Trademark Clearinghouse (TMCH)

Since autumn 2013 and for the next 3 years, ICANN plans to release more than 1,900 new “generic Top Level Domains” (gTLDs).

Excluding the new gTLDs registered by private companies and for internal use only (for example,. Audi -. Sony -. Ibm – etc …), many Internet Service Providers have registered generic Top Level Domains for the sole purpose of selling to the general public internet and respective second-level domains.

Many new gTLDs are extremely focused on typical contexts of online sales of multiple sectors such as clothing, .fashion, .shoes, .boutique, .buy, .sale, .site, .auction, .cheap, .bargains, .web, .online.. and many others (the list can be seen on  http://www.newgtldsite.com/new-gtld-list/ ).

Therefore it will be  extremely easy for a counterfeiter/cybersquatter to register new websites with these new gTLDs abusing the famous brands of third parties (e.g. www.xxx.shoes, www.xxx.boutique, www. xxx.fashion, www. xxx.x.buy, www. xxx.site, www. xxx..market , etc.) – in order  to use them later as channels to convey illegal content (platforms, pay-per-click and/or real e-shop of counterfeit items).

In order to provide to the  holders of a trademark an instrument for protection to counter attack the imminent explosion of abuse of their IP titles, ICANN has come up with a dedicated  centralized system called Trademark Clearinghouse (TMCH).

Convey is an Agent authorized at the TMCH at the filing of applications of third parties and therefore it can act on the behalf of the Brand Owner with regards to activities necessary for the registration of trademarks in the new gTLDs.

See: Convey trademark-clearinghouse.com