In the landscape of new gTLDs, some disputes feel almost too predictable. Yet behind these seemingly anecdotal cases often lie insufficient prevention strategies. The recent <ralphlauren.website> case, considered alongside nearly fifty similar decisions, is a reminder that many domain name conflicts could have been avoided through the TMCH and the more recent GlobalBlock system.

At the heart of the case is the domain name <ralphlauren.website>, identical to a world-famous trademark, registered in an open extension, used to deceive users through a fake login portal, and later left inactive. Unsurprisingly, the panel ordered the transfer. And yet, behind this expected outcome lies a more troubling reality: this domain name should never have been registrable by a third party in the first place.

The demonstration becomes obvious when this case is placed alongside fifty or so decisions issued in recent years. All follow the same script: a well-known trademark, an identical domain name, an open new gTLD, a respondent with no rights, and fraudulent use or passive holding. Whether the TLD is .shop, .online, .site, .global, .xyz, .top, .website, .monster, .marketing, .lat, .bio, .club, .baby, or .group, the conclusion is always the same: the dispute could have been prevented.

Preventive tools

For more than a decade, the necessary tools have existed. Created in 2013, the Trademark Clearinghouse allows trademark owners to register domain names in new extensions during priority phases and receive alerts when third parties attempt to register identical strings. It was an imperfect but valuable first barrier — one capable of preventing many of the most predictable registrations. Yet many trademark owners never enrolled in the TMCH, allowing registrations such as natixis.shop, aramex.site, canva.monster or decathlon.work to proliferate.

To address the limits of the TMCH, a second barrier emerged: GlobalBlock, launched in 2023. Unlike the TMCH, which informs trademark owners, GlobalBlock prevents the registration of an identical string across a broad family of TLDs. This mechanism fundamentally changes the landscape: it does not warn, it blocks.

Illustrations

The .AI risk

One last point deserves attention, as it has rapidly become a central issue in practice: the .AI extension. Long treated as a peripheral ccTLD, it has transformed, propelled by the explosion of artificial intelligence and extremely liberal registration rules, into one of the most sensitive domains today. The pathe.ai, mcafee.ai and socgen.ai cases show how easy, fast and inexpensive it is to register a famous mark in .AI. Today, failing to secure brand.ai is essentially leaving a door wide open in a very crowded street. For many companies, registering their trademark in .AI should no longer be seen as optional.

Conclusion

As open TLDs continue to multiply, defensive strategies must evolve and rely more heavily on proactive tools: TMCH enrollment, GlobalBlock activation, defensive registrations in sensitive TLDs (starting with .AI and .COM), active monitoring, and regular audits.

IP Twins Services

To support trademark owners in this necessary strategic shift, IP Twins offers comprehensive expertise: TMCH enrollment, GlobalBlock implementation, targeted defensive registrations (notably in .AI), proactive monitoring, and regular audits of digital portfolios. Our approach rests on a simple conviction: prevention is not a cost; it is a saving of time, risks, and disputes.