Company makes another attempt at U.S. trademarks.
Web3 naming company Unstoppable Domains has applied for seven U.S. trademarks in the past few months, many of which are related to its alt-root top level domains.
The company has attempted for years to get trademarks related to top level domains in the U.S., and that effort has been largely unsuccessful.
This time around, the company has applied for .go, .888, manga, and anime with goods and services related to domain name registrations. These four applications were filed on an intent-to-use basis.
It also applied for wallet, dao, and .unstoppable, also on an intent-to-use basis. But these include other types of service, and there’s a clear distinction between wallet and the other two.
Dao and .unstoppable have the following goods and services:
C 036. US 100 101 102. G & S: Bill payment services; Payment processing services
IC 038. US 100 101 104. G & S: Electronic messaging; Electronic messaging services; Electronic transmission of messages; Electronic, electric, and digital transmission of voice, data, images, signals, and messages; On-line services, namely, message sending; delivery of messages by electronic transmission; Providing on-line forums for transmission of messages among computer users; Providing internet chat rooms; Providing internet chatrooms; Providing on-line chat rooms for social networking; Providing virtual chat rooms established via text messaging; Computer telecommunications services in the nature of providing telecommunications connections to a global computer network; Digital audio and video broadcasting services; Providing access to databases, rental of access time to global computer networks, transmission of digital files between devices
IC 042. US 100 101. G & S: Providing non-downloadable software for universal login to decentralized applications, display of alternative root domains as usernames on social media, website building and designing, digital identity verification and user authentication, and know your client (KYC) services; Software as a service (SAAS) services featuring software for universal login to decentralized applications, display of alternative root domains as usernames on social media, website building and designing, digital identity verification and user authentication, and know your client (KYC) services; Platform as a service (SAAS) services featuring platforms for universal login to decentralized applications, display of alternative root domains as usernames on social media, website building and designing, digital identity verification and user authentication, and know your client (KYC) services
IC 045. US 100 101. G & S: Alternative root domain registration services; alternative root domain registrar services
Wallet has the first two but omits anything related to domain names.
This is relevant because Unstoppable Domains is embroiled in a lawsuit over a rival .wallet top level domain in a different blockchain, with trademarks central to the issue.
Wallet has tried to register a U.S. trademark related to its .wallet domain twice before and hasn’t been successful yet.
unstoppable domains…what do you mean? It means domains cannot be stopped..by what??
Needs a better brand
The TM contains for example “Providing access to databases”.
Uuups. So if this TM were to be approved, then actually a new gTLD .dao would violate it – because that’s the core function of a TLD: to provide access to a database: to the rootzone of said TLD.
I hope someone notifies USPTO – or maybe they have enough basic knowledge to dig it themselves.
gTLDs are awarded by ICANN – not by the USPTO. I applied for two in 2012 and will apply for a few more in 2026. I participated in BOTH GNSO PDPs (policy development processes). I think I know a thing or two about gTLDs. We were discussing the actions of actors like this. Actually not cool. It’s fine of they provide “alternate roots” – but trying to hijack strings via USPTO to deny others a new gTLD application at ICANN: not going to work. IF this was the goal for it.
Problem: even if THIS application wasn’t trying to create a basis to hijack a string – once granted this TM will be utilized as basis by others whose sole goal for a TM application is denying others to apply for a string as new gTLD in 2026. So USPTO better denies this application – to avoid setting a precedent.
Also: The entire idea of “alternate roots” is that they are NOT ICANN-sanctioned “official roots”. So why would the USPTO become an “alternate ICANN” – the place where the singularity of an alternate root is being guaranteed? The entire mission of ICANN is to guarantee that each string is only mapped to ONE authoritative root. Alternate roots – by definition – do not have that luxury. Nothing will (or should actually) prevent TWO entities using the same string for an alternate root. Certainly not the USPTO.
If you introduce a new gTLD via the ICANN process – your singularity is being guaranteed by ICANN. If you do so OUTSIDE of ICANN: USPTO will not do ICANN’s job for you. You simply have to be able to float on your own. You jump in the water – and either you swim, or you drown. No USPTO nanny will hold your hands.