Donuts launches DPML Plus for $9,999 to enhance protections for brands

Donuts Inc., announced today that for three months beginning October 1, it will offer DPML Plus, a three-month promotion that builds on its legacy Domains Protected Marks List (DPML) program.

For the first time brand owners will be able to block a premium domain name. That was not possible with standard DPML. Not sure how this can helpful at this time as 99% of Donuts New gTLDs have launched and all good premium domains are probably registered by now.

DPML is a service that allows trademark owners to protect their marks and related terms across all of Donuts new generic top-level domains (gTLDs) at a fraction of what it would cost to defensively register the same terms.  Donuts said the service is employed by thousands of subscribers and several Fortune 500 companies, including Target, Verizon, Costco, Apple, HP, Microsoft and Amazon, count among the many.

DPML Plus Features  

The limited-time DPML Plus promotion enhances DPML by allowing brand owners to widen protections, including, for the first time, common misspellings of their marks. Brand owners also are able to:

• Block their marks and mark-related terms from registration for an initial 10-year period.
• Block one exact match term and three additional strings (legacy DPML covers one string) that contain a mark or common misspellings of the mark (further “contains” or misspelled terms beyond these three strings are available to block for an additional fee).
• Also for the first time, block a mark in premium second-level domains across all Donuts gTLDs.

DPML Plus blocks are not subject to overrides by other parties with the same trademark. DPML Plus subscribers may submit unlimited overrides of their own blocked terms (for no wholesale override fee) if they elect to register and use their previously blocked terms.

Registration for DPML Plus will open October 1, 2016, and close December 31, 2016.  The company’s suggested retail price for DPML Plus is $9,999.  DPML applications may be submitted only through a registrar authorized by Donuts to provide the service.

“The DPML program has provided a cost-effective way for owners of the world’s most recognizable brands to protect their trademarks across a significant portion of the new Internet landscape,” said Richard Tindal, Donuts co-founder and Chief Operating Officer.  “The DPML Plus promotional offering provides a truly unique opportunity for us to partner with brand owners to ensure that usage of new domain extensions is correctly tailored to their precise needs.”

Updates to Legacy DPML Service

The company further disclosed that effective January 1, 2017, the price of its legacy DPML service will be increased in order to better align the service’s benefits with its marketplace value.

Existing DPML subscribers can renew their subscriptions at current pricing before January 1.

How DPML Works

“The DPML program was developed in consultation with intellectual property experts and has been extremely well received by the trademark community.  DPML works by “blocking” a string of characters from registration at the second level (the characters before the dot).  The string may be an exact match of the mark or may contain the mark within it (the mark may be at the beginning, end or anywhere in the applied-for label, so long as it is contiguous).”

More information is available via the company?s DPML Plus Overview and FAQs.