As a Domainer, Will You Put a NameBlock Block on Your Names?

[bhartzer]

NameBlock is launching soon (expected in the next month or so). NameBlock will allow you to pay to place a block on a series of characters (such as your product name, brand, company name, etc.).

You'll be able to place that block so no one can register a domain that contains those characters, and a ton of common variations. For example, if PayPal would put a block on PayPal, then domains like PayPa1.com, PayPa1.net, etc. couldn't be registered. They'll show up as being not available to register.

You don't have to have a trademark to put a NameBlock on. But you'll pay annually for the block.

As a domainer, are you planning on putting block on your more valuable names?

 

[Future Sensors]

"The state-of-the-art platform, built by domain industry veterans, offers sophisticated machine learning algorithms resulting in intelligently targeted domain blocks minimizing the risk of infringing domain registrations."

What could possibly go wrong?

 

[bhartzer]

Definitely. Like I said. It's an easy option/usefull service if you're Amazon, Google, coca cola. Saves legal fees and udrp cost.

However, say they allow you to block a surname... Say someone blocks hartzer and I'm called whatevername hartzer and want to register it...

Not allowing me or making it hard for me to do so goes agains everything ICAN'T is supposed to stand for.

Not going to happen.

Well, it's happening.
It's affordable for everyone as far as pricing goes. Like $100/year or less.

So like it or not, it's happening and launching soon.

NameBlock.com is the website with all the info.

 

[bmugford]

Bob, it's ONLY for registries, the domains are blocked at the registry level.
Registrars will upsell it. There will be resellers who aren't registries.

Regarding "a few powerful companies with the money to spend". That's absolutely not true. Pricing is actually very reasonable, like $100/year or less to place a block. So anyone can afford it if they want to protect their brand. Much cheaper than registering a trademark.

Cool, I can spend $2000 and block anyone from registering the (20) most popular surnames in many domains.

That just seems like another way to abuse the system.

I think there is likely more to this system.

I have a hard time believing that ICANN signed off on a policy that is this open for abuse.

Brad

 

[D Haynes]

Personally this probably won't have any impact on me as I only buy from marketplaces or auctions but if you model is based around regging new names this could potentially put a spanner in the works.

I'm struggling to see the upside of this if I'm honest.

 

[ksusha64]

Bob, it's ONLY for registries, the domains are blocked at the registry level.
Registrars will upsell it. There will be resellers who aren't registries.

Regarding "a few powerful companies with the money to spend". That's absolutely not true. Pricing is actually very reasonable, like $100/year or less to place a block. So anyone can afford it if they want to protect their brand. Much cheaper than registering a trademark.

That makes no sense $100 a year, You will pay 1 cent to each registrar a year?? The math doesnt make sense., My selling point as registrar would be I never signed up for crazy domainblock so u guys are free to get any domains.
There is trademark for almost any word. You are going to block trademark companies for registering names? This is just nuts. ICANN, verisign, trademark owners will be upset. Lawyers will have a field day with this. I think some lawyers put u up to this?

 

[bhartzer]

So, if you block Hartzer.com does it mean that Hartcer.com will also be blocked? Or is it only the Hartzer123.com type of names? In other words - in the first case that could be a totally different name, and in second - bunch of crap that no one needs. So, who decides, what exactly is blocked and by what criterias?

To me, the execution of such an idea will be on the scale somewhere between abusive and dumb.

My understanding (again it's NOT my service), is that if I block "Hartzer" (I'm not blocking a domain, I"m blocking a set of characters)... yes, Hartcer dot com will also be blocked.

It basically includes the typos and misspellings, but also about 500 different variations. Like blocking 1 for L, 3 for E, etc.

 

[dirk]

Well, it's happening.
It's affordable for everyone as far as pricing goes. Like $100/year or less.

So like it or not, it's happening and launching soon.

NameBlock.com is the website with all the info.

I will be following closely and raise my concerns with ICAN'T.

They picked a perfect timing. Just when ccTLDs are on the rise.

I never thought .com could be dethroned but at the current pace, I'm not so certain anymore...

Insanity.

 

[bhartzer]

Personally this probably won't have any impact on me as I only buy from marketplaces or auctions but if you model is based around regging new names this could potentially put a spanner in the works.

I'm struggling to see the upside of this if I'm honest.

Let's make it clear: it is NOT my model, not my business, not my service.
I am NOT associated with NameBlock (although I may resell it when it launches).

It's not about regging "new names". It's about registering ANY name that's currently available. So even expired domain names.

 

[ksusha64]

I think I would BLOCK , words name and block to make sure this never happens again LOL

 

[bhartzer]

I will be following closely and raise my concerns with ICAN'T.

They picked a perfect timing. Just when ccTLDs are on the rise.

I never thought .com could be dethroned but at the current pace, I'm not so certain anymore...

Insanity.

Not sure that there's much you can do at this point, though... my understanding is that NameBlock got the ICANN approval and it's launching soon.

 

[Bob Hawkes]

Bob, it's ONLY for registries,

So it will only apply to registries that sign on, right? Like each country code and new gTLD registry will decide if they want to be part?

Was there not something similar within the registry done by Donuts / Identity Digital? I can't remember what they called it.

I can see a registry preventing similar names within their own registry, so if I buy Example . TLD they prevent confusingly similar names to Example in that same TLD as totally reasonable. But let's say I have a Canadian store on a .ca, there can be someone else using the same name on .io or .xyz or .de without it necessarily meaning there would be any confusion at all, in different sectors, yet this block would supposedly block until I appeal??

I see abuse by companies like we have to some degree now with companies who tie up lots of TMs, but with a far lower barrier.

I will keep an open mind, but for now, I think it will be a disaster. It will further close the Internet. And not even have the safeguards of the TM system.

-Bob

 

[bhartzer]

I think I would BLOCK , words name and block to make sure this never happens again LOL

Go for it!

 

[bmugford]

Well, it's happening.
It's affordable for everyone as far as pricing goes. Like $100/year or less.

So like it or not, it's happening and launching soon.

NameBlock.com is the website with all the info.

Where did you get that price from?

$100/year to block 500+ variations, when the purchaser doesn't even know what is actually blocked?

I think what has been said so far might be a simplistic version of how this actually works.

Brad

 

[D Haynes]

Let's make it clear: it is NOT my model, not my business, not my service.
I am NOT associated with NameBlock (although I may resell it when it launches).

It's not about regging "new names". It's about registering ANY name that's currently available. So even expired domain names.

When I say "new" that's what I mean (names available to register). Names being sold through expired auctions, marketplaces and the like wouldn't be effected.

 

[bhartzer]

So it will only apply to registries that sign on, right? Like each country code and new gTLD registry will decide if they want to be part?

Was there not something similar within the registry done by Donuts / Identity Digital? I can't remember what they called it.

I can see a registry preventing similar names within their own registry, so if I buy Example . TLD they prevent confusingly similar names to Example in that same TLD as totally reasonable. But let's say I have a Canadian store on a .ca, there can be someone else using the same name on .io or .xyz or .de without it necessarily meaning there would be any confusion at all, in different sectors, yet this block would supposedly block until I appeal??

I see abuse by companies like we have to some degree now with companies who tie up lots of TMs, but with a far lower barrier.

I will keep an open mind, but for now, I think it will be a disaster. It will further close the Internet. And not even have the safeguards of the TM system.

-Bob

Yes, it is only for registries that have signed on to accept NameBlock. But my understanding is that most registries have already signed on. There are probably going to be registries and ccTLDs that haven't or won't have signed on.

There definitely is a lower barrier, as it's like $100/year or something like that to place a block. So even someone who has an Etsy store can place a block on their name.

Not sure if it will further close the internet--but there will be less domain names available for hand register.

 

[ksusha64]

I remember Epik.com was selling renewals for domains for LIFE. Did anyone sign up for that? I wonder if it was worth it? How much was it?

 

[dirk]

Not sure that there's much you can do at this point, though... my understanding is that NameBlock got the ICANN approval and it's launching soon.

Sure we can.

NameBlock.com doesn't really have much detail about how this actually works.

Maybe they just block it if you try to register it a Nameblock? Are they even a registrar?

For ICANN/verisign the math doesn't add up. 500 variations is about 5K revenue lost on a $100 service

 

[bhartzer]

Where did you get that price from?

$100/year to block 500+ variations, when the purchaser doesn't even know what is actually blocked?

I think what has been said so far might be a simplistic version of how this actually works.

Brad

It's only my guess about pricing, I don't have any info about pricing at this point. But my understanding is that it will be affordable, not like $1,000 or more or some ridiculous amount.

I believe the NameBlock site has a list of common variations, like the common typos of names and 1 for i and 3 for L being blocked, along with "sucks", "stinks", etc.

You'll need to go to NameBlock.com to see what they say--I'm still only reading up on it.

 

[bhartzer]

I remember Epik.com was selling renewals for domains for LIFE. Did anyone sign up for that? I wonder if it was worth it? How much was it?

Epik was selling "forever" domains, that's different than "for life". If I pass away in 30 years, then I would lose the domain if it's "for life". But if it's "forever", then my heirs will get the domain passed to them.

What does Epik forever registration have to do with NameBlock?

 

[bmugford]

It's only my guess about pricing, I don't have any info about pricing at this point. But my understanding is that it will be affordable, not like $1,000 or more or some ridiculous amount.

I believe the NameBlock site has a list of common variations, like the common typos of names and 1 for i and 3 for L being blocked, along with "sucks", "stinks", etc.

You'll need to go to NameBlock.com to see what they say--I'm still only reading up on it.

I think the only way it would be cheap is if they block registrations that literally no one would ever want.

Otherwise, to charge say $100 to block 500+ registrations doesn't make much sense.

Brad