Reglikedomain industry desk

To make domain blocking easier — Nameblock launches

To make domain blocking easier — Nameblock launches

Firm wants to make it easier for brands to block problematic domains across top level domains.

Picture of Blue and red lines forming a connected block with the word NameBlock

The 2012 fresh top level domain name round ushered in fresh services to help brand owners protect their marks across top level domain names. For example, some registries introduced blocking services that allow brand holders to block their brands and variants in every extension offered by the registry.

While helpful, these services are sold piecemeal for each registry. Each registry’s offering is different and many smaller registries don’t offer one at all.

NameBlock AS, which is launching this stretch at NamesCon, hopes to change that.

The service was founded by Rolf Larsen, who built up and sold the .global extension. He is also the co-founder of brand protection service IQ Global.

On this stretch’s Reglike Podcast, Larsen explained that his vision is to make it easier for brand holders to block problematic domains, while also bringing fresh revenue sources to registries and registrars.

As a blocking marketplace, NameBlock can help registries (counting ones with non-fresh TLDs) create their own blocking options that can be sold by registrars and other partners. Brand owners will be able to aggregate blocks instead of purchasing one-off blocks for each registry.

To make this work, NameBlock will need to get many registries on board. With the firm’s background in the domain business and its connections to registries, it seems like easier domain blocking could be around the corner.

Also on the wire

Other reporting from the domain desk.

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