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Intellectual Property Claim Period

Frequently Asked Questions

Submerged-Ideas.com

What is the Intellectual Property (IP) Claim Period?
The IP Claim period is designed to help organizations protect their intellectual property by allowing them to file a claim on a domain name.

Who is eligible to register an Intellectual Property (IP) Claim for .biz?
Owners of trademarks, common law trademarks or service marks can file IP Claims to protect their valuable intellectual property.

When will the Intellectual Property (IP) Claim start?
You can file an IP Claim until July 9, 2001*

How does getting an Intellectual Property (IP) Claim benefit me?
The IP Claim service offers the following benefits:

• Warns off cybersquatters, and others, who may be unaware of claims to a domain name BEFORE they complete the domain name application process.
• Forces the prospective applicant or applicants to acknowledge the claim before going ahead with a domain application.
• Resolves IP Claimants disputes faster by using Standing in the Start-up Trademark Opposition Policy (STOP), which carries a lower burden of proof than the Uniform Dispute Resolution Policy (UDRP). The UDRP will be used once the .biz registry goes live.
• Gives IP Claimants valuable time to act BEFORE the domain name goes live.

• the name of each business or entity that submitted the IP Claim(s);
• a description of the goods/services for each IP mark;
• the date of first use in commerce for each IP mark; and
• the contact information for the person to receive legal correspondence for each Claim.

An automatic 30-day hold is put on any domain name registration with an IP Claim against it. This provides Claimants with an opportunity to resolve any disputes, or take other appropriate action.

How does the Intellectual Property (IP) dispute process work?
IP Claimants are essentially first in line for resolving domain name disputes, using Standing in the Start-up Trademark Opposition Policy (STOP), a dispute process designed to save Claimants' valuable time and money.

STOP makes it easier for trademark owners to demonstrate that a domain name was registered in "bad faith". It carries a lower burden of proof than the standard Uniform Dispute Resolution Policy (UDRP) and provides a more rapid forum for resolving conflicts.

UDRP requires that a trademark or service mark owner demonstrate that a domain name was registered in bad faith AND used in bad faith; whereas, STOP requires that the trademark or service mark owner demonstrate that a domain name was registered in bad faith OR used in bad faith, not both. For example, registering a domain name for the sole purpose of selling it to a third party constitutes a violation of STOP.

Do I have to submit a pre-registration order if I have an Intellectual Property (IP) Claim?
Filing an IP Claim is not an application to register the domain name itself. You must submit a separate domain name pre-registration if you want to register the domain name.

sm Is there a limit to how many Intellectual Property (IP) Claims I can submit?
You only need to submit one IP Claim form for each trademark or service mark. However, if you hold 100 different trademarks or service marks, you will have to submit an IP Claim for each one.

*Please note: All information and dates are subject to change at any time.