Safenames.com Global domain registrations and online brand protection

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Safenames Ltd.

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8300 Boone Blvd, Suite 300-A

Vienna, VA 22182

phone: +44 (0)1908 200022,+1 (703) 574-5313

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Online brand protection all the time

Safenames.net is a global online brand advisor offering domain registration and online brand protection around the world.

A company’s online presence is its 24/7, 365-days-per-year sales, marketing and public relations channel. In 2009, a domain name may be a company's most important branding vehicle, whether it is used as the address for the website of a longstanding famous trademark or as a means to introduce a new product, service or company.

Despite its importance, the domain name is frequently left unprotected. Companies take for granted that visitors will simply retype the domain name if they make a mistake in the browser. Corporate brand holders that want to make sure their potential customers will reach them need a comprehensive domain registration plan to achieve online success.

Safenames Ltd. is the trusted source to register domains on a company's behalf in any country in the world. The company is also a highly experienced consultant and uses special monitoring tools to protect corporations' online brands from the dangers of cyber squatters and opportunists who look to profit from or damage a brand on the web.

Headquartered in Milton Keynes, England, Safenames started up in 1997, and two years later entered into the domain name registration business, says Steve Miholovich, senior vice president of sales and marketing.

From domain registration to a full complement of domain management services

Today Safenames is positioned as a leader in “global domain registration and on-line brand protection,” Miholovich says. Safenames has 110 direct registrar accreditations with country code Top Level domain (ccTLD) registries, more than any other registrar in the world.

Online brand protection starts with domain name registration, but goes much further than simply ensuring a client gets the .com, .net or .org name it covets. Multinational companies with offices in the far reaches of the world, and companies conducting a global online business, must think more strategically than just focusing on generic Top Level Domains (gTLDs). CcTLDs are also a critical component in a successful global marketing strategy. Safenames does the heavy lifting for clients who want to register ccTLDs domains in countries that have complex requirements or special processes such as Thailand (.co.th), Columbia (.com.com) or Nepal (.com.np).

“We’re most successful when we can save our customers time and money by being an extension of their company, and educating them on best practices for managing a large domain portfolio,” Miholovich says. “I think we’re ahead of the competition in thinking strategically about optimizing a company’s domain portfolio for efficiency, and prioritizing online brand protection issues."

Once registered, Safenames ensures that domains are secure and remain operational. “They monitor renewal dates and keep us informed of new extensions coming available so we can be ahead of the game in registering them if we wish,” says Helen Gainford, director of global rights for Safenames client Elsevier Ltd.

Assessing the domain terrain and taking a proactive approach

Companies that take direct and overt measures to police the misuse of domains with their trademarks can recapture web traffic that is being pointed to competitor sites via pay-per-click ads or via other channels. Recovering valuable domains can generate sales and leads that were previously lost to these infringing activities.

"Sure, it can get a bit overwhelming," Miholovich admits. "You still go fishing, even though you can’t catch all of the fish in the sea, right? Likewise, we help companies find the big fish -- that is, the domains that are damaging their online business the most."

Safenames offers a unique service, Mark Protect, that simplifies the process of identifying domains registered by cyber-squatters, and determines which ones are receiving the most attention. Safenames then recommends a plan of attack that can be executed either by Safenames' legal staff or by the client's own legal counsel.

The Safenames legal department will prepare filings for domain dispute cases heard at the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), National Arbitration Forum (NAF) or any third party arbitration organization with authority to hear domain name disputes of a specific domain name extension.

Safenames' advisory approach helps companies develop a strategy for addressing the problem without expending their own internal resources. Adopting an aggressive legal stance also marks a company publicly as an entity that takes its corporate identity seriously, which can deter other squatters from committing similar infringement, Miholovich says.

Clients are enthusiastic about the scope of Safenames' domain name registration and brand-protection services.

"Elsevier knows that Safenames offers excellent value for money. We get great service and have saved money on our registration costs," says Gainford. "The support we get on the administration and technical side is excellent, and they have a real knowledge and understanding of the domain name world globally."

Keeping an eye on your brand assets

Safenames offers Domain Watch, an alert system that tells clients when a brand infringement may have occurred, and tells a client which names a competitor is registering.

Most company executives understand that online trademark infringements are a problem. But they often underestimate the effect on the bottom line when domain squatters register trademarked domains like www.wwwmajorbrandname.com and other domains that incorporate common typos and misspellings. Just imagine someone opening a new hotel chain with a domain name that differs from a famous hotel chain by just one letter. The famous brand would soon see a drop in its usual flow of web traffic, which would certainly affect its revenue and profitability.

"Why should brand protection be any different in the online world, especially when some companies drive such large amounts of revenue from their online presence?" Miholovich says.

Who is responsible for the domain name?

Typically, three layers of a company are involved with domain name registration and management. The “domain name management triangle” consists of the marketing department, where the domain-name users reside; the legal department, which oversees the portfolio of domain registrations on a daily basis; and the information technology or operations department, which manages the technical aspects of the domains.

Safenames likes to work with all stakeholders on the domain registration and management process, Miholovich says.

"Our philosophy is to provide the highest level of service and to serve as a trusted and knowledgeable resource to assist with your domain registration and management activities throughout all functional departments," he says.

In most companies, the job of domain manager doesn’t belong to just one person -- or if it does, it’s just a small piece of that person’s job. Safenames is effective because its sole job is taking care of all the myriad details and going the extra mile to make corporate domain name management effective and efficient.

Domain issues and new developments in the domain world are often complex and time-consuming. It's difficult for any company, no matter how well staffed, to stay on top of everything. That's why Safenames is proving a leading choice for companies seeking a global domain name registrar partner that can offer a full suite of managed solutions with the expertise to keep a company informed.