Another example why brands may need to change their domain name strategy: jp.net

Brand owners may need to rethink why and when to defensively register domain names.

The prior week I wrote an article suggesting that trademark holders many need to change the way they defensively register domains for their brands in light of the fresh top level domain launch.

One of the issues I discussed was third level domains and how brands can’t do much regarding them, except for certain country code top level domains.

But an example of an exception to this rule — which is also another reason brands ought to rethink their strategy — landed in my inbox today.

CentralNic disclosed the launch of “Japan’s Fresh Domain”, jp.net. Like other recent domain launches the process includes a sunrise and landrush phase.

But this isn’t “Japan’s Fresh Domain”. It’s an offering for third level domains under the jp.net second level. It really doesn’t have anything to do with Japan; it’s just branding.

CentralNic offers other similar third level registrations such as .us.com and .eu.com.

So, brand owners, ought to you shell out money for a third level registration under an unrestricted top level domain?

Obviously this would be an endless game as anyone can offer third level registrations (i.e. subdomains) on their second level registration.

Could consumers be confused if someone else owned yourbrand.jp.net? Sure, just like they could be confused by verizon.example.com

That’s the point. You can’t possibly protect everything that could possibly confuse a web user. The typical web user doesn’t even understand what they’re clicking on.

Time to rethink that strategy?