Act
Trademark Clearinghouse (TMCH)
The Trademark Clearinghouse is the central database of verified trademarks set up by ICANN for the new generic extensions: a recorded mark gives access to their sunrise periods and to notices when someone registers a matching domain.
One record for every new extension
When a new generic extension opens, trademark holders get a first chance to register their names before the public, and are notified when others register a matching name. Both rights require the trademark to be recorded in the Trademark Clearinghouse. The record is made once and serves every extension that launches while it is valid.
What a record gives you
- Sunrise. A priority period at the launch of each new generic extension, reserved to trademark holders. Taking part requires proof that the mark is in use.
- Claims notices. During the claims period of each launch, anyone who tries to register a name that matches your mark receives a notice of your rights, and you are notified if they go ahead.
- Access to blocking. Several blocking services, such as DPML, rely on a mark recorded in the Clearinghouse.
Why it matters
New extensions keep opening, and the names that match a well-known brand are among the first to be taken. A record lets you secure the names you need at sunrise, and the notices discourage registrations in bad faith and document them when they happen.
How Domgate handles it
We check that your trademark qualifies, prepare the record with the registration certificate and, for sunrise, the proof of use, and submit it to the Clearinghouse. We then follow the launches that matter to you, register your sunrise names, and pass on the notifications you receive.
What you provide
- A trademark registration in force, or another right the Clearinghouse accepts.
- For sunrise, a sample showing the mark in use, such as a label, a package or a page of your website.
- The names you want to protect, which must match the mark as recorded.
Who it is for
Brand owners who want first access to the names of new extensions, and companies that plan to use blocking services. Registrars and law firms can order the record for their clients.
TMCH: frequent questions
No. The record gives you rights during launches, the sunrise priority and the claims notices, but every domain is still registered and paid for separately.
It was created for the new generic extensions. Country code registries set their own launch rules, which may or may not rely on it. We check them for the extensions you target.
For the period chosen when the mark is recorded. It is then renewed, like a domain, as long as the trademark remains in force.
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