With Sunset for .XXX Sunrise B Blocks Fast Approaching, ICM Registry Expands Brand Protection Options

2021 is the ten-year anniversary of the launch of the .XXX top-level domain (TLD) by ICM Registry; it’s also the year that the groundbreaking blocking product called Sunrise B migrates over to the upgraded AdultBlock product.

 

Back in 2011, the .XXX TLD launched exclusively to host adult-themed content.  At that time, ICM Registry introduced an innovative defensive domain blocking product that brand owners could use to protect their trademarks from registrations in the .XXX namespace.  Instead of the brand owner making defensive registrations in .XXX, Sunrise B blocks blocked matching domain names from being registered.

 

Sunset for Sunrise B Blocks

The initial ten-year term for Sunrise B block holders comes to an end on December 1st of 2021. Without conversion to AdultBlock before this date, Sunrise B block holders have until that date to take action to ensure their marks do not become available for registration in the .XXX namespace TLD by unauthorized third parties.

 

ICM Registry now offers two greatly enhanced rights protection options for brand owners who wish to replace the expiring Sunrise B blocks: the AdultBlock and AdultBlock+ products.

 

AdultBlock: AdultBlock restricts the registration of exact match trademark names by unauthorized third parties in the .XXX TLD – plus three other adult-related TLDs: .porn, .adult, and .sex. Sunrise B blocks that are converted to AdultBlock before December 1^st will continue uninterrupted domain protection of their marks – plus get the benefit of the expanded TLD coverage.

 

AdultBlock+: Provides the maximum level of defensive protection in the adult space. This enhanced blocking product restricts registration of exact match trademark names across all four adult TLDs (.XXX, .porn, .adult and .sex) and extends the blocks across an unlimited number of possible look-alike variations (homoglyphs) and common typographical errors. The addition of this enhanced protection prevents third parties from registering any confusingly similar versions of your marks.

 

Brand owners and interested parties can use the trademark variant search tool here to view the variants that the AdultBlock+ service protects.

 

Now is the Time for Brand Owners to Act

With the holidays fast approaching and December 1st right around the corner, brand owners need to act now to keep their brand(s) protected in the adult space by converting existing Sunrise B blocks to AdultBlock or AdultBlock+.

 

Converting existing Sunrise B blocks will:

• Extend brand protection from just .XXX to all adult-themed TLDs, including .adult, .porn and .sex;
• Help keep you safe from fraudsters seeking to capitalize on your brand’s IP for nefarious purposes, like cybersquatting, phishing, and malware; and
• Block additional look-alike and confusingly similar homoglyph variants of your mark(s) (with AdultBlock+).

 

Enhanced Eligibility Criteria

When first launched, AdultBlock and AdultBlock+ were exclusively available only to original Sunrise B registrants and brand owners holding valid trademarks in the Trademark Clearinghouse (TMCH).  However, in response to feedback from the brand community, in May of 2021 the eligibility criteria were expanded to protect even more rights, including:

• registered trademarks not in the TMCH,
• unregistered/common law trademarks,
• company/organization names, and 
• names of celebrities and public figures.

 

Steps to Take Now

If you are ready to convert your existing Sunrise B block or to protect a new trademark or name in either the AdultBlock or AdultBlock+ product, please reach out to your preferred corporate or retail domain registrar today. You can see a complete list of accredited registrars on AdultBlock.Adult.

 

 

To learn more about the features and benefits of AdultBlock and AdultBlock+, please download this factsheet. If you are a domain registrar or reseller and would like to customize this factsheet to share with your client base, please reach out to your Account Manager at GoDaddy Registry for support.

 

GoDaddy Registry acquired ICM Registry on August 11, 2021. We are committed to partnering with Brand owners and the larger IP community to continue enhancing the AdultBlock and AdultBlock+ products.