Issue 200 - 4th November 2005

'Device mark' applications will be accepted during .eu sunrise

Somewhat unusually for the launch of a new Top Level Domain (TLD), EURid, the registry operator for the forthcoming .eu domain, has announced that the word element of some types of device / picture mark (or figurative sign) will be considered valid domain name applications during the sunrise period, by applicants holding a right to that mark. This means that those who own registered device marks which exclusively contain a name, or where the word element is predominant, may have additional opportunities to protect their intellectual property.

In cases where the word element is predominant, and can be clearly distinguished from the device element, it is essential that:

i). all alphanumeric characters and hyphens included in the sign appear in the domain name applied for, IN THE SAME ORDER AS THAT IN WHICH THEY APPEAR IN THE SIGN; and

ii). the general impression of the word is apparent, without any reasonable possibility of misreading the characters of which the sign consists or the order in which those characters appear.

Phase one of sunrise, during which applications will be accepted from holders or licensees of Registered Community Trademarks, National or International Trademarks (recognised within a member state), Public Bodies, and holders of Geographical Indications and Designations of Origin, is scheduled to begin 7th December 2005. In order to find out more, and make sunrise applications, please visit our specialist site www.gtld.com here.

Finally, Verisign and ICANN strike a deal

Verisign and ICANN have reached a settlement over their long-running dispute over 'registry services' by striking a deal which means that Verisign's contract to run the .com database has been extended from ending in 2007 to ending in 2012. The dispute began in 2003 when Verisign launched their Site Finder service, which redirected mis-spellings of domains in the address bar to Verisign's own pages, offering their own services. ICANN had the service suspended; Verisign responded by launching an anti-trust lawsuit; ICANN counter-sued.

As part of the deal, 'registry services' have been clearly defined and an official review process put in place for consideration of any such proposed service.

The Web keeps on growing

A recent survey stated that over the last year to October, the number of distinct websites has grown by more than ever, including during the 'dot com boom', to a total of 74.4 million. The increase was of over 17 million during the year.