Finnegan Appointed as Agent to Register Clients’ Marks with the Trademark Clearinghouse

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

October 16, 2013

Contact:    Douglas (Chip) A. Rettew, Trademark Practice Group Chair

                    Email

Finnegan Appointed as Agent to Register Clients’ Marks with the Trademark Clearinghouse

WASHINGTON, DC  — Finnegan, Henderson, Farabow, Garrett & Dunner, LLP announced today that the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) has designated the firm as an authorized Trademark Clearinghouse (TMCH) agent. As an approved TMCH agent, Finnegan is able to assist clients in the TMCH registration process with combating infringement of their brands in cyberspace.

ICANN is poised to approve registry applications for new generic Top-Level-Domain (or “gTLD”) applications in the coming months. “Soon, an entirely new spectrum of gTLD strings (e.g., .bank, .auto, .book) will enter the Internet landscape. With the creation of these new gTLD strings comes the potential for unauthorized registration of domain names that incorporate the brand names of others,” said Douglas Rettew chair of Finnegan’s trademark practice group. “Trademark owners are now exploring ways to protect their marks from being registered as domain names in the new gTLD space without their knowledge or consent. As an authorized TMCH agent, Finnegan is in a position to assist brand owners in utilizing this valuable tool as a part of their online enforcement efforts.”

The TMCH is a rights-protection mechanism within the new gTLD program for trademark owners. TMCH registration provides two important benefits:

1. Dedicated priority or “sunrise” period during which they will be entitled to register domain names matching their marks (identically) before registration opens to the general public.
2. Notification of any third-party attempts to register domain names that are an identical match to their marks, enabling the mark owner to promptly take appropriate legal action.

Finnegan is actively participating in the registration process on behalf of its clients. Marks eligible for registration with the TMCH include registered trademarks, marks protected by statute or treaty, or court-validated marks. Registration with the TMCH will afford brand owners a key advantage over potential cyber squatters in the new gTLD space. Only individual rights-holders or registered agents of the TMCH are permitted to submit applications for brand registration.

About Finnegan

With more than 375 intellectual property lawyers, Finnegan is one of the largest IP law firms in the world. From offices in Washington, DC; Atlanta, Georgia; Boston, Massachusetts; Palo Alto, California; Reston, Virginia; Brussels, Belgium; Shanghai, China; Taipei, Taiwan; and Tokyo, Japan, the firm practices all aspects of patent, trademark, copyright, and trade secret law, including counseling, prosecution, licensing, and litigation. Finnegan also represents clients on IP issues related to international trade, portfolio management, the Internet, e-commerce, government contracts, antitrust, and unfair competition. For additional information on the firm, please visit www.finnegan.com. Follow us on LinkedIn or on Twitter.

About the Trademark Clearinghouse and ICANN

The Trademark Clearinghouse (TMCH) is the central repository for validated trademarks for the purpose of protecting brands in The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers’ (ICANN) new gTLD program. ICANN was founded in 1998, has as its mission to ensure a stable and unified global Internet. One of its key responsibilities is introducing and promoting competition in the registration of domain names, while ensuring the security and stability of the domain name system (DNS).

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