Member Article

Launch of South African City Domain Name Extensions

Three South African city domain names extensions have recently been launched, namely .Joburg, .Durban and .Capetown.

It is very important for clients that own co.za domain names, or South African trade marks, to register the matching city domain name extensions.

The launch of the city domain name extensions commenced with the Sunrise and land rush phases running concurrently.

Sunrise applications are reserved for trade mark holders who have validated their trade marks with the Trade Mark Clearinghouse (“TMCH”) or Mark Validation System (“MVS), and these applications will have priority over land rush applications. African trade marks will also have priority over international trade marks.

Please note that if you have not registered your trade mark(s) with the TMCH or MVS it is still possible, and advisable, to do so.

If you have any queries regarding registration of trade marks with the TMCH or MVS, or regarding the city domain name extensions, or if you would like to register your trade mark(s) with the TMCH or MVS, or register city domain name extensions, please contact Vicky Stilwell at [email protected].

VICKY STILWELL: Director in ENSafrica’s IP Department ([email protected])