China Trademark Association (CTA) “Brand Management for Enterprises” training was held in Chongqing on June 23rd. The .商标 Top-Level Domain (“TLD”), the online trademark symbol in China, was featured in the training, which aimed to help brands and, trademark related organizations to improve their brand building and management. The Beijing Municipal Government News Office, State Administration for Industry & Commerce, China International Television Corporation, and other experts from the industry, also participated. 

Walter Wu, President of Dot Trademark Domain Registry, presented “Trademarks, Infringement and Enforcement Online”. Mr. Wu pointed out that one of the greatest challenges for promoting brands is that figurative trademarks cannot be used as language keywords on search engines. This makes it challenging for a brand’s trademark to spread and gain visibility on the Internet, and contributes to trademark infringement and disputes in many Internet applications (e.g., domain names, keywords, App names, online store names, marketplaces identities, social media handles such as Wechat public accounts, and paid keywords on search engines). Currently, most online platforms lack the complete registration rules and policies, resulting in the rapid growth of fake account names and websites. 

The misuse of trademarked names and similar names, or “cybersquatting”, misleads consumers, and infringes the legal rights of trademark holders. Therefore, using an online Internet address with the Chinese characters 商标 (Trademark) as the suffix, provides traditional trademark holders with a validated and trusted online identity that consumers can easily recognize, and which can spread virally on online.

A .商标address clearly communicates trademark holders’ rights using the two Chinese characters that mean “trademark” in Chinese. The rigorous registration rules of .商标 which require proof of trademark rights, ensure that each .商标 domain name represents a real validated trademark and brand. This innovative brand identity will effectively help trademark holders do business on the Internet, reduce the risk of domain name infringement, and reduce online fraud by enabling consumers to find a brand’s official website and authentic brand merchandise and services on the Internet. 

Dot Trademark hosted a reception of “Night of Dot Trademark” in the evening.  Ms. Zhao Ying, Director of CTA Legal Department, and Mr. Wu Zhaolong, General Manager of the South-West Trademark Office, addressed the CTA and Dot Trademark partners. Mr. Dennis Cai, Dot Trademark, President of Policy and Compliance, also spoke. He pointed out that the fundamental registration validation process used by the .商标 Domain Registry ensures that every .商标 domain name corresponds to a legitimate trademark right. The registration rules also require that registrants use .商标 reasonably and in good faith, ensuring every .商标 corresponds to a real and trustworthy website, application or service. In addition, Dot Trademark hopes to enhance its policy to allow trademark holders to use associated keywords in their brand identity on the Internet. Mr. Cai also disclosed that the .商标 Domain Registry is planning to establish an independent Policy Advisory Committee to ensure that the registration rules of .商标 are consistent with the latest trends and rights protection practices of the international intellectual property community, and to the maximum extent possible, ensure the rationality and fairness of the registration rules.