Trademark owners should be aware that, as of the date of this posting, the “sunrise” periods are open for 43 new top-level domain names. A list of the domains and pertinent dates can be found here, and includes TLDs such as .bike, .shoes, .company, and .buzz.
To be eligible to register a domain name during the sunrise period under any of the new TLDs, a mark owner must first register its mark with the Trademark Clearinghouse (TMCH) as discussed in the March 2013 issue of Incontestable. A key will then be provided that can be submitted by the applicant during the sunrise registration process, verifying its eligibility to register the domain.
Once the respective sunrise periods close, each TLD will open up to general public registration. At that time, any party may register domains under the new TLD in the same manner that is currently possible for .com, .net, etc.
ICANN is reviewing the timelines for new domains and others are slated for sunrise rollout very soon. Watch the Incontestable blog for updates.
