TMCH
Trademark Clearinghouse
Online Brand Protection
Your clients want to protect their brand on the Internet?
As official Trademark Agent, we assist patent law offices, domain resellers as well as end customers regarding their application within the TMCH. Once registered, you will receive a notification when someone else tries to register a domain using your client's trademark during the so-called "Trademark Claims" period. Seize the chance to also protect your client's trademarks at the very beginning of the Top Level Domain registration process, the so-called Sunrise Period.
The Trademark Clearinghouse
The Trademark Clearinghouse is a central institution for trademark owners. It ensures brand protection for new Top Level Domains (nTLDs).
A brand can be newly registered at the TMCH by right owners, their spokesperson and their agents. In that way, you get the chance to take part in the early registration period of all new top level domains. A subscription in the Trademark Clearinghouse allows you to register your brand name domains before the official launch of an nTLD. Moreover, trademark owners will be notified about potential infringements when a domain with their brand name is registered.
Early Registrations – Only For Registered Brands
Subscribing your brands to the TMCH is highly recommended at any rate.
In that way, you gain control over the registration of corresponding domain names in the Sunrise Periods of new TLDs and prevent potential costs for litigation.
Advantages of a TMCH Registration
- Registered trademark owners can register their brand domains early in the so-called Sunrise Periods.
- Potential domain owners will be warned that they possibly commit a trade mark violation upon registration.
- Trademark owners will be informed by TMCH when domains with their brand name are registered in the so-called "Trademark Claims" period.
- Owners of a registered trademark can minimise their costs for monitoring and implementing trademark rights.
Knipp – Your Trademark Agent
As official Trademark Agent, we help you with your application to the Trademark Clearinghouse.
We will guide you through the jungle of laws, conditions and regulations and submit your Trademark Record on your behalf. We also take care of submitting all required information and documents in time, so that you can focus on your business.
Benefit From Our Know-How
With Knipp, you have a competent expert by your side. We have long-standing experience in the field of TLDs and have assisted numerous popular trademark owners.
We gladly provide more information about our TMCH services. You can use our Knipp TMCH Form to get in touch with us and learn more about how you can protect your brand on the Internet and what the next steps would be.
Frequently Asked Questions and Answers about the Trademark Clearinghouse (TMCH)
In the following, you will find a collection of questions concerning the Trademark Clearinghouse and our services as TMCH Trademark Agent. If your questions are not listed here please feel free to contact us at any time.
Every trademark owner can register their brands in order to protect the corresponding brand names from infringement through third parties.
We can submit and maintain your application on your behalf. Make use of our comprehensive TMCH services. We can coordinate the necessary information and submit your Trademark Records.
TMCH Services Price List
| Period | Fee (EUR) | Fee incl. VAT (EUR) |
| 1 Year | 195.00 | 232.05 |
| 3 Years | 585.00 | 696.15 |
| 5 Years | 955.00 | 1,136.45 |
No. There are certain rules that define which terms based on which trademark registrations can be registered in the TMCH:
- Trademarks have to be registered on a national level at least. Multinational trademark registrations or international brands (based on a national trademark registration) are also possible.
- Brand names that begin with a dot (such as .brand) or with the word "dot" (dotbrand) are not allowed.
- Special characters that are included in a brand name but cannot be replicated in the Domain Name System (DNS) may be omitted or replaced with a hyphen.
Trademarks recorded in the Trademark Clearinghouse have priority in registering new Top Level Domains in the so-called Sunrise Periods. If you plan to register one or several new Top Level Domains for your trademarks then you should register in the TMCH. In that way, you can participate in the Sunrise Periods.
Additionally, registered brand owners will be notified of domain registrations including the trademarked name and possible infringement of your trademark in a new gTLD.
Yes of course. There is no limitation on the number of entries in the TMCH.
