Company that provides alt-root domain names filed trademark applications for new extensions.
Unstoppable Domains, a company that sells alt-root domain names that use blockchain technology, recently filed trademark applications with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) for future namespaces.
The company filed applications for .nft, .doge, .web3, .dao, .bch, .blockchain, .go, .x, .888 and .coin.
Unstoppable’s applications show goods and services of “Domain name registration services” and are filed on an intent-to-use basis.
The USPTO does not approve trademark applications for which the mark is for a top level domain name. This is one of the refusal reasons for Unstoppable Domains’ application for .crypto, which was filed in January 2019.
Unstoppable domains currently offers alt-root domains ending in .crypto and .zil. Users need to install a browser plugin or use the Brave browser to access these sites.
The applications foreshadow future name collisions. At some point, ICANN will open another round of new TLDs. You can expect that companies will apply for .crypto, .NFT, .blockchain and .coin during that round. Once these domains are on the traditional DNS, major browsers are likely to resolve the real DNS versions instead of Unstoppable’s domains.
(Andrew Rosener and I discuss Unstoppable Domains and these future name collisions on today’s podcast.)
Some companies attempted to trademark top level domain names before the 2012 round of new TLDs in an effort to get a leg up on the competition. ICANN rejected all of these claims.
