Brand protection is set to become an even bigger issue for companies in the near future. With the new gTLDs (.BRAND extensions) expected to be rolled out beginning in the third quarter of 2013, major changes are coming to the online world.
The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) is set to unveil findings from its evaluation process for around 1,900 applications for new domain name extensions. While firms have gotten used to registering domains in .com, .net, or .org, there will be a plethora of new branding opportunities once the new generic top-level domains (gTLDs) are launched. Companies need to be prepared for this new abundance of online real estate.
“It’s important to get your house in order,” says Gretchen Olive, Director of Policy and Industry Affairs at CSC. “Now’s your chance to start deciding what strings you might want to register in and to watch the status of certain applications to see who winds up with them. You have to prepare with those things in mind, making sure that whatever plan and enforcement strategy you come up with is scalable.”
The rollout of new gTLDs is expected to bring a series of new challenges, as the number of available domain names will increase dramatically. Firms need to make sure they register any relevant domains across a series of suffixes.
Because of the ever-changing nature of the Internet landscape, anyone concerned about the misuse of their brands needs to register their marks. Moving forward, businesses must stay up-to-date with the latest industry developments, as they could have significant implications for their online presences.
Learn more about how the new gTLD program will shape the Internet and strategies to protect your brands by downloading issue 5 of CSC’s complimentary newsletter, The Brand Bulletin.