Rightside changes brand blocking service for fresh TLDs
Product will cover more domains but cost more money.
Domain name firm Rightside is expanding the scope and features of its Domain Protected Marks List (DPML), a service that lets trademark holders block domain names across its portfolio of 40 TLDs. The fresh service will be available for existing and fresh clients beginning April 17.
Scott Ryder, VP at Rightside, stated the changes are being made following consultation with corporate registrars.
The two biggest changes are that the upgraded service will block premium domains and clients can block 10 variants along with one term. These variants can be typos or IDNs of the term.
For example, Amazon.com could block Amazon, Amozon, Amaz0n, and “Amazon” in IDNs.
Rightside has 40 top level domain names, so one DPML block can cover up to 440 second level domain names. Rightside’s portfolio includes broad terms such as .news, .live, .video and .reviews.
Another change will allow clients to unblock any domain without an activation fee. They just pay the registration fee.
With the fresh features comes a price increase. Although Ryder declined to discuss pricing, it appears that registrars are roughly trebling the retail price to regarding $1,500 per year.
Existing clients will pay the fresh rates on renewals beginning April 17. Fresh DPML purchases won’t pay the fresh price until June 17. The product can be purchased for up to ten years, so clients have an incentive to renew or purchase ahead of the significant price increase.
Donuts, another top level domain name firm that offers a DPML product and uses Rightside’s registry service, has also made changes to its service.
Last year it began offering a DPML Plus, which allows brand owners to block their string plus 3 variants (counting strings that contain the brand) across its roughly 200 TLDs. The Plus product also covers premium domains. Plus costs regarding $10,000 retail for ten years, and most recently was scheduled to only be sold until the end of this month.
Donuts’ standard DPML product recently increased in price to regarding $4,000-$5,000 retail for an initial five-year block, which can then be renewed annually for less than $1,000.
