Domain name blocks are a form of defensive IP protection that prevents the registration of brand infringing domain names at the source. While we have written about domain blocking programs, how they work and their benefits in detail previously on the Webnames Corporate blog (read our Domain Blocking Programs Primer resource), a new unified domain blocking service called GlobalBlock by the Brand Safety Alliance is now available to brands and is the most comprehensive blocking service to date. This blog will take a closer look at GlobalBlock, what it offers brand owners, and how it works.
Domain Name Blocks Explained
First, let’s quickly revisit what Domain Blocking services do and how they work.
Domain blocking programs are offered by registry operators that provide trademark owners the ability to block the registration of their marks and/or brands as domain names by external and unknown third parties. It is a defensive tactic that increasingly more brands are adopting to prevent their intellectual property from being abused for activities like cybersquatting and phishing.
The proliferation of new and niche domain extensions has created a much larger threat surface for those responsible for brand protection in the domain space, one that expands significantly when you include “lookalike” variations that incorporate substituting characters and symbols as stand-ins for standard alphanumeric characters. When scammers can find and register domains that match or closely resemble a recognizable brand, whether it belongs to an organization or public figure, they can impersonate that brand online to carry out phishing, fraud, humiliation, or other forms of deception.
Utilizing a block is simpler and more cost-effective than conducting widescale defensive registrations to protect brands and marks, especially given the number of gTLDs available and the specific eligibility requirements of some. While a defensive domain registration strategy that protects brands in the most popular TLDs remains critically important, using block services can vastly simplify intellectual property protection for many businesses.
GlobalBlock Unified Domain Name Blocking Service
GlobalBlock is a new, innovative domain name block service developed by the Brand Safety Alliance to help brands keep their intellectual property protected in an increasingly complex domain landscape.
Developed by the Brand Safety Alliance, GlobalBlock expands domain blocking potential for brands and marks to nearly 600 top-level domain names, combining coverage of TLDs, ccTLDs and Web3 domain extensions from multiple registries that were previously blockable only by using separate block products or not available to block at all. As the only cross-registry blocking program, GlobalBlock offers a comprehensive alternative to a series of pre-existing independent registry block programs that created unnecessary complexity to defensive brand strategies. It also has revised, less restrictive eligibility requirments compared to other block programs to help more brands qualify for the IP protection they need (see Eligibility Requirements section below for more).
GlobalBlock blocks all available names that match your brand in the covered extensions so that no one else can purchase them, including domains in the decentralized Web3 digital landscape. Brand managers can select from two levels of GlobalBlock, both covering the same number of TLDs, ccTLDs, and Web3 domain names:
- Standard GlobalBlock – Provides exact match domain blocking of nearly 600 domain extensions including Web3 domain names
- GlobalBlock+ – Further extends the block coverage by protecting a range of “lookalike” domains and variations that incorporate confusable homoglyph characters as substitutes (for example, using a zero “0” in the place of an “O”), a tactic favoured for phishing and other cyber abuse activities.
Both programs are available as an annual or multi-year subscription. Once you have your subscription, you will receive automatic protection for any new TLDs that are added to GlobalBlock, at no additional cost. When your subscription renews, the price will adjust accordingly, as such the multi-year option offers some cost savings.
GlobalBlock+ can potentially restrict tens of thousands of additional homoglyph domain names from being registered, vastly more than standard GlobalBlock. Below you can see the increase in covered variations and lookalike domain coverage provided by GlobalBlock+ for the example of “webnames”.
Built-In IP Protection & Brand Flexibility | Domain Unblocking, Priority AutoCatch, Automatic AutoBlock
In addition to GlobalBlock’s unprecedented coverage, the blocking service also incorporates new features that allow for greater brand flexibility and IP protection. For Brand Managers and Marketing Departments, GlobalBlock’s new Domain Unblocking capability allows program users to submit a request to quickly unblock any particular domain covered name allowing it to be used in campaigns or other activities as needed.
Then there is Priority AutoCatch and Automatic Domain Assurance, with both features providing additional layers of IP protection by continually monitoring for brand/TM relevant domains and protecting against human error in domain portfolio management.
Priority AutoCatch monitors domains matching your brand that may already be registered by you or other parties. If one of these domains becomes available in the future (for example, if it’s deleted or not renewed), Priority AutoCatch will seize the domain and add it to your block for no additional fee, effectively safeguarding your brand from the drop-catching tactics used by infringers. Automatic Domain Assurance further mitigates the risk of losing domain names in the event of missed renewals and accidental expiry by catching any domain that matches your brand if it gets deleted, providing a layer of protection from domain loss that stems from human error.
GlobalBlock | Secondary Benefits
While preventing brands and trademarks from being registered by other parties is the core benefit of using GlobalBlock, important secondary benefits to brands include the following:
- Gaining an additional layer of protection against human error in domain management and lost domains via Priority AutoCatch and Automatic Domain Assurance
- Simplifying brand protection strategy by reducing the cost and workload associated with maintaining and managing defensive domain registrations
- Reducing the likelihood of litigation and domain acquisition to reacquire brand domains that get registered by other parties
- Reducing the reliance on active brand and domain name monitoring to make sure domains are not being registered by out
- Protection of your brand from the reputational, commercial and technical costs that inevitably come when online fraud occurs
Eligibility Requirements & Who Should Use GlobalBlock
In today’s digital landscape, brand impersonation is a major concern for any organization or public figure because of the significant financial loss, reputational damage, and erosion of trust that can result from cyber attacks of this nature.
A more streamlined form of IP protection, GlobalBlock is relevant to any brand or individual that is concerned with protecting their intellectual property. It mitigates impersonation risks more easily than defensive domain strategies that require regular review, rightsizing, and time devoted to their management. Moreover, for many brands with volume defensive domain registrations renewing annually, GlobalBlock can be highly cost-effective especially when factoring in the additional protection it offers from events that can fall under the radar like the drop catching of brand domains being deleted by other parties.
In terms of eligibility, GlobalBlock supports a wider range of brand, trademark, and name states than prevuious domain blocks (an expansion upon the traditional blocking eligibility requirement of having a validated Signed Data Mark File through the Trademark Clearinghouse), enabling more businesses and individuals to protect their intellectual property. With its own verification process, brands also do not have to pay a separate TMCH fee, in addition to the blocking program itself.
Organizations and individuals can purchase GlobalBlock if they hold a relevant ‘right’ to protect, which may include a trademark, company or organization name, or a celebrity name. Meeting any of the criteria below confers eligibility for the GlobalBlock service:
- Registered Trademarks: An active nationally or regionally registered trademark.
- Unregistered Trademarks: A mark created by a business or individual to signify or distinguish a product or service.
- Company or Organization Name: Registered Companies & Trading As names.
- Celebrity Name: Famous persons, sports stars and personalities, political figures, actors, social media celebrities and public figures.
Learn More About How GlobalBlock Can Protect Your Brands
With its expanded block capabilities and features which can help reduce dependency on domain name monitoring and defensive registrations, GlobalBlock enables organizations to protect their brands more efficiently and reclaim valuable time to focus on other core activities.
For a clearer picture of how GlobalBlock or GlobalBlock+ can work for your brand, get in touch with one of our Account Managers through the form below. We will run a report to better understand what names can be blocked on behalf of your brand and take a closer look at your domain portfolio to assess GlobalBlock’s value to your organization.
