Donuts registry, which operates the largest number of generic top-level domains, has announced the addition of a new option to its Domain Protected Marks List (DPML). DPML informs the holders of protected trademarks whenever attempts are made to register domain names completely or partially matching their brand name. The newly added feature is homograph attack protection.
The attacks are understood to use the letters of other alphabets in domain names. Thus, address bars of many browsers will display xn--ggle-0nda.com as google.com, although it contains two Cyrillic “o” characters instead of Latin ones. Obviously, the attacks are aimed at creating fake websites and pose a threat to both users and right holders. Donuts’ homograph attack protection tool supports Cyrillic and Greek scripts, which, as the company reckons, are used most often in this kind of attack.
Introducing the service as “free,” the provider is being somewhat crafty since it is reported that from next year the cost of a five-year subscription will soar by nearly a third. The company refuses to give precise details of prices but according to Domain Incite, the current subscription fee totals $4,500, and this will rise to $6,500. Meanwhile Donuts spokespersons explain that the upcoming price increases are due not only to new DPML services but also to a substantial increase in the number of generic top-level domains on the service’s list. To be precise, the number has risen to 241, which is 25 percent higher than at the time of the previous price hike.
