ICANN seeks comments on Donuts DPML request

ICANN has invited public comments on a request by domain name registry Donuts to amend its Domains Protected Marks List (DPML), a tool used to block trademarked terms.

The DPML works by allowing trademark owners to stop others from registering terms across Donuts’ entire portfolio of 239 top-level domains, including .email, .guru and .life.

Exact trademarked-terms can be blocked for five years under the DPML, while the enhanced DPML Plus, which offers a ten-year block, applies to misspellings as well.

Despite offering this blocking tool, the DPML does not prevent other entities that claim rights to a blocked term from unblocking it and then registering a domain. 

According to Donuts, DPML users can submit unlimited overrides of blocked terms without incurring additional wholesale override fees. With the DPML Plus, the same rule applies but the company seeking the unblocking of a term must elect to register and use the domain.

In June, Donuts proposed an amendment to the service by adding the following text: “In some instances, approval from the applicable DPML holder may be required for a third party with the same trademark to register the blocked name.”

ICANN has now opened a public comment period, which will close on September 24. A staff report will follow by October 8.

At the time of writing, no comments had been filed.