ICANN, the Internet’s governing body, has just announced approval of the new .biz top-level domain registry. Trademark owners should be aware of the following dates to take advantage of a procedure that may provide important safeguards for their rights:
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5/21/01-7/9/01 |
Submission of Intellectual Property (IP) Claims* |
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Early July - 9/25/01 |
Preliminary Applications Accepted |
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9/26/01 - 9/30/01 |
Preliminary Applications Processed |
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10/1/01 |
.biz Becomes Operational |
* Entities that own registered or common law trademark rights may file IP Claims with the accredited Registry. IP Claims will give you the right to oppose infringing .biz registrants in a special streamlined procedure. IP Claims will also result in notification of any parties who try to register your exact trademarks, and an automatic 30-day hold on any conflicting registrations. If you do not file IP Claims between 5/21/01 and 7/9/01, these protections will not be available to you. We recommend that all IP Claims be submitted on or before 7/3/01.
The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.