.CLUB Domains, the Registry operating the .CLUB new generic Top Level Domain (gTLD), has recently launched a new service that enables qualified trade mark holders to block .CLUB domain name registrations containing their trade marks. According to the .CLUB Domains’ press release, the Trademark Sentry Unlimited Name Blocking Service (UNBS) “protects a trademark from appearing in any portion of a domain with the popular .CLUB extension – literally covering trillions of permutations of a…

Nominet, the Registry responsible for operating the .UK country code Top Level Domain (ccTLD) for the United Kingdom, launched the registration of domain names directly under the .UK top level domain name extension back in June 2014.  Eligible registrants were given five years to secure their .UK domain names.  They only have a couple of months left as the reservation period is soon coming to an end. Before June 2014, domain name registrations were only…

doMEn d.o.o., the Registry for the .ME country code Top Level Domain (ccTLD), has recently announced that it would soon allow the registration of Internationalised Domain Names (IDNs) under .ME. IDNs are domain names that contain at least one non-ASCII character – for example, a character with diacritics like é, ü, ñ, or a Chinese character like 飛. Registering IDNs is already possible in many ccTLDs such as Belgium (.BE), Brazil (.BR), China (.CN), Hong…

In our earlier post we commented on IEDR´s (the Irish Registry for the .IE country code Top Level Domain) Public Consultation with a view to relaxing the registration policy for .IE domain names. Indeed, up until now, applicants for .IE domain names had to meet the following registration requirements: 1. A connection to Ireland (via Irish nationality, an Irish address, a company based in Ireland, a trade mark affording protection in Ireland, or proof of…

Malicious activities are an ongoing problem across the Internet and growth is increasing as a result of ever more sophisticated phishing attacks.  One ccTLD Registry that has demonstrated it is taking these issues very seriously is SIDN, the Registry for the .NL extension (Netherlands). The Anti-Phishing Working Group (APWG) regularly publishes a Phishing Activity Trends Report which analyses phishing attacks reported to them by its member companies and its Global Research Partners, through the organisation’s…

.STORAGE to be relaunched The XYZ.com Registry announced earlier this month that it had acquired .STORAGE, its tenth new generic Top Level Domain (gTLD).  XYZ.com already operates .XYZ, the largest new gTLD with just under 6 million registered domain names (which represents 22% of all registered new gTLDs), and eight others which it acquired afterwards: .COLLEGE, .RENT, .SECURITY, .PROTECTION, .THEATRE, as well as .CAR, .CARS, and .AUTO through a joint venture with Uniregistry.  The .STORAGE…