Online IP Protection

Online Brand Protection

With the launch of the new generic Top-Level Domain (gTLD) program in 2013, innovation was brought to the domain name system, offering more variety in possible domain names. You could now register your preferred domain name in a .shop or .app extension, instead of the usual .com or country specific extensions such as .be. On the other hand, this extension meant higher risk for IP owners to protect their brands in a larger online space. This is why the Internet regulator, ICANN, created a mechanism that protects the rights of brand owners in this larger domain name space: the Trademark Clearinghouse. Deloitte manages the operations of this Trademark Clearinghouse and is the sole global provider of this service. For almost a decade, Deloitte offers brand owners various solutions to protect their intellectual property online, including priority domain name registrations, brand monitoring, potential infringement notices, ability to block your brand from being used in domain names, etc.

Internet Regulatory Compliance

Internet Regulation Service

Global online connectivity has brought many societal, individual and corporate benefits, However, there are also risks associated with the internet. Personal data, intellectual property, your internet history, etc. can be misused by bad actors. This is why policymakers are responding with new regulations to create appropriate safeguards in order to have a safe Internet space. Compliance with these fast changing and emerging regulations is mandatory and will become a greater competitive advantage, steering organizations to pro-actively approach these concepts in an integrated manner, rather than re-actively tackling them on a stand-alone basis. Deloitte supports organizations in preparing for and responding to these global Internet Regulations, taking a holistic view on risk alignment and compliance.

Registry Operator & Registrar Compliance

Within the domain name industry, registry operators and registrars have contractual obligations towards ICANN, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers. ICANN is able to verify their compliance against these requirements. Compliance topics include: operations and business continuity, technical and security requirements, data regulation, financial position, human capital, reporting obligations, etc. Deloitte provides support to understand and evaluate the current compliance position, as well as identifies optimization areas.

Top-Level Domain (TLD) Consulting

Do you want to manage your own domain extension, also called a Top-Level Domain? This enables you to create your online identity, bring your marketing and branding efforts to a next level, and create a more secure environment for your domain names to operate in. Deloitte assists you with evaluating the added value of this investment and defining your TLD strategy. Additionally, we provide advice on developing your business case to obtain and successfully maintain this extension, including defining the operational, technical and financial requirement.

Online Rights Protection Service

Looking beyond trademarked brands, Deloitte can validate other rights of individuals and/or companies, intellectual properties, etc. By verifying the eligibility of the rights, owners gain access to privileged services such as for example domain name registration in restricted Top-Level Domains, domain name blocking solutions, etc.