“How can I register a domain in the .UA zone?” This is a question we often hear from our clients. I’ll note right away that the procedure for registering a domain in the Ukrainian zone is rather complicated. Let's take a look in detail...
To begin with, you must have a registered trademark (TM), and it must be called as you plan to name your domain name. There are two ways to register a TM with us in Ukraine:
- go through the exhausting thorny path on your own,
- Seek help from a patent attorney.
Trademark registration
The first path is usually chosen by the most desperate business owners who are unwilling (or unable) to spend their limited budget on a specialist. So let's look at the second case. We will consider the procedure itself, and the prices for these services must be found out already in the offices themselves. They can vary greatly.
So, to begin with, you (your specialists) need to check for similar registered trademarks or filed applications for their registration. In our country, there are 45 different classes of TM, which refer companies to certain types of activities. To register, you need to select one or a couple of such classes. It should also be noted that our legislation does not prohibit the registration of the same trademark names in different classes. But only one of them can purchase a domain.
You can search for identity and similarity with registered trademarks through an intermediary. This type of search is carried out for all classes, which does not affect the cost of the service. In terms of time, it can be carried out within two days (at a cost of up to 400 UAH.). You can also explore the options yourself with the help of special free services in just a few clicks. One of these services is Profit Mark.
Also, you will most likely be denied registration if you want to get a TM with a too general name. For example, it is unlikely that you will be able to register with the name “Vacuum cleaner”. To be able to get Domain name “pyilesos.ua”, you will have to cheat a little and dilute the name of your TM with additional characters (any available characters, except for letters and numbers), which will be deleted when buying a domain name. Examples: “Dust & Sos”, etc. Also, if you are registering your name in Cyrillic, then do not forget to study the rules of transliteration in order to end up with exactly the domain name that you expect.
Since the whole procedure takes a lot of time, it is worth taking into account not only registered trademarks, but also submitted applications. Here, as they say, “whoever got up earlier, that and slippers” - if someone applied earlier, then yours will no longer be considered. The search is carried out by the "Ukrainian Institute of Intellectual Power" in Kyiv. In regional centers, this type of service is usually provided by local chambers of commerce. In terms of time, the procedure takes up to 10 days, the cost for the first class is 600 UAH, and each additional one will cost you 120 UAH.
Then, you will have to wait a bit ... There are three options for registering a TM by deadline:
- fast (about 2.5 - 4 months)
- moderate (about 8 months)
- normal (about 1.5 years)
In terms of cost, of course, they also differ. If for a “regular” registration you have to pay from 2000 UAH (for one class, because each additional class will cost you an additional amount of about 1000 UAH), then a quick one will already cost around 7500 UAH. All prices quoted are, of course, subject to change due to our fluctuating exchange rate.
Domain name registration
Finally, you have gone through all the thorny path, it would seem that you already have a TM registration certificate in your hands, and nothing will prevent you from registering the desired domain name. But, unfortunately, there are a couple of nuances that can interfere with us:
- You can still get rejected if there are already other similar brands or if your name is too generic. That is why it is recommended to contact qualified specialists.
- If you choose a long term registration of TM, then you may get ahead of yourself and get “your” name earlier.
The cost of such a domain is about 1100 UAH/year.
Author: head of the WEB-development department of the agency of strategic Internet marketing Star Marketing Alexander Matola.
