As a Domainer, Will You Put a NameBlock Block on Your Names?

[bhartzer]

NameBlock is launching soon (expected in the next month or so). NameBlock will allow you to pay to place a block on a series of characters (such as your product name, brand, company name, etc.).

You'll be able to place that block so no one can register a domain that contains those characters, and a ton of common variations. For example, if PayPal would put a block on PayPal, then domains like PayPa1.com, PayPa1.net, etc. couldn't be registered. They'll show up as being not available to register.

You don't have to have a trademark to put a NameBlock on. But you'll pay annually for the block.

As a domainer, are you planning on putting block on your more valuable names?

 

[Bob Hawkes]

Bob, it's ONLY for registries,

So it will only apply to registries that sign on, right? Like each country code and new gTLD registry will decide if they want to be part?

Was there not something similar within the registry done by Donuts / Identity Digital? I can't remember what they called it.

I can see a registry preventing similar names within their own registry, so if I buy Example . TLD they prevent confusingly similar names to Example in that same TLD as totally reasonable. But let's say I have a Canadian store on a .ca, there can be someone else using the same name on .io or .xyz or .de without it necessarily meaning there would be any confusion at all, in different sectors, yet this block would supposedly block until I appeal??

I see abuse by companies like we have to some degree now with companies who tie up lots of TMs, but with a far lower barrier.

I will keep an open mind, but for now, I think it will be a disaster. It will further close the Internet. And not even have the safeguards of the TM system.

-Bob

 

[bhartzer]

I think I would BLOCK , words name and block to make sure this never happens again LOL

Go for it!

 

[bmugford]

Well, it's happening.
It's affordable for everyone as far as pricing goes. Like $100/year or less.

So like it or not, it's happening and launching soon.

NameBlock.com is the website with all the info.

Where did you get that price from?

$100/year to block 500+ variations, when the purchaser doesn't even know what is actually blocked?

I think what has been said so far might be a simplistic version of how this actually works.

Brad

 

[D Haynes]

Let's make it clear: it is NOT my model, not my business, not my service.
I am NOT associated with NameBlock (although I may resell it when it launches).

It's not about regging "new names". It's about registering ANY name that's currently available. So even expired domain names.

When I say "new" that's what I mean (names available to register). Names being sold through expired auctions, marketplaces and the like wouldn't be effected.

 

[bhartzer]

So it will only apply to registries that sign on, right? Like each country code and new gTLD registry will decide if they want to be part?

Was there not something similar within the registry done by Donuts / Identity Digital? I can't remember what they called it.

I can see a registry preventing similar names within their own registry, so if I buy Example . TLD they prevent confusingly similar names to Example in that same TLD as totally reasonable. But let's say I have a Canadian store on a .ca, there can be someone else using the same name on .io or .xyz or .de without it necessarily meaning there would be any confusion at all, in different sectors, yet this block would supposedly block until I appeal??

I see abuse by companies like we have to some degree now with companies who tie up lots of TMs, but with a far lower barrier.

I will keep an open mind, but for now, I think it will be a disaster. It will further close the Internet. And not even have the safeguards of the TM system.

-Bob

Yes, it is only for registries that have signed on to accept NameBlock. But my understanding is that most registries have already signed on. There are probably going to be registries and ccTLDs that haven't or won't have signed on.

There definitely is a lower barrier, as it's like $100/year or something like that to place a block. So even someone who has an Etsy store can place a block on their name.

Not sure if it will further close the internet--but there will be less domain names available for hand register.

 

[ksusha64]

I remember Epik.com was selling renewals for domains for LIFE. Did anyone sign up for that? I wonder if it was worth it? How much was it?

 

[branding]

Not sure that there's much you can do at this point, though... my understanding is that NameBlock got the ICANN approval and it's launching soon.

Sure we can.

NameBlock.com doesn't really have much detail about how this actually works.

Maybe they just block it if you try to register it a Nameblock? Are they even a registrar?

For ICANN/verisign the math doesn't add up. 500 variations is about 5K revenue lost on a $100 service

 

[bhartzer]

Where did you get that price from?

$100/year to block 500+ variations, when the purchaser doesn't even know what is actually blocked?

I think what has been said so far might be a simplistic version of how this actually works.

Brad

It's only my guess about pricing, I don't have any info about pricing at this point. But my understanding is that it will be affordable, not like $1,000 or more or some ridiculous amount.

I believe the NameBlock site has a list of common variations, like the common typos of names and 1 for i and 3 for L being blocked, along with "sucks", "stinks", etc.

You'll need to go to NameBlock.com to see what they say--I'm still only reading up on it.

 

[bhartzer]

I remember Epik.com was selling renewals for domains for LIFE. Did anyone sign up for that? I wonder if it was worth it? How much was it?

Epik was selling "forever" domains, that's different than "for life". If I pass away in 30 years, then I would lose the domain if it's "for life". But if it's "forever", then my heirs will get the domain passed to them.

What does Epik forever registration have to do with NameBlock?

 

[bmugford]

It's only my guess about pricing, I don't have any info about pricing at this point. But my understanding is that it will be affordable, not like $1,000 or more or some ridiculous amount.

I believe the NameBlock site has a list of common variations, like the common typos of names and 1 for i and 3 for L being blocked, along with "sucks", "stinks", etc.

You'll need to go to NameBlock.com to see what they say--I'm still only reading up on it.

I think the only way it would be cheap is if they block registrations that literally no one would ever want.

Otherwise, to charge say $100 to block 500+ registrations doesn't make much sense.

Brad

 

[Bob Hawkes]

AbuseShield uses NameBlock’s abuse variants algorithm to generate an Abuse Variant List consisting of variants of a Block Label, based on e.g. abuse suffixes, homoglyphs, common misspellings etc, and subsequently blocks a maximum of 500 Domain Names within the same participating TLD as the Block Label.

I realize NameBlock has 2 (or more?) aspects, but this one seems to be blocking only names within the same TLD. I don't see that as necessarily bad. For example, if I register Hawkesy.services, I could see it as reasonable and good for security that a bad actor can't use Hawksy, Hawkesly, etc. services. Perhaps.

But to extend it beyond similar names in the same TLD is rife for abuse in my opinion.

-Bob

 

[ksusha64]

Epik was selling "forever" domains, that's different than "for life". If I pass away in 30 years, then I would lose the domain if it's "for life". But if it's "forever", then my heirs will get the domain passed to them.

What does Epik forever registration have to do with NameBlock?

How much was forever renewal?

 

[branding]

most registries have already signed on. There are probably going to be registries and ccTLDs that haven't or won't have signed on.

Cctlds won't play along trust me. They have their own TM process. Works likes a charm.

 

[bhartzer]

Sure we can.




Maybe they just block it if you try to register it a Nameblock? Are they even a registrar?

For ICANN/verisign the math doesn't add up. 500 variations is about 5K revenue lost on a $100 service

Registrars will upsell the service.
Some resellers will resell the service that are not registrars.

Verisign isn't going to lose 500 variations of the domain... and their typos.

 

[bhartzer]

How much was forever renewal?

I think it was like $249 or $349 'forever'.

 

[Bob Hawkes]

How is it possible ICANN, supposedly a multi-stakeholder organization, signed off on this without wide public consultation?

-Bob

 

[bhartzer]

Cctlds won't play along trust me. They have their own TM process. Works likes a charm.

I heard that ccTLDs are already signed up.. .some of them. If a domain is blocked, then they don't have to deal with the TM process. It's already blocked.

 

[bhartzer]

How is it possible ICANN, supposedly a multi-stakeholder organization, signed off on this without wide public consultation?

-Bob

I don't know, but they've signed off on it. At least that's my understanding. You'd have to talk to NameBlock if you want more info.

It's launching soon--so might be worth actually investigating and learning more about it. That's one reason I posted about it.

 

[bmugford]

How is it possible ICANN, supposedly a multi-stakeholder organization, signed off on this without wide public consultation?

-Bob

That's a good question.

Between that, not knowing what is blocked, and overall lack of details, that is why I am leaning more towards marketing fluff.

I highly doubt this works in a way where anyone can just block generic terms for $100 (or close).

Brad

 

[branding]

I heard that ccTLDs are already signed up.. .some of them. If a domain is blocked, then they don't have to deal with the TM process. It's already blocked.

Have you gone through their site thoroughly?

It looks like one big scam. I'm not buying it.

 

[Bob Hawkes]

Do we know who are the people behind NameBlock?

Is there a link to their presentation to ICANN?

Do we know what registries have already signed up?

OpenCorporates shows NameBlock AS was registered in 2007 in Norway, but does not give the directors. Is that the same company?

On his LinkedIn Pinkard Alan (Pinky) Brand lists himself as Senior Vice-President at NameBlock. PS I just noticed his LI says that he is Vice-President under contract to NameBlock. So sounds more like a consultancy as I read it again.

 

[bhartzer]

That's a good question.

Between that, not knowing what is blocked, and overall lack of details, that is why I am leaning more towards marketing fluff.

I highly doubt this works in a way where anyone can just block generic terms for $100 (or close).

Brad

Yeah, that's my understanding--it works that way, where ANYONE can place a block.
I believe there are certain keywords/terms that cannot have a block placed, which would make sense.

 

[bhartzer]

Have you gone through their site thoroughly?

It looks like one big scam. I'm not buying it.

I have gone through the site and their webinar(s).

It's not a scam. It's happening and something all domainers should be aware of.

 

[bhartzer]

Do we know who are the people behind NameBlock?

Is there a link to their presentation to ICANN?

Do we know what registries have already signed up?

OpenCorporates shows NameBlock AS was registered in 2007 in Norway, but does not give the directors. Is that the same company?

On his LinkedIn Pinkard Alan (Pinky) Brand lists himself as Senior Vice-President at NameBlock.

I know Pinky as well as Kevin Kopas are heavily involved. I'm not sure who owns it.

I don't think they've release a list of registries that have signed on, but my understanding is that it's a lot of them.

 

[Bob Hawkes]

NameBlock are on LinkedIn

https://www.linkedin.com/company/nameblock/about/

They say they have 4-10 employees and were registered in 2022. So a different company from the one in Norway? But with similar business? And only one is on OpenCorporates?