Trademark Protection and Web 3.0
What You Need to Know
With the level of progress and the degree of interest it has generated in recent years, the inevitability of Web 3.0 is now more obvious than ever. The reality is that the World Wide Web is experiencing a significant transition from the centralized ICANN-governed web 2.0 internet to a decentralized blockchain-based Handshake Domain system (web 3.0). It will therefore be advantageous for you to quickly come to terms with this fact and recognize the issues that may arise as a result of this transformation, as well as how to leverage this paradigm shift to your advantage.
Centralized, decentralized, or whichever kind of web system that may be, the domain name system is always a very critical component of the web. Without the system in place, it will be difficult if not impossible to identify and access websites on the Internet. Domain names are, however, unique to each website. That is why the traditional web system (Web 2.0) is governed by a central entity like ICANN, which handles the issuance of domain names, but specifically issues Top-level domains (TLDs) such as.com, .net, .org, and also serves as the root zone for all web 2.0 domains.
At the start of this centralized internet system in the 1990s, one major problem with its increasing prominence and expansion was the frequent infringement of trademark domain names, mainly through cybersquatting and permutations. Businesses and brands like Microsoft, who thought that the Internet and the emerging domain system would not amount to much, had to pay millions to claim their domains because it was already occupied by another individual who had the foresight and vision to purchase it before they did.
Like in the 1990s, we are again entering another defining era in the Internet, where the domain system is based on blockchain technology to create a decentralized network. This kind of decentralized system is independent of certificate authorities and ICANN and so gives users more autonomy and control. Many businesses and brands are already taking the necessary actions to claim their trademark and brand domains on Web 3 because the shift to a decentralized web system is inevitable.
Cybersquatting and Permutation
Cybersquatting is the unlicensed registration and use of domain names on the Internet that are the same as or confusingly similar to trademarks, service marks, company names, or people’s names. In the same vein, domain permutation involves changing a trademark domain name to resemble the original name closely. The main objectives of these domain manipulation techniques are to either use them for malicious purposes or for financial gain. Basically, cybersquatters operate a website on these infringed domain names and use it to deceive, impersonate, or scam the customers of these trademark brands, or worse, to extort companies and brands by charging them an outrageous fee to acquire it from them.
When the domain system was originally launched with Web 2.0 in the 1990s, there were initially no regulations to police these actions. Therefore, many well-known brands like Microsoft, which did not react quickly enough, were victims of cybersquatting. However, although there are currently quite a few laws to address this issue, it is still very much present. In fact, it’s estimated that over 150 million phishing emails are sent daily under the guise of different renowned brands and businesses, and many people keep falling victim to these scams.
With the advent of Web 3.0, trademark owners are again confronted with the old menace of cybersquatting and the permutation of their brand names as components of the blockchain-based domain system. It is, therefore, safe to say that the race to safeguard your brands and trademark names is on because the consolidation of Web 3.0 as a significant and full-scale web system is just a matter of time. It is already progressing at a very fast rate, which means there is no better time for you to act than now!
Domain Squatting and Permutation in Web 3.0
To a large extent, legal restrictions have effectively tackled domain infringement in the conventional Web 2.0 system. However, taking the legal route in web 3.0 is quite improbable or impossible mainly because of the anonymity, which is a significant characteristic of web 3.0. The point is Web 3.0 is based on a completely decentralized system. A decentralized system like this is completely independent of any regulatory body and offers every user complete privacy, anonymity, security, autonomy and control.
Therefore, a legal force cannot work effectively or even at all in this kind of system because the architectural structure of a decentralized technology disallows it. This means that Web 3.0 is quite different from the centralized Web 2.0 domain name structure, where businesses and brands can take over their names from cybersquatters through legal means or through controlling entities like ICANN who can take a name from a cybersquatter and transfer it to the trademark or named owner.
In other words, unless the individual, who had infringed your trademarked domain name, agrees to transfer it back to you, there is virtually no way to get it back without mutual consent. This is, a prompt for you to act fast to save your brand from the dark side of this emancipation into a decentralized web.
Protecting Your Trademark and Brand from Cybersquatting in Web 3.0
It is obvious that the only feasible means to effectively tackle domain infringement, either by cybersquatting or permutation, is to prevent it. That is why we have structured a way to help you avoid the impending menace of cybersquatting.
What we do
We work on behalf of businesses and brands to purchase their trademark domain names on web 3.0. We also help identify every possible permutation of your trademarked brand names and acquire as many high-value targets as possible within your budget. Web 3.0 is still in its infancy, therefore, now is the perfect opportunity to get your trademarked names at a discount. Also, if your desired trademark name is already in use, through our contacts and mastery of Web 3.0 we will work as an agent on your behalf to help you regain your brand, trademark or name.
Social Engineering, Phishing, Spear Phishing and Attack Vectors
A significant portion (over 90%) of all malware attacks begin with social engineering in one way or another. Permutations of high-value domain names are a valuable target of a social engineering or malware operation. This means that, if your trademarked name on the web 3.0 is obtained now, it can be used for any malicious act in the future. In this situation, there isn’t much you can do to stop them from using it as a weapon against your employees, customers, and damage your brand.
Therefore, taking the appropriate steps to secure your trademark names and any potential permutations can stop nefarious attempts to harm your business in the future. Web 3.0 is already evolving quickly, hence buying Web 3.0 domain names will never get any cheaper than they are today. Don’t wait till Web 3.0 until it is too late, NOW is the time to act!