Gabia announced on the 2nd that it would begin priority registration for trademark holders for new KR domains being added for the first time in 21 years.
Gabia is setting up a new application page in response to the addition of four domain types—’ai.kr, it.kr, io.kr, me.kr’—specialized in the IT field and will accept priority registration applications from trademark holders from the 3rd until February of next year.
Last month, the Korea Internet & Security Agency (KISA) announced the addition of IT-related domains through the ‘New Third-Level KR Domain Trademark Holder Priority Registration Plan.’ A third-level KR domain refers to a structure where prefixes like ‘ac, co, go’ are added in front of the national domain ‘kr’. KISA is conducting priority registrations to protect the rights of trademark holders according to trademark laws.
Eligible applicants are individuals or corporations with an address in South Korea, who also hold a valid domestic registered trademark that will remain current through the priority registration period until February of next year. Trademark holders can apply for four newly created domains per trademark they own. However, they can only apply once for each of the four new domains, so careful planning is needed.
The priority registration process for trademark holders will proceed in the order of registration application and submission, suitability verification, duplicate domain lottery, priority registrant designation and notification, objection filing, and domain registration. Trademark holders interested in securing new domains can apply via domain registration agencies like Gabia.
Gabia’s Director, Woo Hee-moon, stated, “Given that these are new national domains being added for the first time in 21 years since 2003, and with additions like ‘AI’ and other IT-related domains, there’s significant interest from the industry. Quick registration is vital as failure to secure these domains could lead to decreased brand value or disputes among trademark holders.”