note that this can take a while to process.
Individual top-level domains that are included in a domain blocking service can not be removed. The principle “all or none” applies. This means that all the top-level domains that are bundled under the respective blocking service must be removed or unblocked.
If you want to use and register a blocked domain without unblocking the entire domain block in a package, you can use an override (subject to a fee).
