Question

What are the advantages of "Protected Marks Lists" (TREx, DPML, Uni EPS and AdultBlock)?

Answer

This article explains the trademark protection services that are available through Openprovider:

• the DPML (Domains Protected Marks List) of portfolio registry Donuts
• the Uni EPS (Extended Protection Service) of portfolio registry UNR
• and the AdultBlock of portfolio registry ICM Registry.

This article lists the details of each service, including the covered extensions and pricing. This article contains the following sections:

• General introduction
• Summary of services
• Donuts' DPML
• Donuts' DPML Plus
• Uni EPS
• Uni EPS+
• AdultBlock
• AdultBlock+
• Covered extensions

General introduction

As a trademark holder, you may want to protect your name throughout numerous extensions, to prevent others from registering a domain in your name. This is a time consuming and costly exercise. A "protected marks list" service simplifies this exercise by blocking the trademark name in a number of extensions in just one single order at a price that is much lower than registering every domain separately.

We call this a "block". If the trademark name is "Openprovider" and you order a "block" on this trademark name, the respective registries will make all included domains with the name "openprovider" unavailable for registration, e.g. openprovider.email and openprovider.london. This implies that the domain is unavailable for the trademark holder as well! He cannot use it - it's just reserved.

Of course, in case the trademark holder wants to start using a specific domain, he can "override" the block. The domain name will then be released to the trademark holder.

In all cases, a valid and verified trademark is required. Verification must have been done by the Trademark Clearinghouse (TMCH). The SMD file that the trademark holder gets from the TMCH serves as the leading input for the Protected Marks List order. Each of the labels in the SMD file can serve as name to be blocked. During the full period of the Protected Marks List order, the trademark must remain verified; if not, the block may be cancelled.

Summary of services

For the widest coverage can be combined with DPML (Plus) and/or Uni EPS(+). If you are interested in ordering DPML or Uni EPS block, please contact your account manager via sales@openprovider.com. They will inform you about the required information.

If you have a Supreme Membership, please contact us for your discounted prices.

Donuts' DPML

Registry Donuts is the world's largest portfolio registry, managing more than 240 domain extensions. As soon as Donuts acquires an additional extension, it will be added to their DPML (Domains Protected Marks List) automatically.

Apart from the exact match of the trademark name, DPML can also be ordered for a term that includes that trademark name. The following table lists the options:

Each term counts as a separate DPML order. Premium and already registered domain names will not be included in the block.

Homograph protection

Donuts does not only protect the exact term that you specify. In addition, Donuts finds all Unicode characters which are confusingly similar to characters in the protected name (so-called homographs), and block all these variants as well. For example, a phisher may use the domain name gοοgle.com which looks legitimate - until you discover that the two O’s are actually Cyrillic characters. Hard to spot, even if you are trained to look for it.

This feature is enabled on all DPML orders, also the ones that were ordered before its introduction in September 2018.

Overrides

As a DPML block owner, you can at any moment override (start using) a domain that is included in the block. Contact us if you want to override one of your own names.

If you are not the DPML block owner, but you own a (verified) trademark that exactly matches the blocked term, you can override someone else's DPML block by submitting the SMD file. Contact us for more information.

No additional fees are charged for overrides.

Donuts' DPML Plus

The DPML Plus service of Donuts is an extension to the basic DPML service. The differences are the following:

• The validity period is 10 years
• The price is different
• The exact match of the trademark plus 3 additional labels; a label being a term that includes the trademark name (as illustrated in the table above) or a common misspelling of the trademark name
• Additional labels (without maximum) can be added at a price of $1.700 each
• Premium names will be included in the block, as long as they have not been registered yet
• Overrides by other parties with the same trademark are not allowed unless the DPML Plus block owner explicitly consents

Uni EPS

Update 2021-06-01: From the 1st of June 2021, Registry UNR reduced the offering of their UniEPS service. Only 10 (out of the original 23) extensions are included and the price reduced to $229. Existing orders will include all 23 original extensions until the next renewal date.

Registry and back-end provider UNR (former Uniregistry) manages a few dozen extensions and offers its platform to other registries as well. Each registry using the UNR platform may choose to add its extension(s) to the Uni EPS service.

The Uni EPS service covers standard and premium domains. Domains that are already registered at the moment the block is ordered are not included, but as soon as such domain is cancelled, it will be added to the block.

Overrides

As a Uni EPS block owner, you can at any moment override (start using) a domain that is included in the block. At the moment of the override, the domain is converted to a normal registration. The normal registration fee is charged and the domain's life cycle starts from the moment of the override. Contact us if you want to override one of your own names.

If you are not the Uni EPS block owner, but you own a (verified) trademark that exactly matches the blocked term, you can override someone else's Uni EPS block by submitting the SMD file. Contact us for more information.

No additional fees are charged for overrides.

Uni EPS+

The Uni EPS+ service of UNR is an extension to the basic Uni EPS service. The differences are the following:

• Uni EPS+ includes all Unicode IDN variants free of charge
• Uni EPS+ includes all additional labels in the SMD file
• The price is different

AdultBlock

ICM Registry manages four different adult-themed extensions: .xxx, .adult, .porn and .sex. The AdultBlock service covers standard and premium domains. Domains that are already registered at the moment the block is ordered are not included, but as soon as such domain is cancelled, it will be added to the block.

AdultBlock is available not only for trademark holders that let their trademark verify through TMCH, but also to protect your name if it is

• a registered trademark in any jurisdisction
• an unregistered trademark (also called "common law trademark")
• a company or organization name, including "trading as"
• a celebrity name

Also if you registered a so-called "Sunrise B" .xxx domain during the launch of .xxx in 2011, you are eligible for an AdultBlock. Find all details on adultblock.adult.

If the applicant does not complete or finalize an AdultBlock Services registration, ICM Registry will charge the verification fees (normally those verification fees are included in the AdultBlock fee). Those fees are $50,00.

Overrides

As an AdultBlock owner, you can at any moment override (start using) a domain that is included in the block. At the moment of the override, the domain is converted to a normal registration. The normal registration fee is charged and the domain's life cycle starts from the moment of the override. Contact us if you want to override one of your own names.

If you are not the AdultBlock owner, but you own a (verified) trademark that exactly matches the blocked term, you can override someone else's AdultBlock by submitting the SMD file. Contact us for more information.

No additional fees are charged for overrides.

AdultBlock+

The AdultBlock+ service of MMX is an extension to the basic AdultBlock service. The differences are the following:

• AdultBlock+ includes all Unicode IDN variants free of charge
• AdultBlock+ includes all additional labels in the SMD file
• The price is different

Covered extensions

At the moment of writing, these are the lists with covered extensions. We aim at regular updates of this page.