Businesses with a presence in Asia who wish to protect trademarks have been advised that they should consider registering for .asia domain names.
The .asia top-level domain becomes available on Tuesday for companies with trademarks and a local presence within the continent.
"Businesses in Asia or who do business with Asian companies may consider registration," said Lesley Cowley, chief executive officer of Nominet, the .uk registry. "Businesses which feel strongly about trademarks either register in each suffix [top-level domain], or decide they're not going to play that game, and protect their brands through marketing and using legal systems to redress cybersquatting."
However, cybersquatting, or buying up domain names for later resale to companies, should not pose many problems for businesses, said Cowley. "If companies are concerned, they will register in the sunrise period. For companies concerned with protecting their brand, the .asia dispute process will be the same as .com," she said.
Internet registrar Hostway, which will sell .asia domains, argued that businesses should register during the sunrise period if they have trademark concerns.
"To prove you have a trademark through the courts takes more money, time and effort after the fact," said Nick Field, a product manager at Hostway. "If a company is serious about their brand, they should take measures to protect it, and, if they get registered, there won't be any cybersquatting issues."
Singapore-based registrar IP Mirror argues that cybersquatting is increasing in Asia, largely because of the availability, so far, of inexpensive domain names.
The sunrise period for registration by trademark holders will last until 15 January, 2008, after which duplicated domain names will be auctioned off to the highest bidder.
From 15 November, 2007, companies in the Asia region which do not own trademarks, but which were incorporated on or before 6 December, 2006, can join the application process.
From February 2008 the so-called "landrush" phase begins, during which the general public can apply for .asia domain names. Again, duplicate domains will be auctioned to the highest bidder.
From March 2008 .asia domain names will be allocated on a first come, first served basis.
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