Lexsynergy Limited - Domain Names & Brand Protection

Important notice concerning AF | CX | GS | GY | HT | KI | MS | NF | and SB ccTLD's

2011-11-08T15:11:00.001Z

CoCCA, the registry provider for the above ccTLDs, will from 7 November 2011 start requiring registrant and administrative contacts to activate their domain name registrations or renewals.

On the registration, renewal or change of registrant the administrative contact and the registrant will receive two emails.

One is a "welcome" message, the second one is an "activation" email with a link that the recipients must click on, within 21 days, to

1. accept the TLD Registrant Agreement and AUP policy; and

2. confirm the validity of their contact details.

A new domain will not be activated after registration unless the domain has been confirmed by clicking on the above-mentioned link. If the domain has not been activated within 21 days after the registration, the domain will be suspended and then deleted.

On renewal or change of a registrant the policy must again be accepted and the contact details confirmed within 21 days or the domain will be suspended. In this case the domain will be forwarded to a parking page until it has been confirmed.

.XXX Landrush Starts on 8 Nov 2011

2011-11-08T08:44:00.001Z

The .XXX Landrush begins on 8 November 2011 and will run for approximately 18 days.

During this period only those who are members of the adult Sponsored Community can apply for .XXX domain names. Apart from being a member of the adult Sponsored Community, there are no trade mark or pre-ownership rights requirement during this phase of the launch.

There is no first come, first served ranking during the Landrush. At the end of the Landrush period, those .XXX domain names with a single applicant will be automatically allocated. However, those .XXX domain names with more than one applicant will proceed to a closed mini-auction between the competing parties only.

Landrush is designed for those members of the adult Sponsored Community that want to secure premium .XXX domain names.

The application fee is £180 (ex VAT).

XXX Sunrise B Price Reduction

2011-10-26T19:24:00.000+01:00

Over 42 000 .XXX domain name applications have been filed during the Sunrise Period (ending 28 October 2011).

Sunrise B is the time when trademark owners can apply to opt-out of .XXX (blocked).

Sunrise B is aimed at applicants from outside of the adult Sponsored Community. These applicants are owners of a qualifying trademark registration, who want to reserve names in order to ensure that those names are not registered as domain names by others in .XXX.

In order to allow trade mark owners to take advantage of the last few days of the Sunrise Period we are reducing the Sunrise B application fee to £135.00 ($229.50).

All applications are pre-screened by the Lexsynergy team to ensure that they comply with the Launch Policies and to avoid rejected applications.

Watch the .XXX promotional video here.

.XXX Sunrise Launch - 7 Sept 2011

2011-09-07T09:19:00.003+01:00

What is .XXX?

The adult entertainment industry has, and always will, account for a large amount of content on the Internet and while it is enjoyed by some, it is not suitable, or of interest, to all internet users. Increasingly, Internet users are coming into contact with content that they do not wish to see and in turn, others finding it hard to locate exactly what they are looking for, due to a decrease in availability for precise and clear domain names.

The creation of .XXX will create a clearly signposted place where adult entertainment can be accessed and allow surfers to have a clear idea of the nature of the site before they click, rather than after.

.XXX isn't just a helpful distinction. It's the progressive new home for adult entertainment online.

Relevance to Trade Mark Owners

.XXX is specifically reserved for members of the online adult entertainment industry however trade mark owners will be allowed to block third parties from registering .XXX domain names that match their trade marks. It is highly recommended that trade mark owners take advantage of SUNRISE B to block the use of their trade mark within the .XXX Top Level Domain. Once a .XXX domain is blocked it will permanently prevent another party from registering that domain. Once blocked the trade mark owner will not have to renew the domain name, the Sunrise B fee is a once-off expense. The SUNRISE B application MUST be considered for all key trade marks.

Launch Dates

.XXX will launch in three phases:

Phase 1: Sunrise AT, Sunrise AD and Sunrise B - starts (7 September 2011 – 28 October 2011)

Phase 2: Landrush (8 November 2011 – 25 November 2011)

Phase 3: General Availability (6 December 2011 onwards)

Phase1

Sunrise AT

Registered trade mark owners that are involved in the online adult entertainment industry.

Sunrise AD

Owners of registered domain names that are involved in the online adult entertainment industry.

Sunrise B

Owners of registered trade marks can apply to opt-out of .XXX.

For more information or if you wish to discuss a .xxx brand protection strategy email xxx@lexsynergy.com or call +442081331319.

New gTLD Webinar - Register Now!

2011-07-14T16:39:00.002+01:00

The New Frontier of the Internet…

Due to a historic announcement on 20th June 2011 by the global Internet regulator (The Internet Corporation of Assigned Names and Numbers – www.icann.org), the Domain Name industry is about to undertake the biggest revolution the internet has ever seen.

This never before seen program will allow eligible candidates apply to ICANN for new Top-Level Domains (TLDs) as of January 2012, for only a limited 90 day period.

It is anticipated that the program will provide hundreds of new TLDs such as;

Governments (.london or .capetown)

Entrepreneurs (.sport or .music)

Corporations (.nike or .ebay)

These new TLDs will be designed to co-exist with today’s current TLDs such as .com or .info.

As a result of this program, which has now been formally launched across the world, it is vital that organisations understand the impact it will have on their current digital strategies and undertake an immediate assessment of the risks and opportunities.

Global industry leader AusRegistry International, in collaboration with Lexsynergy Limited, will be operating a webinar to help interested organisations understand the impact of these changes. It is recommended that brand, corporate, legal, marketing or technology representatives alike make themselves available for this webinar in order to obtain a clear view on the implications of the new TLD program.

The Webinar will cover:

• New Top-Level Domain program overview

• Risk Assessment

• Opportunity Evaluation

• Provide requirements for participation, and

• Information on how to apply for your own TLD should you wish to do so

Title: The New Frontier of the Internet

Date: Wednesday, July 20, 2011

Time: 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM CAT

If you would like an invite to the webinar please email domains@lexsynergy.com

com.gh Local Presence Service

2011-06-09T11:20:00.002+01:00

Lexsynergy is pleased to announce that is now offers a local presence service for com.gh domain names.

Ghana has a population of approximately 24 million, which combined with its natural resources make it an attractive country for business growth within Africa.

Securing your domain name in Ghana is the first step towards protecting your brand in that country.

For more information email domains@lexsynergy.com.

.ASIA IDN Sunrise Period is Open

2011-06-08T17:13:00.001+01:00

DotAsia is introducing Simplified and Traditional Chinese, Japanese and Korean IDN characters under the TLD .ASIA.

For more information please read the .ASIA IDN Policy here.

Sunrise Period: May 11 (12:00 UTC) to July 20, 2011 (24:00 UTC)

The Sunrise is divided into three concurrent phases:

Sunrise 1 (SR1): for domains from the governmental reserved names list

Sunrise 2 (SR2): for registered trademarks

Sunrise 3 (SR3): for registered names and extended protection (e.g. for ASCII .ASIA domain name holders with Romanized or transliterated names).

Landrush Period: August 2 (12:00 UTC) to October 11, 2011 (24:00 UTC)

The regular ASCII .ASIA prices apply, minimum registration period: 2 years.

If only one application is received for a domain name during Sunrise and Landrush, the domain will be allocated to the applicant. If there is more than one successful application for the same domain name, the domain will go to an auction.

.XXX Accreditation

2011-05-05T09:07:00.002+01:00

Lexsynergy Limited was recently part of the first set of ICANN registrars to be accredited to promote and sell .XXX domain names.

Lexsynergy will shortly be releasing information relating to the launch of .XXX. Although this Top Level Domain is reserved for the online adult entertainment industry, trade mark owners will be given the opportunity to register domain names matching its trade marks.

ICM (.XXX Registry) have opened a pre-reservation service that allows both members and non members of the Sponsored Community (online adult entertainment industry and those supplying products or services to that industry) the opportunity to register expressions of interest in certain domain names. The actual domain names will be allocated in due course via a number of phases. Providing expressions of interest now will ensure that you get notified in advance of the appropriate allocation period and about the availability of the names you have indicated.

There is no charge for pre-reserving your domain name, simply send an email to xxx@lexsynergy.com with the domain names you wish to pre-reserve.

Beginning of the Landrush phase of .SA (Saudi Arabia)

2011-05-02T11:53:00.009+01:00

SaudiNIC (.SA Registry) has announced the launch of the Landrush phase of the second level domain .SA.

During this phase second level domains will be registered on a "first come, first served basis" according to SaudiNIC’s regulations and procedures.

Register your .sa domain name at www.lexsynergy.com.

.ee IDN Launch

2011-05-02T10:48:00.003+01:00

Registration of domain names containing letters with diacritical marks (IDN)

On 13 June 2011 Estonian Internet Foundation (EIF) will release IDN domain names to the general public.

The EIF in cooperation with the Association of the Estonian Patent Attorneys have introduced a reservation priod of .ee domain names containing letters with diacritical marks before the commencement of the general registration.

During the reservation period you can submit applications for domain names with the following varieties:

1. a business name (including a self-employed person’s business) entered in the Estonian Commercial Register or a name entered in the register of non-profit associations and foundations;
2. a trademark registered in Estonia;
3. the surname of a physical person; and
4. the first name(s) and surname of the physical person.

Relevant dates:

16 May 2011– 5 June 2011 – application submission period.

6 June 2011–12 June 2011 – verification of applications.

13 June 2011 – registration on a "first come, first served basis" of .ee domain names containing letters with diacritical marks.

Note: Before applying please read the Rules relating to .ee IDNs.

For details email domains@lexsynergy.com or visit www.lexsynergy.com to register your .ee domain name.

.ASIA IDN Launch

2011-04-21T17:02:00.003+01:00

.ASIA IDN Launch

The International Domain Name (IDN) launch of .Asia will begin on 11 May 2011.

IDN Languages to be launched:

Chinese (Simplified and Traditional)
Japanese
Koren

The launch will comprise of two periods:

1. Sunrise Period 11 May 2011 – 20 July 2011

2. Landrush Period 2 August 2011 – 11 October 2011

Auctions will be held for domains receiving more than one successfully verified application.

The Sunrise Period will allow holders of registered trade marks and later company names (within the DotAsia Community) to secure their domain name before the Landrush Period.

Short and numeric .tel domains

2011-04-21T13:51:00.005+01:00

From 1st June 2011 (3 pm British Standard Time (BST)) you will be able to register a numeric-only or a short two-character .tel.

This launch will consist of two phases, namely a Landrush and General Availability.

What is the difference between Landrush (1 June 2011, 3pm BST) and General Availability (14 June 2011 3pm BST)?

During Landrush, anyone wishing to secure a short or numeric-only .tel domain will be able to do so at a premium price. During General Availability the registration price will be lower than the Landrush price.

How it works

What: two-character (aa.tel or a1.tel) and numeric-only domains between 2 and 7 digits with or without hyphens
How: First-come first-served basis through Lexsynergy Limited.
When: From 3 p.m. BST on June 1st for Landrush; from 3 p.m. BST on June 14th for general availability

Exceptions

The following domains will not be available for registration:

One-letter (from a.tel through to z.tel) and one-digit domains (from 0.tel through to 9.tel)
Two-character country code top level domains (ccTLDs, such as uk.tel)
Combinations of digits and/or digit and hyphen strings that contain eight or more characters (for example, 12345678.tel or 123-5678.tel)

For more information email domains@lexsynergy.com

.SO Launches 1 April 2011 - No Joke

2011-03-31T19:46:00.002+01:00

On 1 April 2011 the .SO Top Level Domain (TLD) assigned to Somalia will be opened to the general public, allowing the registration of .SO domain names on a “first come, first served bases” without restriction.

Since .SO has endless branding opportunities, such as espres.so and provi.so, it should be secured at the first available opportunity. Trade mark owners should also consider registering defensive domain names to prevent squatting within this new TLD.

Lexsynergy is an accredited domain names registrar and has started accepting applications for the 1 April 2011 launch. Email domains@lexsynergy.com for more information or register your .SO domain name at www.lexsynergy.com. Lexsynergy is an accredited .SO registrar.

.XXX Approved

2011-03-24T16:21:00.006Z

On Friday March 18 2011 ICANN approved the launch of the .xxx TLD (Top Level Domain) despite the objections of governments and pornographers.

While .xxx is aimed at members of the adult entertainment industry only, defensive registrations of trade marks are allowed.

The ICM Registry (the registry operating the .xxx TLD) will begin with a Sunrise period, which will allow trade mark owners that are not involved in the adult entertainment industry to protect their trade marks from infringements within the TLD. These defensive domain name registrations would not resolve but simply block the registration of the matching domain name.

While the launch date has not been finalized, we would advise all trade mark owners to apply for the reservation of their core trade marks as soon as possible.

The registry currently allows a free ‘Pre-Reservation’ of domain names which will be reviewed at a later stage. Applicants must simply have a domain registration of the same mark in a recognized TLD, such as a .com, co.za (South Africa) or co.uk (United Kingdom). Once approved, these reservations will be made available for registration to the applicant for a limited period. Should the applicant choose not to register the reserved domain name, it will be released to the public.

Email domains@lexsynergy.com for assistance in reserving your .xxx domain name.

MW (Malawi) Domains

2011-02-17T15:38:00.003Z

Malawi is a small landlocked African country nestled between Zambia, Tanzania and Mozambique.

.MW is the ccTLD (country code Top Level Domain) assigned to Malawi. The following Second Level Domains can also be registered:

AC.MW, BIZ.MW CO.MW, COM.MW, COOP.MW, EDU.MW, GOV.MW, INT.MW, NET.MW, ORG.MW

The most popular extensions are .MW, CO.MW and COM.MW. There are no restrictions to register domain names within these extensions.

.KE (Kenya) Growing

2011-02-17T15:36:00.002Z

It appears that the number of registered Kenyan domain names is on the increase. KENIC (Kenya Network Information Center) currently adminsters over 15 000 KE domain names.

Updated statistics can be viewed at https://registry.kenic.or.ke /statistics.jsp (note: the security certificate has not been renewed on the page).

Although the numbers are relatively low compared to more popular ccTLDs such as .de (Germany) and co.uk (United Kingdom) they are positive and moving in the right direction.

To register your Kenyan domain name visit www.Lexsynergy.co.ke.

.NG Registrations - BI.NG

2011-02-17T15:27:00.001Z

Trade mark owners that have substantial amounts of cash can now splash out on some .NG domain names.

Nigeria Internet Registration Association (NIRA) is allowing limited registrations of Second Level Domains (SLD). This promotion allows potential buyers to bypass the auction process and pay a pre-determined value for a .NG SLD.

The cost is N7,500,000 (approximately £30 000 or $46 0000). If the domain name is identical to the buyers corporate name or trade mark the cost will be reduced to N3,000,000 (approximately £12 000 $19 000).

This is not cheap but you could own domain names such as:

buyi.ng
accounti.ng
amazi.ng
biki.ng
banki.ng

Some domain names already registered include:

gmail.ng
googli.ng
youtube.ng
3m.ng
google.ng
bi.ng

The auction phase is divided into three parts:

Platinum Domain Auction
Gold Domain Auction
Diamond Domain Auction

The Auction Policy document provided by NIRA is confusing so it is suggested that each applicant read it carefully. The Auction Policy document can be read here.

Lexsynergy can process your .ng application.

Unregistered Rights Sunrise phase started on 14 February 2011

2011-02-17T15:24:00.000Z

Close of Registered Rights Sunrise phase

Following the closure of the IP rights validation period of the Registered Rights Sunrise phase for the release of short .uk domains on 31 January, 99 uncontested domains were registered.

Unregistered Rights Sunrise phase starts on 14 February

The Unregistered Rights Sunrise phase starts at midday (12.00 GMT) on 14 February 2011. The first step of this two-stage process is for applicants to submit an application for the domain name they would like to register to Nominet via a registrar. This application stage closes at midday (12.00 GMT) on 16 March 2011.

The second stage is for applicants to use the application reference number they receive from Nominet to submit the evidence of their unregistered rights to the IP rights validation agency, CMS Cameron McKenna. This validation stage closes at midday (12.00 BST) on 31 March 2011.

Email domains@lexsynergy.com for more information on how to apply for a short .uk domain name during the Unregistered Rights Sunrise phase.

SZ – Swaziland (The landlocked domain)

2011-01-28T17:25:00.001Z

Swaziland is a small Africa country entirely landlocked by the Republic of South Africa (a country within a country). Swaziland has, over the years, been devastated by HIV/AIDS, with one of the highest infection rates in world.

This country, like so many other African countries, desperately needs direct investment and job creation initiatives. A potential source of income is the Internet supported by the Swaziland gateway being the ccTLD (country code Top Level Domain) co.sz.

Co.sz is a restricted ccTLD, which means a domain name can only be registered by a local Swazi company or citizen. In addition an application form needs to be submitted in original form, via a local Swaziland ISP, to the SZ Registry (SISPA – Swaziland ISP Association), which approves each application at a board meeting held once a month.

These restrictive registration requirements and procedures are counter productive and discourage local and foreign companies from registering domain names in Swaziland. Instead most tend to opt for gTLDs (such as .com or .net). Opening up the SZ ccTLD to the rest of the world could potentially result in the increase of domain name registrations and consequently much needed revenue for the country.

It is believed that SISPA is concerned that opening up the SZ ccTLD to all will increase infringements and online scams. This risk is real but mechanisms can be introduced to handles such issues. This can be done through the introduction of a dispute resolution procedure and take-down notices, which can be co-ordinated through SISPA.

Making a domain name registration more complicated than filing a trade mark is a substantial barrier to the growth of the Internet in Swaziland. More domains = more money = more jobs.

Sudan – A possible new TLD for Africa

2011-01-28T17:23:00.001Z

The referendum in Southern Sudan has the potential to create a new country on the African continent. The name of this potential new country is yet unknown but in its creation a space will be made available for a new ccTLD extension.

Currently Sudan uses the ccTLD .sd , which will in all probability remain with the northern state.

It is anticipated that the allocation of a new ccTLD will only be considered once the political system for the new country has been established.

South African Spammers Hall of Shame

2011-01-28T17:22:00.000Z

Do spammers have no shame? Well now, South African spammers do!

The Internet Service Providers’ Association (ISPA) the organisation that represents the vast majority of ISPs in South Africa has published a list of spammers on its website (http://www.ispa.org.za/spam/hall-of-shame).

The intention behind the list is “to assist South African consumers to effectively manager local unsolicited bulk email“.

According to its website ISPA believes that consumers should only receive bulk mail that they have requested and/or consented to receive and/or which they would expect to receive as a result of an existing relationship.

What does ISPA consider to be spam?

All unsolicited bulk e-mail is spam with the following exceptions:

Mail sent by one party to another where there is already a prior relationship between the two parties and subject matter of the message(s) concerns that relationship, is not spam.
Mail sent by one party to another with the explicit consent of the receiving party, is not spam.

Ironically www.stressballs.co.za has found itself on the Hall of Shame.

Hopefully, ISPAs efforts assist in reducing the amount of spam that fills our inboxes. In the meantime, SHAME ON YOU SPAMMERS.

CO.ZA a potential target for squatters

2011-01-28T17:18:00.001Z

During December 2010 a news article was published on Sedo.com citing South Africa’s co.za extension as a “Rising Star”. The article seems to promote co.za as a valuable extension for domain name investors mentioning that there were over $1,000,000 worth of documented co.za aftermarket sales in 2010. The complete article can be read here.

The flip side of the coin is the increase in cybersquatting and typosquatting activities within co.za. Three co.za complaints (maxdupreez.co.za, pic.co.za and digicert.co.za) have already been filed with the South African Institute of Intellectual Property Law (SAIIPL) this year. Twelve complaints were filed during 2007, the year in which the ZA Alternative Dispute Resolution (zaADR) was launched. In 2008 and 2009 an additional 26 complaints were filed . 2010 saw the highest number of complaints filed with the SAIIPL (25).

The new found co.za fame is keeping trade mark owners busy not to mention their lawyers. Although squatting activities cannot be eliminated the exposure to such risk can be reduced through a co-ordinated strategy of registering trade mark related domain names for defensive purposes. Groupon have also been bitten by the co.za “Rising Star” losing out on groupon.co.za. Could this be the next zaADR complaint?

.SA (Saudi Arabia) Domain Name Sunrise Period Launch

2011-01-10T16:49:00.005Z

SaudiNIC (.SA Registry) recently announced the beginning of the Sunrise Period for the Second Level Domain (SLD) (.SA). It is now possible to register for example domain.sa based on the domain registration domain.com.sa.

The Sunrise Period begins on 10 of January 2011 until 7 March 2011. During this period SaudiNIC will accept applications that match Third Level Domain registrations registered before 6 December 2010.

Email domains@lexsynergy.com for assistance in submitting your application.

.LK (Sri Lanka) IDN Registrations

2011-01-10T16:36:00.002Z

The LK Domain Registry is now accepting registration requests for the .ලංකා and .இலங்கை IDN domain names.

Email domains@lexsynergy.com should you require assistance.

NIRA (.NG) AUCTION

2011-01-10T16:27:00.005Z

The Second Level Domain (SLD) .NG Buy Now Promotion which began on 22 December 2010 ends on 29 January 2011. This promotion allows potential buyers to bypass the auction process and pay a pre-determined value for a .NG SLD.

The cost is N7,500,000 (approximately £30 000 or $46 000). If the domain name is identical to the buyers corporate name or trade mark the cost will be reduced to N3,000,000 (approximately £12 000 $19 000).

This is not cheap but you could own domain name such as:

buyi.ng
accounti.ng
amazi.ng
biki.ng
banki.ng

If you cannot afford the Buy Now Promotion the Auction process may be the next best option to secure your .NG SLD.

The auction is divided into three parts:

Platinum Domain Auction
Gold Domain Auction
Diamond Domain Auction

The Auction Policy document provided by NIRA is confusing so we suggest you read it carefully and send your questions to Lexsynergy (domains@lexsynergy.com) so we we can obtain an answer from NIRA. The Auction Policy document can be read here.

50,000 Free .NG Domains for Nigeria

2011-01-10T16:18:00.003Z

This is not a scam but a promotion by NIRA (Nigerian Internet Registration Association) and the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) to coincide with the Golden Jubilee of independence.

During the period 31 December 2010 to 21 March 2011 domain names can be registered at no cost for a period of one year. The promotion covers the following extensions:

com.ng
org.ng
name.ng
mobi.ng

It is worthwhile to note that domain names registered during this promotion must be used within six months or the registration shall be withdrawn or deleted. It is unclear what is meant by “use”. NIRA also mentions that registrants may park their free domains to their existing sites however they are not allowed to park the domains on sites other than their own.

Make sure that you register your Nigerian domain names through an accredited registrar.
Email domains@lexsynergy.com for assistance.

Postponement of .SO Landrush launch

2011-01-10T10:41:00.001Z

The .SO (Somalia) Registry has postponed the launch of the Landrush phase, by a week, to 17 January 2011.

As an accredited .SO registrar we are able to assist with your Sunrise Application. Email domains@lexsynergy.com for more information.

.UK Short Name Release ends on 17 January 2011

2011-01-06T16:03:00.002Z

The Registered Rights sunrise phase for previously reserved short domain names, including some valuable one character and two letter combinations, will soon be coming to a close. The deadline for domain name applications is midday (GMT) on 17 January 2011.

Eligible registered trade mark holders are advised to act quickly in order to participate.

See http://blog.lexsynergy.com/2010/11/uk-short-name-release.html for more information.

DomainDisputes.co

2011-01-04T14:04:00.008Z

14 декабря 2010 года – Лондон, Великобритания. DomainDisputes.co
– бесплатный сервис поиска Постановлений о нарушении исключительного права на товарный знак в области доменных имен на днях был запущен английской кампанией Lexsynergy Limited, которая на протяжении многих лет успешно работает в области защиты исключительных прав на торговые марки. Данный сервис поможет юристам, адвокатам и собственникам торговых марок оперативно отслеживать зарегистрированные нарушения правовых норм в области доменных имен по всему миру.

География возможных нарушений исключительных прав на товарные знаки, как и сами доменные имена, не имеет четких границ и ярким примером этому служит возросшая популярность таких явлений, как cybersquatting и typosquatting. В сложившейся ситуации, чтобы установить факт наличия у потенциального ответчика истории в базе данных и выявить наличие уже существующего прецедента, собственникам товарных знаков или их юристам приходится осуществлять поиск в различных независимых организациях по охране интеллектуальной собственности. До настоящего времени, основной проблемой можно было назвать отсутствие сервиса, где потенциальный потерпевший мог бы осуществить поиск сразу по множеству баз данных с Постановлениями.

DomainDisputes.co – первый такого рода сервис, который ускоряет и упрощает нахождение зарегистрированных нарушений исключительного права на товарный знак в области доменных имен путем их поиска по различным критериям в крупнейших мировых организациях по защите интеллектуальной собственности, т.к.: Всемирная организация интеллектуальной собственности (США), Национальный Арбитражный Форум (США), Номинет (Великобритания), Европейское агентство по защите авторских прав (Арбитражный суд Чехии), Институт Интеллектуальной собственности в Южной Африке(ЮАР), Комиссия по Доменный Именам в Новой Зеландии(Новая Зеландия), Арбитражный центр в Гон-Гонге (Китай), Азиатский центр по защите прав на товарные знаки(Китай) и Арбитражный центр Куала-Лумпур в Малайзии. Результаты поиска, вместе с ссылками на Постановления, могут быть экспортированы в формате MS Excel.

О компании Lexsynergy Limited:

Являясь аккредитованным регистратором ICANN, основная деятельность компании Lexsynergy Limited связана с регистрацией и дальнейшим менеджментом доменных имен (Lexsynergy.com), а также онлайн сервис по защите брэндов и торговых знаков (RegainYourDomain.com), который позволяет за адекватную стоимость эффективно представлять и, с помощью согласованной с заказчиком стратегией, отстаивать интересы собственников торговых знаков в организациях по защите интеллектуальной собственности по всему миру. Компания имеет несколько основных офисов, в том числе в Великобритании, Австралии, Австрии и Южной Африке, а также представительства в Кении, Танзании и
Замбии.

* Киберскво́ттинг (cybersquatting) — приобретение доменных имен, созвучных названиям известных компаний, с целью их дальнейшей перепродажи или размещения рекламы.

* Тайпсквоттинг (typosquatting) — регистрация доменных имён, близких по написанию с адресами популярных сайтов в расчёте на то, что часть пользователей сделают ошибку при вводе.

Domain Name Dispute Search Engine Launch

2010-12-14T12:35:00.001Z

DomainDisputes.co is a free domain name dispute search engine, recently launched by UK brand protection company Lexsynergy Limited, which will assist lawyers and trade mark owners to tackle domain name infringements.

The international nature of domain name disputes (cybersquatting and typosquatting) means that trade mark owners and lawyers need to search various independent dispute resolution databases in order to establish whether a potential respondent has a track record or to locate a precedent. The problem, until now, was the absence of a centralised database from which a potential complainant could search multiple domain name dispute databases at once.

DomainDisputes.co is the first such service to streamline and simplify the domain name dispute search process by covering several domain name dispute providers such as the World Intellectual Property Organisation, National Arbitration Forum, Nominet, Czech Arbitration Court, South African Institute of Intellectual Property Law, New Zealand Domain Name Commission, Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre, Asian Domain Name Dispute Resolution Centre and Kuala Lumpur Regional Centre for Arbitration. The results can be exported into a spreadsheet containing links to the respective decisions identified in the search result.

About Lexsynergy Limited

Lexsynergy Limited is an ICANN accredited domain name management (Lexsynergy.com) and online brand protection company (RegainYourDomain.com). RegainYourDomain.com allows trade mark owners to recover domain names efficiently and cost effectively in accordance with a pre-determined domain name recovery strategy. Lexsynergy has offices in the UK, Austria, Australia and South Africa with a satellite presence in Kenya, Tanzania and Zambia.

.UK Short Name Release Update

2010-12-02T19:08:00.002Z

We have updated our post on the .uk short domain name release. Please view here (http://blog.lexsynergy.com/2010/11/uk-short-name-release.html).

.SO (Somalia) Sunrise Period extended to 31 December 2010.

2010-12-02T17:12:00.000Z

.SO (Somalia) Sunrise Period has been extended to 31 December 2010. SO trade mark owners still have time to secure their .SO domain names.

Email domains@lexsynergy.com for more information.

co.zm Domain Names

2010-11-15T16:22:00.004Z

Lexsynergy now has a local presence in Zambia through Lexsynergy (Zambia) Limited.

We are able to provide foreign registrants with a local presence in Zambia in order to fulfil the local presence requirement imposed by the ZM registry.

Email domains@lexsynergy.com for assistance in securing your domain name in Zambia.

.UK Short Name Release - 1 December 2010

2010-11-04T15:21:00.015Z

Nominet (.uk registry) will start accepting applications to register "short" domain names from 12:00 GMT on 1 December 2010. The list of domain names to be released can be viewed here.

The complete rules relating to the release process can be viewed here.

There will be four phases:

1. Registered Rights Sunrise (1 December 2010 – 17 January 2011)

Reserved for holders of Eligible Trade Marks exactly matching the short domain being made available (excluding the suffix co.uk, org. uk etc) and in force as of 1 January 2008 AND who can provide evidence of bona fide use in the UK on or before 1 January 2008, to the satisfaction of an independent IP rights validation assessor.

2. Unregistered Rights Sunrise (to be confirmed)

Reserved for holders of registered and unregistered trade marks. The Unregistered Rights Sunrise phase is for (i) any person who would have qualified for the first sunrise but missed the application deadline and (ii) the holders of unregistered rights enforceable in the UK exactly matching the short domain being made available and in force as of 1 January 2008 AND who can provide evidence of bona fide use in the UK on or before 1 January 2008, to the satisfaction of an independent IP rights validation assessor.

After submitting the application a unique identifier is sent to us. This reference number will be used to complete the IP rights validation. The deadline for applying to have IP rights validated is 1200 GMT on 31 January 2011.

Evidence of use of the trade mark in the UK on or before 1 January 2008 is required in pdf format. The dated evidence should include:

• Marketing material, such as copies of posters, mailers, packaging, point of sale material, stills of TV ads;
• Documents such as invoices, correspondence and annual reports;
• Photos of actual products bearing the mark.
Important Points
• The Applicant and the owner of the registration cited must be the same individual or corporate body.
• me.uk application can only be made by individuals.
• The trade mark registration must be identical to the domain name(s) applied for (except .co.uk etc suffixes).
• Nominet will accept:
o letter combinations separated by gaps (i.e. "A A"), by full stops (i.e. "A.A."), because full stops are customarily used to indicate gaps; and
o in trade mark registrations for logos or devices that include text, non-textual elements (i.e. A[picture]A).
• Nominet will not accept:
o letter combinations separated by other punctuation (i.e. "A,A")
o letter combinations separated by "and", "&" or similar (i.e. "A and A", "A&A", "A'n’A")

3. Landrush (to be confirmed)

Interested parties can register domain names not previously registered through the Registered Rights Sunrise or the Unregistered Rights Sunrise.

4. General Availability (to be confirmed)

Domain names not previously registered through the Registered Rights Sunrise, Unregistered Rights Sunrise or the Landrush will be available for registration on a first-come, first-served basis.

Multiple applications: At each stage, where there are two or more qualifying applicants for a domain name, an open auction process will be used to decide the successful applicant, with any profits going to Nominet Trust.

An “Eligible Trade Mark” is a trade mark which has been registered and where the registration meets the following criteria:

• The mark text of the trade mark exactly matches the domain name being applied for;
• The trade mark registration is in force in the UK;
• The registration date of the trade mark is on or before 1 January 2008;
• The trade mark continues to be in force at the date the Application is validated by the Validation Agent; and
• The trade mark has been put to use in the UK in relation to a genuine offering of goods or services on or before 1 January 2008 as determined by the Validation Agent in its absolute discretion.

Costs

Registered Rights Sunrise - £110.00 per domain name (including the validation and two year registration fee)
Unregistered Rights Sunrise – £120.00 per domain name (including the validation and two year registration fee)

The Sunrise Whois is accessible here.

All application requests must be emailed to domains@lexsynergy.com.

The costs exclude VAT and are non-refundable.

IDN Domains for Israel (co.il)

2010-10-26T18:57:00.001+01:00

Israel Internet Association (ISOC-IL) is accepting Hebrew character domain names. The launch of Hebrew IDNs (Internationalised Domain Names) started with a Sunrise Period, which ends on 30 October 2010.

Sunrise Eligibility

Only the following parties are eligible to submit an IDN Sunrise applications:

* Owners of registered Israeli Trade Marks
* An Israeli Legal Entity
* Only holders of a valid ISP License issued by the State of Israel – Ministry of Communications, which is in full force and effect on the Effective Date are eligible to submit Sunrise applications for Hebrew IDNs under the .net.il

The IDN domain name must match the trademarks or entities’ registered names

Note: Any rights in a registered domain name, under .il, does not grant any eligibility during the Sunrise Period for Hebrew IDNs.

Please contact domains@lexsynergy.com for more information regarding .il IDN registrations.

Local Presence for TZ (Tanzania) Domains

2010-09-23T09:20:00.002+01:00

Lexsynergy has an official presence in Tanzania. We are proud to announce the establishment of Lexsynergy Reg TZ Limited, which will enable our clients to register co.tz domain name in accordance with the local presence requirements.

Promotion of .GM (Gambia) domain names

2010-09-22T14:29:00.002+01:00

Gambia is the smallest country on mainland Africa located in the western region of the continent. The Top Level Domain (TLD) assigned to Gambia is .GM.

As part of our commitment to promote African TLDs we are encouraging our clients, who actively seek to protect their marks around the world, to extend their scope of protection and register a .GM domain name. There are no restrictions and a registration costs £35 per year.

A .GM is also used as a domain name for general managers.

.SO another ccTLD Launch (Somalia)

2010-09-22T14:12:00.004+01:00

Launch of .SO (Somalia) domain name

.SO is the country code Top Level Domain (ccTLD) assigned to The Republic of Somalia, which will be re-launched as an unrestricted ccTLD.

According to the current draft policies the following extensions will be available for registration:

.so – general purposes
com.so – commercial entities
net.so – network use
org.so – not for profit organisations

Proposed Launch Schedule

Sunrise (November 1st - November 30th, 2010)

Holders (owners, licensees or assignees) of Eligible Trademarks will have the opportunity to submit a corresponding application for the registration of a domain name in the .SO TLD. If more than one Applicant has submitted an Application during this phase for an identical domain name, it will be registered following the outcome of an auction process.

An Eligible Trademark is a registered trade mark that:

• has been issued by any competent public authority and has national effect; and
• was registered on or before 1 January 2010; and
• is in full force and effect when the application is validated by the clearinghouse appointed by the .SO registry.

An applicant cannot rely on a trade mark application, common law trade mark or US state trade mark.

Sunrise Auction (December 1st - December 15th, 2010)

Auction for domain names with more than one credible application.

Landrush (December 16th - February 9th, 2011)

Domain names not previously registered or applied for during the Sunrise Process may be registered by any interested party. If more than two Applicants have submitted an Application during this phase for an identical domain name, it will be placed into an auction.

Landrush Auction (February 10th - February 28th, 2011)

Auction for domain names with more than one credible application.

General Availability (March 1st, 2011)

Domain names will be registered on a “first come, first served” basis.

Email domains@lexsynergy.com for the draft .so domain name registration policies.
The domain name prices will be made available during October 2010.

Release of UK reserved short domains

2010-09-14T13:40:00.007+01:00

Nominet, the UK domain name registry, has announced it intends to release short domain names (two and three character domains) before the end of 2010. They will publish full details of the final release process on 1 November 2010.

What will not be permitted?

Characters corresponding to an existing SLD (Second Level Domain) in .uk shall not be permitted as a Third Level Domain within co.uk, me.uk, org.uk and net.uk. At present it includes: ac, co, gov, ltd, me, mil, mod, net, nhs, nic, org, plc, police, com, uk and sch.

Proposed release process

There will be a two-stage sunrise and a landrush release process.

1. First sunrise

Reserved for the holders of registered trade marks enforceable in the UK exactly corresponding to the third level combination being made available and in force as of 1 January 2008 AND who can provide evidence of bona fide use in the UK on or before 1 January 2008, to the satisfaction of an independent assessor.

2. Second sunrise

Reserved for:
(i) any person who would have qualified for the first sunrise but missed the application deadline; and
(ii) holders of unregistered rights enforceable in the UK exactly corresponding to the third level combination being made available and in force as of 1 January 2008 AND who can provide evidence of bona fide use in the UK on or before 1 January 2008, to the satisfaction of an independent assessor.

Landrush

Following the two sunrises, there will be a period of open application.

Auction phase

At each stage, where there are two or more qualifying applicants for a domain name, an open auction process will be used to decide the successful applicant, with any profits going to the Nominet Trust. Once the auction has been completed the successful applicant will be entitled to register the domain name.

As an accredited Nominet registrar Lexsynergy will be able to assist with short domain name applications. Email domains@lexsynergy.com for a copy of the list of domain names to be released.

What are co.za domains worth?

2010-09-10T08:34:00.000+01:00

It has been reported that property.co.za was sold for $56000, life.co.za for $14536 and autoinsurance.co.za for $36500.

Unlike trade marks the more descriptive the domain name, the more valuable it is. Instead of discarding generic domain names, it may be worth selling them to recoup costs and more.

If you need assistance recovering, acquiring or selling a domain name contact our specialist RegainYourDomain.com team at recovery@regainyourdomain.com.

CO - Squatting minefield

2010-09-03T11:14:00.005+01:00

.CO is the county code Top Level Domain (ccTLD) assigned to Colombia. Besides serving the function of a ccTLD. It is also a popular branding tool since the two letters CO are the recognizable abbreviations for Company, Commerce and Communications and of course a misspelling of COM.

Due to its popularity (over 500 000 registered domains) CO is becoming a target for squatting activities and we therefore recommend that trade mark owners, as a defensive measure, register CO domain names that match their COM domain names.

Contact domains@lexsynergy.com or go to www.lexsynergy.tel for more contact information.

Changes to Saudi (.sa) Regulations

2010-08-24T19:59:00.003+01:00

SaudiNIC has published amended domain name regulations. The most important changes include:

an administrative contact that must be a natural person, based in Saudi Arabia.
the introduction of the second Top Level Domain .sa in addition to com.sa.
a registrant must be one of the following:

An entity physically located in Saudi Arabia
A natural person, not underage, with a Saudi national identification card or equivalent document issued by the Ministry of Interior of Saudi Arabia;
An entity with a registration or license issued by a pertinent authority in Saudi Arabia
An owner of a trademark or trade name that is registered in Saudi Arabia.

Email domains@lexsynergy.com for the amended regulations.

Sri Lanka Domain - .lk

2010-08-04T13:42:00.005+01:00

The island country of Sri Lanka, located south east of India, seems to have trade mark owners at heart when it deals with domain names as explained by the following example.

The registration of lexsynergy.lk automatically blocks the registration of the following .lk extensions:

lexsynergy.com.lk
lexsynergy.org.lk
lexsynergy.edu.lk
lexsynergy.ngo.lk
lexsynergy.soc.lk
lexsynergy.web.lk
lexsynergy.ltd.lk
lexsynergy.assn.lk
lexsynergy.grp.lk
lexsynergy.hotel.lk

This approach limits the number of domain names a trade mark owner needs to register ultimately reducing the costs associated with domain name registrations and renewals.
GET ONE, GET ALL.

If you need assistance registering domain names in Sri Lanka email domains@lexsynergy.com.

Domain Name Recovery

2010-07-30T16:07:00.003+01:00

The vast number of registered domain names has made it increasingly difficult to find suitable domain names, making purchasing a domain name from a third party a viable option.

Negotiating the purchase of a domain name requires a strategy that will ensure the domain name is acquired at the lowest possible cost. Once the purchase price is agreed, the next step is payment and then transfer through an escrow agent.

It is crucial to ensure the domain name has been transferred and not merely updated as a transfer implies a transfer of control, while an update is merely a change of information without transfer of control.

We have developed a specialised online domain name recovery control panel that allows our clients to recover domain names with the support of domain name negotiation and resolution experts.

Visit www.RegainYourDomain.com for more information or call +442081331319.

.co General Availability Stage Begins 20 July 2010

2010-07-16T12:28:00.002+01:00

The .co General Availability Stage begins on 20 July 2010, 20:00 (CEST).
During this phase registrations will be open to the general public irrespective of location on a first-come, first-served basis.

Lexsynergy will be accepting pre-registration applications until July 19, 2010, 16:00 (CEST).

Cost: £39 per year

.CO Landrush Period Extended

2010-07-12T19:53:00.002+01:00

The .co registry has announced the extension of the .co Landrush Period until 16 July 2010 at 12:00 pm EDT.

On 20 July 2010 .co domain names will become available for registration on a first come, first served basis.

We wonder whether the extension of this Landrush Period is intended for the benefit of the Internet community or the coffers of the .co registry.

Saudi Arabia IDN Sunrise Phase Ends

2010-07-12T15:53:00.001+01:00

The Sunrise Period for Arabic domain names in Saudi Arabia ended today (12 July 2010). The next phase (Landrush) will start on Monday 27 September 2010.

During the Landrush Phase applications will be accepted from members of the general public on a first come, first served basis.

General Rules
The registrant must fall under one of the following categories:
1. An entity physically located in Saudi Arabia;
2. A natural person, not underage, with a Saudi national identification card or equivalent document issued by the Ministry of Interior of Saudi Arabia;
3. An entity with a registration or license issued by a pertinent authority in Saudi Arabia;
4. An owner of a trade mark or trade name that is registered in Saudi Arabia.

The administrative contact should be a natural person based in Saudi Arabia.

Contact us at domains@lexsynergy.com or www.lexsynergy.tel for more information.

CTM v Domain Names

2010-07-11T18:51:00.006+01:00

We advise owners of Community Trade Marks to register their marks as domain names in each ccTLD within the European Union. This will go some way in reducing the trade mark owner's exposure to cybersquatting, which in turn reduces the costs of domain name recovery. A domain name registration is an extension of a trade mark and two should co-exist to offer the maximum amount of protection.

Lexsynergy provides training to IP professionals and trade mark owners on how to best deal with domain names as part of a comprehensive brand protection strategy.

Estonian registry has temporarily stopped accepting domain applications

2010-07-06T19:45:00.000+01:00

The Estonian registry posted the following notice on its website on 5 July 2010:

"Estonian Internet Foundation asks patience from registrants. Apparently not all registrars had equivalent access to our Registry. The registry-registrar model requires that all registrars are treated as equals thus registrations from all registrars were ceased until further test can be carried out with all parties involved. Registrars will continue to accept all applications from registrants. Registry will be restarted after exhaustive tests have been carried out. In order to guarantee stability of the access some changes will have to be carried out in RIPE database.

It is vitally important to ensure all registrars will have equal access to the registry. Estonian Internet Foundation would like to sincerely apologise for any inconvienience and will inform shortly of the time when registry operations will continue."

Important CN Notice

2010-06-28T16:26:00.001+01:00

The .CN Registry (CNNIC) has informed us, on short notice, that all .cn registrants will receive or should have received an email from CNNIC requesting the registrant to confirm the registrant information for each .cn domain name. In essence it confirms the validity of the registrant email address.

The subject line of the e-mail is "Domain Name Information Confirmation". The email contains a link, which when clicked on will confirm the registration. If this is not done within 15 days of receipt of the email, the domain name will be processed according to the "relevant provisions of the Registry". This statement is unclear and could possibly mean deletion.

We are awaiting more information from CNNIC so we ask until then that you confirm each registration. Please pass this information onto your clients or registrants of .cn domain names.

Feel free to email any questions to domains@lexsynergy.com

.ee (Estonia) Liberalization

2010-06-25T12:54:00.002+01:00

.ee is the Top Level Domain for the EU member state of Estonia. The current restrictive registration rules of one domain name per Estonian citizen will be replaced on 5 July 2010 with more liberalised registration rules.

The rules provide that any person or company can register a .ee domain name provided they have a local administrative contact in Estonia with a personal identification number.

Lexsynergy will start registering .ee domain names on 5 July 2010 for £39.00 per year. If you do not have a local administrative contact we will provide one at an additional cost of £50.00 per year.

We strongly advise all owners of European trade marks (CTM) to register their trade marks within this extension to avoid possible acts of cybersquatting.

We will start accepting applications from 28 June 2010.

.co Landrush begins 21 June 2010

2010-06-21T20:07:00.002+01:00

The .co Landrush stage begins on 21 June 2010 until 13 July 2010.

During this stage domain names of high commercial value may be registered without restriction. In essence, a higher price is charged for .co domain names prior to the general availability stage. If more than one application is received, the domain name will be allocated through an auction process.

Trade mark owners who have not yet secured .co domain names should do it at this stage.

Saudi Arabia Internationalized Domain Names (IDNs)

2010-05-18T09:23:00.013+01:00

SaudiNIC, the registry responsible for the administration of the Saudi Arabia country code Top Level Domain (ccTLD) .SA recently announced the launch of the Arabic IDN السعودية.

Internationalized Domain Names (IDNs) are domain names that contain characters which
are used in the local representation of languages that contain characters other than from the Latin alphabet such as the Swedish å and the German ü.

Example: The domain name Bücher.at would then be translated into xn--bcher-kva.at.

In the Arabic context the .SA extension is written as السعودية. and then translated into xn--mgberp4a5d4ar.

The extension will be launched in two phases:

Sunrise Phase
(31 May - 12 July 2010)

Applications will be accepted from any entity or individual who has a registered company name or trade mark with the Ministry of Trade and Industry in Saudi Arabia, including all governmental authorities and organizations.

The domain name application must correspond to the Arabic name or mark (without alteration, abbreviation, or translation) as they appear in the commercial registration or trade mark registration certificate.

If more than one application is received from different qualified applicants for the same domain name, that meet the requirements, priority will be given to applications from governmental entities. Otherwise, priority will be given to the applicant of earliest right based on the submitted documentation (e.g., commercial certificate, trade mark certificate date).

Landrush Phase
(27 September 2010 onwards)
Applications will be accepted from members of the general public on a first come, first served
basis.

General Rules
The registrant must fall under one of the following categories:
1. An entity physically located in Saudi Arabia;
2. A natural person, not underage, with a Saudi national identification card or equivalent document issued by the Ministry of Interior of Saudi Arabia;
3. An entity with a registration or license issued by a pertinent authority in Saudi Arabia;
4. An owner of a trade mark or trade name that is registered in Saudi Arabia.

The administrative contact should be a natural person based in Saudi Arabia.

SaudiNIC may, at any time, request additional information and documentations from the Registrant.

Additional Information
The domain name should contain at least 3 symbols and should not start or end with a dash “-“ or have two consecutive dashes.
Each domain name should have some reasonable relationship to the Registrant.
SaudiNIC shall determine what a reasonable relationship is and what documentation is required to show reasonableness.

Application Procedure
All requests for a Saudi Arabia IDN or general queries relating to IDNs should be emailed to our Domain Name Department (domains@lexsynergy.com).
We are also contactable at +44 20 81331319 or visit www.lexsynergy.tel.

.tel IDN

2010-05-06T20:41:00.004+01:00

An internationalized domain name (IDN) is an internet domain name that contains at least one character in a language-specific script or alphabet, such as Chinese, Russian or the Latin-based languages with diacritics, such as German, for example, Jörn.tel. For more information about IDNs.

From 15th of June (3 p.m. BST), .tel domains will support IDN names in the following languages: Chinese, Danish, Finnish, German, Hungarian, Icelandic, Japanese, Korean, Latvian, Lithuanian, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish and Swedish.

Apart from the restrictions on the types of characters that can be registered and the languages supported, there are no further restrictions on the registration of IDN.tel domain names and 1 and 2 character IDNs are available.

Registrations will start on a first-come, first served basis.

Email domains@lexsynergy.com for more information.

.CO - Sunrise B starting 26 April 2010

2010-04-20T15:56:00.003+01:00

CO.ZA Service Outage - Down and Out

2010-04-09T13:38:00.006+01:00

co.za is the most popular Second Level Domain (SLD) in South Africa with over 500 000 registrations. Uniforum SA is the organisation responsible for managing this SLD.

Currently co.za registrations and updates are processed via text emails. Once the form is completed it is emailed to the registry who generates a ticket that is sent to each Whois contact to accept. If at least one contact accepts the update will be confirmed approximately 24 hours later. If one contact denies the ticket the update is rejected.

The problem with this process is that it takes 1 day to effect any changes to a co.za domain name, which includes changes to nameservers. On Sunday 4 April 2010 co.za went down which meant no registrations, renewals or updates could be processed. To make matters worse it has taken over 5 days to fix the issue and still domain name renewals cannot be processed.

We believe this issue highlights the need to reassess the systems used to manage the co.za extension. Hopefully .zadna (www.zadna.org.za) will speed up the reform of co.za to bring it in-line with other country code Top Level Domains.

.RU Document Requirement

2010-03-17T19:25:00.004Z

The .RU registry has introduced new registration rules. Registrants of .RU domain names need to verify their identity by submitting documents to the .RU registry.

What documents have to be submitted?
Legal entities / companies: A copy of the company registration document confirming the registration of the legal entity issued by the relevant state authority.
Natural persons and entrepreneurs: copy of passport.

These changes also apply to all existing .RU registrations. If the documents are not submitted to the registry it may result in the deletion of domains.

The documents may be submitted in the language of issue, translation is not necessary.

New .au Domain Renewal, Expiry and Deletion Policy

2010-03-16T19:33:00.009Z

auDA (the registry responsible for .au domain names) recently announced it will implement a new Domain Renewal, Expiry and Deletion Policy on 21 March 2010.

Under the new Policy:

Registrars will be able to offer registrants a "domain sync" service, which allows a registrant to change the expiry date of all its .au domains to a date that is less than 2 years from the date of registration. This means that a registrant of numerous .au domain names can choose a common expiry date for all its domains. This will be useful from a domain name management perspective.
The expiry procedure will operate as follows: Expiry Date -> Expired Hold (30 days) -> Expired Pending Purged (1 day) -> Domain Deleted.
Expired and deleted .au domain names will be published on the Official Domain Drop List when they become "eligible for purge". The list willl be extremely useful for those who want to recovery domain names or those involved in the domain name aftermarket not to mention our good old friends the cybersquatter.

The full policy can be found at http://www.auda.org.au/pdf/auda-2010-01.pdf.

Brand Protection Begins at Home

2010-03-14T09:52:00.004Z

As a specialist domain name management and brand protection company we are responsible for assisting trade mark owners securing domain names within the various TLDs around the world.

Offering brand protection services implies that you understand how to adequately protect a brand. This raises the question why do so many domain name management companies make use of marks that are difficult, if not impossible to protect.

Example: Monitor your Mark = MarkMonitor, Get a Safe Name = SafeNames, European DNS = EuroDNS, Names on the Net = NetNames, Electronic Brand Services = eBrandServices.

According to www.ipo.co.uk the above marks have either not been filed as trade marks or probably refused for lack of distinctiveness.

If you practice brand protection then you must practice it at home first.

cn.com promotion

2010-03-08T16:28:00.004Z

If you do not have a corporate presence in China it will not be possible to regster cn and com.cn domain names. To allow our clients a marketing presence in China we are now promoting cn.com as a temporary alternative to the .cn Chinese extension.

Read our previous blog post on cn.com for more information http://blog.lexsynergy.com/2010/02/cn-dilemma.html.

A two registration is £20.00.

.co (Colombia) Launch

2010-02-22T18:41:00.004Z

.CO is the county code Top Level Domain (ccTLD) assigned to Colombia. Besides serving the function of a ccTLD it will also become a popular branding tool on the Internet since the two letters CO are the recognizable abbreviations for Company, Commerce and Communications.

It is currently possible to register a third level domain name (COM.CO, NOM.CO and NET.CO) without restriction.

.CO Launch Schedule

The launch of .CO, the second level domain will occur in 5 stages.

1. Third Level Transition - 7 February 2010

Pre-existing domain names with extensions such as COM.CO, NOM.CO and NET.CO will be transferred to the new registry, for safekeeping, until transferred to a .CO registrar, which must occur before the expiry date of each domain name.

2. Grandfathering - March 2010

Owners of third level domain names (COM.CO, NOM.CO and NET.CO) which were registered before 30 July 2008 can register the corresponding second level domain name. Example: brand.com.co will allow the registrant to register brand.co.

3. Sunrise A / Sunrise B - (1 April 2010 - 20 April 2010) and (26 April 2010 - 10 June 2010)

Trade mark owners who have a trade mark registered on or before 30 July 2008 can apply for a corresponding domain name.

4. Landrush - 21 June 2010 - 13 July 2010

Anyone who is interested in securing a short and memorable domain name of high commercial value will have the opportunity to submit an application before General Availability begins. Matching applications will be resolved at auction.

5. General Availabilty - 20 July 2010

.CO domain names can be registered on a “first come, first served” basis.

If you want a copy of the .co provisional launch document, please email domains@lexsynergy.com.

The above dates are tentative and are subject to change.

.cn dilemma

2010-02-07T17:56:00.005Z

In previous blog posts and newsletters we reported that the China Internet Network Information Center (CNNIC) has restricted foreign registrars and registrants from registering domain names within the .cn namespace.

These restrictions have placed trade mark owners in a predicament, resulting in some foreign registrars forwarding .cn registrations to local registrars for processing. The circumvention of the restrictions is not ideal and could lead to CNNIC deleting the domain names.

Although not a formal recognised TLD, the alternative is .cn.com. This extension is managed by Centralnic, who uses the .COM, .NET and .ORG standard domain name structure to offer additional regional and country-specific domain names, ensuring a secure, inexpensive solution for creating easily identifiable Internet addresses worldwide. CentralNic's registry service is particularly useful for Internet users in countries where domain names are difficult to obtain due to restrictive domain regulations.

If you require strategic domain name advice email our Domain Name Department at domains@lexsynergy.com or visit www.lexsynergy.tel for more contact information.

.sr - Suriname Domain Names

2010-02-03T19:19:00.004Z

Suriname is located in the north of South America and its official language is Dutch.

The TLD (Top Level Domain) assigned to Suriname is .sr. This TLD is unrestricted, meaning that there are no restrictions to registering a .sr domain name, which are processed on a "first come, first served" basis.

.sr is also marketed as an abbreviation for seniors, although it is highly unlikely that senior citizens will be registering domain names. This may change as the Internet community ages.

ICANN Meeting Stays In Kenya

2010-01-24T19:40:00.003Z

ICANN recently held an urgent meeting to discuss whether Nairobi Kenya should retain the hosting rights of the annual ICANN meeting.

We are pleased to report the meeting in Kenya will continue. Visit the ICANN Blog at http://blog.icann.org/2010/01/icann-remains-committed-to-nairobi-and-africa.

The meeting website can be located at http://nbo.icann.org/.

Russia: Judgement from Russia without love

2010-01-22T16:38:00.004Z

Forbes, the publishing and media company, recently succeeded in securing the domain name forbes.ru together withan award for damages for the amount of $300 000 from the cybersquatter Landmark VIP Services. This is the largest award of damages, in Russia, for cybersquatting.

With the imminent launch of the Cyrillic extension .рф to members of the public, it is expected that the number of cybersquatting activities will increase in the Russian Federation.

Trade mark owners have until 25 March 2010 secure their Cyrillic trade marks

IDN ccTLDs - Egypt, the Russian Federation, United Arab Emirates, and Saudi Arabia

2010-01-22T16:24:00.003Z

ICANN recently announced the successful completion of the IDN (Internationalised Domain Name) ccTLD Fast Track Evaluation for four IDN ccTLDS (Egypt (مصر), the Russian Federation (рф), United Arab Emirates (امارات), and Saudi Arabia(السعودية)).

The IDN ccTLD Fast Track Process was approved by the ICANN Board at its annual meeting in Seoul, South Korea on 30 October 2009. First requests were received starting 16 November 2009. The process enables countries and territories to submit requests to ICANN for IDN ccTLDs, representing their respective country or territory names in scripts other than Latin.

Online Brand Protection - Key Points for Your Online Business

2010-01-20T20:10:00.005Z

Daniel Greenberg, a Director of Lexsynergy Limited, recently appeared on a Brandsplat video report. Visit http://www.brandsplat.com/videos/video-report-online-business-brand-protection.asp to watch the interview.

Brandsplat is a brand content and social media agency. Visit their website for more information www.brandsplat.com.

Estonia - .EE

2010-01-18T19:56:00.007Z

Estonia is a member of the European Union, which affords Community Trade Mark (CTM) owners trade mark protection in that country but what about securing the CTM trade mark as a .EE domain name?

Well, the process is more complex. Currently .EE is a restricted country code Top Level Domain (ccTLD) in that only organizations registered in Estonia are eligible to register .EE domain names, while limiting them to one domain name per organization.

This is soon to change with the announcement by EENET, the Estonian Registry, that .EE will be liberalized during 2010. We are monitoring developments in Estonia and will report any progress on our blog and newsletter.

In the meantime it is recommended that CTM owners start planning a strategy to secure their trade marks as .EE domain names in case the liberalization is announced on short notice.

It is anticipated, as was the case with the TLDs .ME and .DO, .EE will become a valuable branding tool with possible registrations such as chimpanz.ee, coff.ee and teep.ee.

For comprehensive advice on securing domain names in Estonia contact domains@lexsynergy.com or visit www.lexsynergy.tel for more contact information.

China halts overseas registrars from registering .cn domains

2010-01-07T14:55:00.005Z

CNNIC, the official registry for .CN, announced that all overseas registrars will no longer be allowed to register .CN domains from 6 January 2010.

This measure may be temporary as the reason given for this drastic action is that the Chinese registry is experiencing difficulties in handling the new paper-based domain name application verification process introduced during December 2009.

In our experience the majority of domain name disputes or phishing scams involving .cn domain names originate from within China. The main reason for this is that the squatters and scammers know it is difficult and expensive to litigate in China and are therefore relatively unrestricted in what they can do online.

The issue is not to implement a manual verification process or restricting foreign registrars from registering domain names but rather coordinating a simple, cost effective method of recovering domain names that breach Intellectual Property Laws or the CNNIC registration agreement.

Org IDN Launch Date 23 January 2010

2009-12-30T16:20:00.009Z

On 23 January 2010 Chinese Internationalized Domain Names (IDNs) will be available on a first-come, first-served basis.

Chinese IDNs registered between 23 January 2010 and 22 February 2010 (during the first 30 days of operation) will be locked until 25 March 2010 to allow intellectual property interests to file UDRP actions if warranted. During this period no changes can be made to the domain name.

Trade mark owners are encouraged to register their Chinese character trade marks within the .org TLD at the first available opportunity and to police infringing registrations during the lockdown period.

Contact Lexsynergy should you need any assistance: www.lexsynergy.tel

Kenyan Domain Name Developments

2009-12-30T15:05:00.003Z

On 28 December 2009 the Kenya Network Information Centre (KENIC) launched three low priced Second Level Domains (SLDs).

The three are .me.ke for use of personal names, .info.ke for information, and .mobi.ke for mobile content.

Lexsynergy is an accredited .ke registrar.

Beware of Chinese scam emails!

2009-12-23T09:29:00.003Z

During August 2008 we posted information on our website warning our clients and trade mark owners about Chinese scam emails.

Due to the risk that these scams pose we feel it is necessary to re-post and update the news article below.

A few of our clients have received emails from Chinese domain name vendors stating that a third party intends to register their trade mark as a domain name under various Top Level Domain (TLD) extensions. We insert below a sample of the email received, we have replaced the trade mark with XXX.

Dear CEO,

We are a domain name registration service company in asia, which mainly deal with international company's in Asia. We have something important need to confirm with your company.

On the May 22, 2008, we received an application formally. One company named "Tambora International Holdings Ltd" wanted to register following Domain names:
XXX.asia
XXX.cc
XXX.cn
XXX.com.hk

After our initial examination, we found that the keywords and domain names applied for registration are as same as your company's name and trademark. These days we are dealing with it. If you do not know this company, we doubt that they have other aims to buy these domain names. Now we have not finished the registration of Tambora company yet, in order to deal with this issue better, Please contact us by telephone or email as soon as possible.

Best Regards,

Sherry
Auditing Department

This form of email communication is a scam and is intended to frighten trade mark owners into registering domain names with the company that originated the email at an inflated price. The domain names mentioned in these scams are usually registered on a “first come, first served” basis so there is no reason to report such a risk to a trade mark owner.

If the trade mark owner responds the scammer usually registers the domain names, under its own name, as the response indicates that the domain names are of value and have the potential to generate income for the scammer. The trade mark owner is then in a predicament, "Do they buy a domain name back or institute legal action for a domain name they never wanted?"

If you receive such an email it is advisable to ignore it. If the email includes a domain name that you may want to secure rather register it through your own provider or at www.lexsynergy.com.

.CN Domain Names - Change in registration policy

2009-12-21T13:28:00.008Z

CNNIC (.cn registry) has been compelled by the Chinese Government to implement stricter requirements to register .cn domain names.

Registrants are now required to provide supporting documentation for domain names registered after 14 December 2009. The required documents are:

• an original application form of CCNIC stamped with the business seal of the registrant; and
• a company certificate (copy); and
• an identity document of the person signing on behalf of the registrant (copy).

After applying for a .cn domain name through Lexsynergy we will prepare and send you the original application form, which must be returned with the other documents mentioned above within 5 days of making the application. If the documents are not received within that period or are incorrect the domain name will be deleted. All the documents must be sent via pdf to domain@lexsynergy.com.

Domain names registered prior to 14 December 2009 are not affected by this change. Individuals can also no longer register .cn domain names.

If you have any questions please email domains@lexsynergy.com.

Lexsynergy on facebook

2009-12-19T21:12:00.004Z

We recently added a Lexsynergy Limited profile on facebook. We encourage our readers to visit our page and become a member.

WIPO Center Launches Paperless UDRP

2009-12-15T14:46:00.005Z

WIPO (World Intellectual Property Organization) has launched a paperless UDRP option. This will reduce the time and costs associated with the preparation and filing of hard copy complaints.

In addition trade mark owners will be contributing towards saving the environment while protecting their trade marks.

For more information visit http://www.wipo.int/amc/en/domains/rules/eudrp/.

.DO - Dominican Republic - Do Register a .Do

2009-12-14T18:30:00.005Z

.do is the Top Level Domain (TLD) of the Dominican Republic (an Island in the Caribbean). Nic.do (.do registry) now allows the registration of second level domains.

Registrations opened on 10 December 2009. This TLD will play an important role in the domain name and branding industry because it constitutes a word in several languages. In English there are endless branding opportunities such as please.do, how-do-you.do and hair.do.

From a trade mark perspective it is important to secure your trade marks under this TLD to avoid them being targeted by cybersquatters. Email domains@lexsynergy.com for more information on registering .do domain names. Visit www.lexsynergy.tel for more contact information.

Metropolitan Police Computer e-Crime Unit domain name take down activity

2009-12-04T11:13:00.002Z

This week Nominet received an instruction from the Metropolitan Police's Central e-Crime Unit (PCeU) to take down around 1200 .co.uk domain names. These domain names have been under investigation for criminal activity.

As part of Operation Papworth, the PCeU have targeted web sites run by organised criminal networks that purported to sell designer items - clothes, jewellery and electronic goods. Many of the sites involved supplied counterfeit goods or in some cases simply failed to supply any goods to the consumers who placed orders.

This is a positive note for consumers and brand owners.

.РФ Sunrise Period Begins Today

2009-11-25T10:35:00.004Z

The Russian Registry registry recently announced the release of IDN domain names under .РФ (the Cyrillic ccTLD for the Russia Federation) from November 25, 2009 to March 25, 2010 (Sunrise Domain Registrations) for owners of Cyrillic Russian trade marks.

If two or more trade mark owners of the same trade mark submit applications for the same domain within the Sunrise registration period, the domain will be registered in the name of the first applicant who has fulfilled the registration terms and conditions.

Trade mark owners applying for .РФ domain names will be required to submit the following:

· Russian trade mark number or International trade mark number (confirming protection in the Russian Federation);

· trade mark certificate; and

· Applicant’s company registration certificate together with the applicant's company seal (sent via e-mail and by fax).

It will take approximately 10 days to verify the application.

Under the .РФ ccTLD, only characters in the Cyrillic alphabet, numbers and hyphens will be allowed. No Latin or other characters will be allowed.

The cost of a .РФ Sunrise application is £300.

Due to the nature of the application process all application requests and questions must be sent to domains@lexsynergy.com.

.eu IDN launch 10 December 2009

2009-11-18T19:43:00.003Z

Starting 10 December 2009, companies and private persons based in the European Union will be able to register .eu Internationalised Domain Names (IDNs).

IDNs are domain names that contain non-ASCII characters. These characters include, for example, the Swedish å, the German ü, the Romanian ș and characters from the Bulgarian and Greek alphabets as a whole.

IDNs are particularly important for .eu as the European Union has 27 Member States and 23 official languages. Many of these languages have non-ASCII characters in their alphabets.

Contact Lexsynergy to register your .eu IDN.

IDN ccTLD Fast Track Process Launch

2009-11-16T19:42:00.004Z

ICANN announced the launch of the IDN ccTLD Fast Track Process.

Non-English speakers across the globe will soon have access to the Internet addresses completely in their own language. The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), the organization charged with overseeing the Internet’s naming and numbering systems, is today launching a process for delegating a number of internationalized top-level domains.

IDNs are domain names that include characters other than the currently available set of the English alphabet (the 26 letters "a-z", numbers 0 to 9, and hyphens). ICANN Chairman Peter Dengate Thrush noted, “The IDN program will encompass close to one hundred thousand characters, opening up the Internet to billions of potential users around the globe.”

ICANN President Rod Beckstrom described the importance of this change to the global Internet community, “Over half the Internet users around the world don’t use a Latin-based script as their native language. IDNs are about making the Internet more global and accessible for everyone.”

Starting November 16, 2009 at 00:00UTC ICANN will accept requests from representatives of countries and territories around the world for new Internet extensions that represent their country name and are made up of non-Roman characters.

Once the requests are evaluated and approved, Internet extensions are expected to come online in many countries during 2010.

“This is the biggest technical change to the Internet’s addressing system – the Domain Name System – in many years,” said Tina Dam, ICANN’s Senior Director of Internationalized Domain Names. “Right now, it’s not possible to get a domain name entirely in for example Chinese characters or Arabic characters. This is about to change.”

It’s important to note that ICANN will not accept direct registration applications for second-level domain names – the part before the Internet extension or suffix – from individuals, companies, or organizations. The ability for people to get a domain name in their language will come later – through a process determined by the entity that successfully applies for an IDN country-code top-level.

The IDN ccTLD Fast Track Process is available online now, including an online request form, a manual describing how to apply, a list of Frequently Asked Questions, ICANN’s final implementation plan, and brief history of the Fast Track process.

All material and access to the system is available at: http://www.icann.org/en/topics/idn/fast-track/

Source: http://www.icann.org/en/announcements/announcement-16nov09-en.htm.

Trade Mark Attorneys - Earn from the Downturn

2009-10-30T14:27:00.006Z

LEXSYNERGY IS A SPECIALIST DOMAIN NAME MANAGEMENT AND ONLINE BRAND PROTECTION COMPANY OFFERING COMPLIMENTARY ONLINE DOMAIN NAME TRAINING TO TRADE MARK ATTORNEYS AND AGENTS.

The current economic climate has led to a reduction of instructions for IP law firrms, ultimately reducing revenue.

The best solution is to offer new, valuable and enhanced services to trade mark clients. Lexsynergy has packaged innovative domain name services to compliment and enhance trade mark protection for the benefit of trade mark owners, while allowing IP law firrms to generate additional revenue from a new service channel.

Register today to learn more about maximising the IP protection opportunities that domain names provide to trade mark owners.

To learn more email info@lexsynergy.com with the subject line “Credit Crunch Domains” including your contact information.

www.lexsynergy.com www.lexsynergy.tel www.regainyourdomain.com

Togo - .Tg Domains

2009-10-30T09:15:00.002Z

To go to TOGO you need a .tg.

Togo is a small African country nestled between Ghana and Benin.
TG is the Top Level Domain assigned to Togo and can be registered directly at a second level. There are no restrictions for registering .tg domain names.

For more information on securing domain names in Africa contact our Domain Name Department (domains@lexsynergy.com). www.lexsynergy.tel.

1,2, 3 DENIC

2009-10-20T10:29:00.004+01:00

On 15 October 2009 it was announced that DENIC (the .de registry) will ease its domain guidelines. This means that, from 23 October 2009, it will be possible to register one, two and three digit domain names. See the English press release here.

Domain names such as .it.de, tv.de, d.de and am.de will be in high demand. Since these domain names will have a high resell value and in most cases not infringe upon trade marks, .de registrars are charging high prices for these registrations.

It is anticipated that domainers will be breaking the bank to secure lucrative domain names. The registration process will work on a "first come, first served" basis.

If you have a one, two or three letter trade mark (device or word mark) in Germany or the EU it may be worthwhile considering registering a matching domain name on 23 October 2009. Email domains@lexsynergy.com for more information.

Ph Accreditation - Philippines

2009-10-19T17:46:00.005+01:00

Lexsynergy is pleased to announce its dot.ph accreditation. Visit www.lexsynergy.com to register your com.ph, .ph, net.ph and org.ph domain names.

.ph is the unrestricted country code Top Level Domain (ccTLD) used for the Philippines.

Shedding some light on .tel UDRP decisions

2009-09-29T19:49:00.006+01:00

.tel, the "new" gTLD, was launched in December 2008. The launch occured in three periods (Sunrise, Landrush and General Availability).

The Sunrise Period afforded trade mark holders the opportunity to secure its trade marks as a .tel domain name before it was released to the general public. It was inevitable that those who failed to take advantage of the Sunrise Period would be exposed to potential infringements.

This was the case for osram.tel, heineken.tel and novozymes.tel. These domain names were subsequently recovered in the first three .tel UDRP decisions to be decided.

While all three decisions were decided in favour of the trade mark holders, the expense and risk of submitting a UDRP complaint could have been avoided by simply securing the domain name at the first available opportunity.

We advise trade mark holders to develop a formal domain name strategy that makes provision for the securing of domain names during Sunrise Periods or prior to the launch of a new brand / trade mark.

If you have been affected by such infringements or need to recovery a domain name contact our specialised domain name recovery unit (RegainYourDomain) at recovery@regainyourdomain.com. See regainyourdomain.com and regainyourdomain.tel for more information.

New Domain Name Recovery Service

2009-09-25T17:56:00.005+01:00

Lexsynergy Limited is pleased to announce the imminent launch of its domain name recovery service RegainYourDomain.

The service will operate from regainyourdomain.com.

RegainYourDomain is an online domain name recovery service, allowing users to recover multiple domain names and closely follow the recovery process.

If you missed the opportunity to secure your trade mark, brand or corporate name as a domain name you may still be able to recover it through strategic negotiation or via the various dispute resolution procedures.

Recovering a domain name or negotiating its purchase requires experience and strategic planning. We work with our clients to explore the most cost effective and efficient method of acquiring wanted domain names.

We have several years of experience in domain name recovery supported by a well-rounded team comprising of trade mark professionals and negotiation specialists who are experts in domain name negotiation and dispute resolution.

2009-09-21T10:38:00.004+01:00

News24.com recently published an article that dealt with the proposed expansion of .za TLDs. So for example extensions such as durban.za and gauteng.za could be released in the near future.

What is troubling about the article is that ZADNA feels the need to launch new TLDs in a market (South Africa) that is relatively inactive on the Internet.

South Africa has a population of about 49 million with 2.4 million Internet users. This means 4.89% of the population has Internet access. 500 000 co.za domain names are registered, which amounts to 0.21 domain names per Internet user and 0.01 domain names per person.

Rather than focusing on new TLDs, which seem uncessary in the current market, we would suggest that ZADNA focus on marketing the co.za extension globally and encourage South Africans to register domain names while at the same time promoting IT and Internet literacy amongst poor communities.

ICANN Accrediation Confirmed

2009-09-17T12:00:00.003+01:00

Lexsynergy Limited's ICANN Accreditation was confirmed today. This will result in additional and enhanced domaim name services for our clients. www.lexsynergy.com and www.lexsynergy.tel.